Last week I posted a diamond on my Instagram page that had been discovered in Angola, a country that at the time, had a poor track record of taking care of its citizens, and was rife with government corruption. There was - quite rightly - a heated debate in the comments on the post, with many asking "How can we purchase a conflict free diamond?". Well, I have the answer... and it's a strategy designed and implemented by Kwiat Diamonds, called "Mine To Shine". Imagine sitting down and choosing YOUR DIAMOND from a selection of rough diamonds... that's exactly what Kwiat enables you to do!
Step One: Choose Your Rough Diamond
Kwiat will help you choose an uncut stone that will beautifully yield the diamond shape you desire. It will be from a known country of origin, ensuring it is conflict free and ethically mined. Kwiat sources from Botswana, South Africa (yay from this proudly South African diamond lover! ) , Namibia, Australia, and Canada, all countries that have implemented policies in conjunction with the mining companies that result in a significant percentage of profits from diamond sales being reinvested back into the local communities and environment.
Step Two: Cut to Perfection
Thanks to more than a century of diamond cutting experience, Kwiat diamonds surpass the highest GIA standards. Kwiat Tiara Diamonds, their exclusive collection of perfectly cut shapes, are only available at Kwiat and select Kwiat retailers. There are seven iconic shapes, cut to perfect, consistent standards and every time (Kwiat Ashoka, Kwiat Cushion, Kwiat Emerald, Kwiat Oval, Kwiat Round, Kwiat Radiant, and Fred Leighton Round). Each cut reveals the maximum brilliance and size appearance for its weight…which means your diamond will always look bigger and brighter. Did you know that CUT is the most important component of the 4 C's? What was most fascinating to me is the Tiara cut diamonds have a consistent cut each time, they have the exact same facet pattern and outline. What this means is that if, for example, you are buying an eternity ring from Kwiat that has Tiara cut diamonds, each stone will have the exact same ratios and proportions, giving you absolute perfection!
Step Three: Design Your Ring
Now you have chosen your rough diamond, and it's being cut for you... next step is to make sure you ultimately have the ring of your dreams! Kwiat will guide you through the design process as you choose the details that will make your ring unique. Two to four weeks later, you will be presented with a 3-D rendering that shows your ring from every angle. Sometimes the picture in our head doesn't translate the way we thought it would, but in this case, it's not a problem, and you can request any changes you’d like until you are one million per cent happy with the design.
Step Four: Crafted for You
Master artisans in the Kwiat New York City workshop will handcraft your setting in platinum or 18K gold, per your specifications, and mount your perfectly cut diamond. The final result: a stunning, one-of-a-kind ring with unparalleled beauty and brilliance.
And there you have it, four easy steps to buy a diamond.... knowing exactly where it was sourced! I can't imagine anything more romantic than this. Congratulations to Kwiat for setting standards in the industry.
I personally have a diamond ring that came from a diamond mine in Canada that I've visited, and I love knowing that I've been to the very source. The "Mine to Shine" concept is as close as it gets to that in a way that's scalable and available to everyone!
And for the skeptics... keep in mind that great strides in technology support and facilitate the entire mining process. Some of the technology that I'm aware of that would help this process:
Clara Solutions - Find the perfect rough diamond to meet your shape/size requirements.
Sarine Technology - Technology that assists in the best cut of a rough, giving the maximum yield.
Tracr - The "DNA" of the rough diamond is captured at source, and it is tracked through the mining, cutting, and polishing process.
Click on the links and check out their websites - it's remarkable! As I said in my Instagram post... in today's world, you can buy natural diamonds and still be buying ethical!
Photo Credits: Kwiat.