Brandee Dallow (pictured), a highly regarded industry executive who worked for the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), De Beers and Rio Tinto, joins SCS Global Services as Director of its Jewelry Sustainability Program, JCK can relate.

News comes as more companies join SCS Diamond certified for sustainability program, which audits gems and their producers against a 128-page durability Standard. WD Lab Grown Diamonds was the first to be certified, and producers like Green Rocks, Lusix, and Meylor Global are among the following.

Yet the program aims to certify more than lab-grown diamonds; it is also open to natural diamonds, colored stones and recycled gemstones. But so far no minors have registered.

Which is confusing. Given the negative perceptions of some consumers about diamond mining, being able to sell “certified sustainable” mined gemstones could solve many problems for producers, even if they have to pass audits first.

When I asked Stanley Mathuram, Executive Vice President of SCS, why the miners had not participated, he was also puzzled, but he hopes Dallow will help raise awareness.

So I asked the miners. Those I spoke to – who all wished to remain anonymous – felt that the RJC and the Responsible mining insurance initiative (IRMA) offer better solutions to the sustainability issues of their businesses.

They recognized the importance for lab-grown diamond companies to have their green credentials certified rather than just proclaiming them. They agreed that SCS, which performs audits for both RJC and IRMA, is a reputable organization.

But they had a lot of questions about the standard, its development and its monitoring system.

One of them was uncomfortable with SCS designing the standard and then auditing it. “You cannot be judge and jury at the same time,” said this person. “It sounds like a business venture.” This person noted that the RJC has been accredited by ISEAL, which looks like the “Olympics for standards,” as another source put it.

One miner did not see the logic of having the same standard for natural and laboratory-grown products: “It makes no sense to compare a product made in a factory with a product that comes out of the ground. They are different processes. This person complained that miners were not consulted during the development of the standard (only asked for their opinion after the fact) and noted that much of the SCS mining standard appears to be based on that already developed by the RJC.

And although no one said it frankly, I felt that given the ongoing hostilities between sectors, mining companies did not want their products to be placed at the same level as those grown in the lab. Currently, the RJC does not have a standard for lab-grown diamonds, although whether it should have one has been the subject of internal debate. (For what it’s worth, I think it should.)

Mathuram of SCS says he has heard these objections on several occasions. He retorts that the criteria were developed by SCS nonprofit arm, which adheres to protocols defined by the American National Standards Institute, which defines standards for setting standards. (Yes, such a group does exist.)

Although no current mining employee participated in the development of the standard, it has attracted mining veterans, NGOs and experts familiar with the industry. Mathuram points out that the draft document was open to comments – he received more than 500, some “not polite” – and will be continuously revised.

From SCS’s point of view, its standard is somewhere between that of the RJC and that of the IRMA. The IRMA standard is notoriously strict – too strict for most diamond mines, says Mathuram.

“IRMA is really meant to tackle lithium and copper and things like that. It is overkill for a diamond mine. Diamond mining is a cleaner form of mining. Diamond mines do not have the problems of extensive water discharge requirements or air quality issues.

On the other hand, while the RJC measures environmental impact, it does not commit users to climate neutrality, as SCS does.

The RJC also does not allow product-based claims, as it does not have certified chains of custody for diamonds. SCS has a tracking system, although this has not been the long sought-after method of scientifically monitoring every diamond in the pipeline. This requires companies to send a sample of diamonds to Western Australia Sure source, which uses laser ablation to identify their impurities, or their “chemical fingerprint”. That imprint doesn’t change, even when a diamond is polished, says Source Certain. Producers’ samples must be continually updated, as their “recipes” change.

Once Source Certain identifies the footprint, SCS performs periodic / random testing at the retail and factory level to ensure the growers sample matches the polish. And while every diamond is untested, gemstones are also tracked by Sarine’s Diamond trip. Mathuram says this type of sporadic sampling is common in other industries certified by SCS because it is too cumbersome to test, say, every piece of shrimp. He adds that he is “independent of technology” and open to other methods of monitoring.

Regarding the two types of diamonds having the same certification – an idea that emerged during the comment period – Mathuram says that although lab-grown diamonds and diamond miners are judged on different criteria, they both must achieve a net zero ecological footprint.

“Right now you have a side that says [the miners] have a hole in the ground so they must be a holocaust. The other says [the growers are] using [a lot of energy] they are therefore another holocaust. It’s an unproductive discussion.

“If you go climate neutral, it means that at the end of the day, whoever buys your diamond can be assured that you have canceled their imprint.”

(I lack the space, or expertise, to delve into the difference between a climate neutral certification and a carbon neutral seal, but carbon neutrality typically focuses on removing CO2 and achieving net emissions of zero carbon, while climate neutrality targets other polluting types and examines other environmental issues. Both use a combination of mitigation and offsets to arrive at a net zero impact, which, it should be noted, is not the same like zero impact. There is more to the differences here. Natural Capital Partners, which has certified Diamond Foundry as carbon neutral and works with Pandora, says JCK that its “CarbonNeutral certification is highly regarded as a credible mark for climate action across all greenhouse gases” and is used by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly initiative.)

SCS also offers something that other groups do not: a component aimed at consumers. The RJC and IRMA are mostly business-to-business standards.

This doesn’t mean that the natural diamond industry – or for that matter, other jewelry products – isn’t interested in a consumer label. Currently, companies that pass RJC Chain-of-Custody Gold Certification can call their gold “RJC Certified”.

They can’t do it for diamonds yet, but that’s something the RJC is looking into, as well as chain of custody certification. Executive Director Iris Van der Veken says she wants to make sure that any standard, especially the chain of custody, is “correct”. We want it to be credible and not make too many promises.

It is commendable. If miners really have qualms about the SCS program, they should not participate. But if they run away just because of the natural feud with the lab-grown one, they should reconsider their decision.

While miners may view natural diamonds “on top” of lab-grown diamonds, some consumers do not see them that way; in fact, some consider mined diamonds to be “less than” because they are said to be less environmentally friendly. While these claims have little basis and it is silly to make sweeping generalizations about huge industries anyway, these perceptions do exist. Ultimately, it’s the consumers who decide. Minors are now at a disadvantage. The SCS certification potentially level the playing field.

Soon, certified sustainable lab-grown diamonds will begin to appear in retail counters. Miners should ask themselves: why should producers be the only ones using this label when they can too?

(Top photo courtesy of Brandee Dallow)

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