For centuries, diamonds have symbolised love and commitment to the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Choosing the perfect engagement ring for your other half requires a lot of thought and preparation, especially when there are so many options out there. In the 21st century, this choice became even more powerful when lab-grown diamonds entered the world to aid the climate crisis rather than contribute to it. But now, after 5 years of research and development, one company has taken things to new heights by creating carbon-negative diamonds from the sky.
Skydiamond launched on Earth Day in 2022 in Selfridges, showcasing the world’s first truly sustainable diamond with no downsides. Each Skydiamond is made in a pioneering Sky Mining facility in the Cotswolds, powered by 100% renewable wind and solar energy to convert Carbon Dioxide into its ultimate form, a diamond. Here is a simple breakdown of Skydiamond’s process:
1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2Լ is extracted from the atmosphere
2. Water (H2OԼ is split using electrolysis to make Oxygen (OԼ and Hydrogen (H2Լ
3. The CO2 and H2 are combined to make Methane
4. The Methane is fed into a Diamond Mill, where a diamond seed is grown in balls of plasma at temperatures between 900-1200 degrees
5. The plasma seeds grow into fully formed diamonds in approximately 14 days
By locking away a couple of grams of carbon per diamond, Skydiamond is the only producer in the world to create carbon-negative diamonds by design, rather than by offsetting. To put it into perspective, a one-carat earth-mined diamond creates over 110kg of CO2 *, whereas a one-carat Skydiamond produces -0.1kg of CO2. Skydiamond’s pure ingredients, renewable energy sources and ethical production process emit cleaner oxygen back into the English countryside than what was taken out. In doing so, their certifiable stones define carbon capture in a whole new way.
Ethical diamonds turn out to be a sign of the times, and according to independent diamond industry analyst Edahn Golan, engagement ring sales featuring an earth-mined diamond plummeted by around 25 per cent between March 2021 and March 2022. The surging trend for eco-friendly alternatives is only set to continue, showing that today’s couples are seeking different ways to signify their devotion to one another as well as the world around them. Skydiamond provides a new standard of diamond sustainability that’s a perfect match for 21st-century love.
To find out more and explore Skydiamond’s collection of engagement rings, wedding bands and forever gifts, visit skydiamond.com