NATURALLY PERFECT
BY CAROL BESLER
NATURAL DIAMONDS ARE NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL, THEY ALSO BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY ARE MINED. NATURAL BEAUTY N atural diamonds have been a token of love and strength since their discovery more than 3,000 years ago. The 15th century gave us the first diamond engagement ring, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to his love, Mary of Burgundy with a diamond engagement ring, sparking the tradition. Natural diamonds were formed by the extreme heat and pressure of the Earth between one- and three-billion years ago, making a natural diamond the oldest thing you will ever touch. What makes a natural diamond more valuable than a lab-grown diamond, or any imitation alternative, is rarity. The total amount of natural diamonds weighing one carat or larger recovered in a year would only fill one exercise ball. Over the last 35 years, natural diamonds have appreciated in value while the cost of lab grown diamonds continues to decline due to mass production in unlimited quantities. This makes natural diamonds worthy of heirloom jewelry. Natural diamond producers are committed to controlling and reducing their environmental impact. They are also committed to providing social programs to people in the communities where they are active. DID YOU KNOW? • The De Beers Group has partnered with UN Women, committing to achiev- ing parity in the appointment of women into senior leadership roles, investing in women micro-entrepreneurs, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students in diamond-producing countries.
• The seven members of the NDC have collectively spent $16-billion in socioeconomic and environmental benefits. This includes billions infused into local businesses in diamond mining communities, through the purchase of local goods and services, and millions invested in infrastructure and social programs in those communities. • Members provide local employment to more than 77,000 people in some of the most remote places on the planet, amounting to $3.9-billion. The average NDC member employee earns 66% more than the national average salary.
• The De Beers Group helps to provide healthcare and education for its employees working in diamond-producing communities in Africa.
• The environmental impact of natural diamonds is comparable to that of the production of 2.5 smartphones or 5.5 bouquets of flowers.
• Natural Diamond Council (NDC) members recycle 83% of the water they use to recover diamonds from the kimberlite rock in which they are embedded. Over 99% of waste generated in the process of recovering the diamonds is waste rock, which is placed in nearby storage areas. Once mining is complete, waste rock is reclaimed and becomes part of the natural landscape again. • Over half the waste generated at the Ekati mine in northern Canada is composted, and the Diavik mine in Canada derives 10% of its energy needs from a wind farm, which replaces about 900,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year. • NDC members have invested in conservation efforts, protecting over 1,000 square miles of natural land in Australia, Botswana, Canada, Russia, South Africa, and Tanzania — an area of land equivalent in size to Yosemite National Park.
62 R.F. MOELLER MAGAZINE
Sources: 2019 Total Clarity report from the Natural Diamond Council based on data assembled by Trucost (an independent third-party research company); De Beers Group
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