Our diamonds: traceable, conflict-free and responsibly sourced
Diamonds can pass through many hands before reaching their final destination. For us, it’s vital to trace ours back to source. With over 15 years of responsible sourcing, we’ve built trusted relationships with carefully chosen suppliers and Canadian distributors who share our values.
We take ethics seriously, recognised by multiple shortlists at the National Association of Jewellers Awards for sustainability and responsible sourcing. Unlike jewellers who rely solely on the Kimberley Process, we go further -demanding full documentation and refusing stones with even the faintest ties to exploitation. You can read more in our Ethical Sourcing Policy.
The Kimberley Process, created in 2003, is limited. It defines conflict diamonds only as those funding violent wars, overlooking other exploitation such as unsafe working conditions or political oppression. Certification also applies only to parcels of rough stones, not individuals, making it impossible to guarantee that a single diamond is truly conflict-free. That’s why we hold ourselves to higher standards, ensuring every diamond we offer is worthy of both its wearer and the world it comes from.
Part of our approach to ethical jewellery. Read our full commitment →
Canadian diamonds
FULLY TRACEABLE AND CONFLICT-FREE, WITH COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The newly mined diamonds we work with most often are those of Canadian origin. Any stone of 0.3ct or above comes with a GIA certificate (or equivalent), while larger stones also carry a microscopic CanadaMark laser inscription - an independently verified certification that guarantees Canadian provenance.
Mined under some of the world’s strictest regulations, these diamonds are fully traceable and pose no risk of association with conflict or illegality. For transparency, however, it’s important to acknowledge that Canada produces around 12.5% of the world’s rough diamonds through large-scale open-pit mining. While Canadian diamonds are the benchmark for ethics and provenance, open-pit methods are undeniably harsh on the environment.
If reducing environmental impact is your highest priority, another choice - such as an artisanal Ocean Diamond or a reclaimed old-cut stone - may be more aligned with your values.
Artisanal diamonds
100% TRACEABLE, CONFLICT-FREE AND BENEFICIAL TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
An artisanal diamond is a diamond extracted on a small scale by an independent miner.
We currently source our artisanal diamonds from Ocean Diamonds, a company employing professional divers in South Africa to retrieve diamonds from the coastal seabed. The divers’ knowledge of the ocean means they know exactly where to search, avoiding unnecessary disturbance. Once brought to the surface with minimal trace, each diamond is passed on to a skilled local artisan for cutting and polishing.
Artisanal diamonds like these don’t just tick the ‘traceable’ and ‘environmentally conscious’ boxes - they actively contribute to positive change in their area of origin, supporting the local diving and diamond production industries in South Africa.
Reclaimed old cut diamonds
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND TOTALLY UNIQUE
Global warming has reached crisis point, and it’s vital that we slow the rate at which we consume water, land and energy. We’ll never stop supporting small-scale miners, but it’s also time to celebrate materials already above ground.
That’s why, alongside our new diamonds, we offer reclaimed old-cut diamonds. Pre-loved stones can rarely be traced to their original source, but reclaiming minimises the need for further mining - giving a beautiful gem a second lease of life.
The “old cut” is an antique style, hand-faceted with chunkier, organic facets that draw the eye inward with a depth of sparkle unmatched by modern brilliants. Each one is a fabled piece of history - unrepeatable, steeped in character, and bursting with soul.
Lab-grown diamonds
A modern alternative for the design-led and the budget-conscious.
We're romantic at heart. What we love most about natural diamonds is their magic. There are few things as beautiful as a miracle grown over thousands of years by Mother Nature, a tiny fragment of geological history, unrepeatable and entirely its own.
Lab grown diamonds don't boast the same unique life stories as natural stones, but they can be fun to work with, enabling us as jewellery designers to choose from a spectrum of cuts and colours at a fraction of the traditional price. They're real diamonds, identical to mined stones in chemical composition, hardness and brilliance, simply grown in a laboratory rather than extracted from the earth. This accessibility creates an undeniably exciting opportunity for bolder design choices and larger carat weights that might otherwise be out of reach.
Though lab grown diamonds still require energy to grow, with CO2 emissions far from minimal, they're somewhat ecological in that they don't require further mining. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that some lab grown diamonds are more sustainable than others, and the ethical picture is more nuanced than it first appears. Lab grown diamonds are not our default choice, but we recognise that for many people they present a compelling alternative, and we're open to exploring the options available to us.
Lab grown diamonds: are they ethical? →
Salt & Pepper Diamonds
The beautifully imperfect world of diamond inclusions.
Diamonds are natural occurrences, formed under intense heat and pressure over billions of years, approximately 100 miles beneath the earth's surface. Each little miracle is one of a kind. Inclusions are small birthmarks that develop throughout the process of diamond formation, some are foreign matter that has worked its way into the diamond's fabric, others are structural discrepancies caused by heat and pressure. A salt and pepper diamond is one that boasts a particularly high volume of black and white inclusions in the form of spots, feathers, cracks, clouds or chips.
According to the 4Cs grading system, salt and pepper diamonds are imperfect. In our eyes, it is these flaws that make them special. Their commercial abundance makes them a much more affordable option, kicking open the doors of possibility when it comes to stone size and cut, without sacrificing the diamond guarantee of durability. It could also be argued that the salt and pepper diamond is the white diamond's more sustainable sister. Whilst tonnes of earth must be shifted to extract a small handful of gem-quality diamonds, salt and pepper diamonds are more readily available, making their journey to the surface far shorter and less consuming.
Unfortunately, traceable salt and pepper diamonds with sound ethical credentials are few and far between, so we don't stumble upon these one-in-a-million wonders all that often. But we're always ready to try our best.
Contact us to ask about salt and pepper diamonds →
Looking for sapphires or coloured gemstones?
Our commitment to responsible sourcing extends beyond diamonds. We work with fair-traded sapphires from Sri Lanka, Australia, Malawi and Montana, as well as ethically sourced rubies, emeralds and pearls.