A fair generation of diamonds

To produce ethical diamonds for the jewellery industry, we take a holistic approach to sustainability – on an environmental, commercial and social level.

When Nevermined was founded, the founding couple pursued a common mission: to produce real diamonds for mandana’s own jewellery collections that meet the highest quality standards – and to do so sustainably. Nevermined diamonds should be the solution to all ethical and environmental conflicts associated with mining diamonds on the one hand and imported lab-grown diamonds on the other.

Why lab-grown diamonds are more sustainable

Mined diamond vs. lab-grown diamond

For many decades, the diamond industry faced serious challenges. The mining of mining diamonds was and still is associated with social and ethical conflicts and with serious environmental influences. So-called “blood diamonds” have also gained their fame due to an eventful history. By producing diamonds in the lab, we at Nevermined can avoid all the conflicts that come with mining diamonds:

Natural diamonds are mostly mined in open-pit mines and underground diamond mines. For just 1 carat of natural diamond, an average of over 200 tons of earth have to be moved. This can lead to soil erosion. In comparison, lab-grown diamonds can completely dispense with mining or open-pit mining.

Despite the Kimberley Process, which tries to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds, diamond mining work in some countries is associated with inhumane working conditions, forced labour and child exploitation. Fair wages are unimaginable here. In contrast to mining diamonds, lab-grown diamonds from Nevermined offer one hundred percent certainty that they are wearing ethically conflict-free stones – 100% fair and grown in Germany.

In search of diamonds, gold, precious stones or precious metals, vast amounts of forest land are still being cleared. Billions of animals lose their habitat or feel disturbed by noise pollution. The number of trees that could offset CO2 emissions is dwindling. And that if the search for diamonds is unsuccessful, for nothing. Diamonds from the laboratory do not harm the rainforests or the biodiversity that lives in them.

Since there are no natural diamond deposits in Germany, all mining diamonds have a long journey behind them. Transports from abroad are always associated with CO2 emissions. With its own production facility for laboratory diamonds in Essen, Nevermined guarantees short delivery routes within Germany and Europe with climate-neutral shipping. In this way, we reduce the ecological footprint of our gemstones.

When mining natural diamonds, valuable farmland in emerging countries is often combed. The land is unusable for agriculture even after the work has been completed, as the nutrients are removed from the topsoil by the upheavals. By producing lab-grown diamonds for fair jewellery production, we help to ensure that less agricultural land is destroyed.

Unlike the mining of precious metals, diamond mining does not use chemicals, but water. Water is scarce in many places where diamonds are mined. Even though the industry is doing a lot to reduce its use of water, it cannot avoid it completely – unlike lab-grown diamonds. Nor can the pollution of water be ruled out. If riverbeds and courses are diverted for the purpose of diamond mining, this also irritates the local ecosystem and humans and animals have to look for new sources. The production of real diamonds in the laboratory does not require water pollution and does not require any restructuring of ecosystems.

Working in diamond mines often leaves mining pits. If these pits fill with rainwater or groundwater, mosquitoes can breed more frequently, transmitting diseases such as malaria and dengue fever in medically poorly served areas. With lab-grown diamonds, this is not a risk.

The exploration and mining of mining diamonds requires the use of fossil fuels. These include, for example, diesel, gasoline, marine gas or oil. Their combustion releases greenhouse gases, which has a negative impact on the environment and climate change. In contrast, real lab-grown diamonds from Nevermined are produced completely without fossil fuels. Their production requires only electricity, which Nevermined obtains from renewable energy sources.

Made in Europe

Minimal transport routes, maximum transparency

Lab-grown diamonds (“LGD”) thus stand out from natural diamonds due to numerous advantages. Nevertheless, buying LGD externally for mandana’s jewelry collections was never an option for the founding couple. Most lab-grown diamond manufacturers are located outside of Europe. This would involve long transport routes for the diamonds to Germany and highCO2 emissions. In addition, many manufacturers do not ensure full transparency about their production processes and working conditions. This would not have ensured sustainable production of the diamonds. For this reason, Christine Marhofer and Michael Marhofer have decided to produce their diamonds themselves. In our own Nevermined laboratory in Essen, Germany, lab-grown diamonds are created in the heart of Europe under fair, transparent and audited conditions.

SCS-007-01 Certification

Proven to be sustainable

As one of the first diamond producers and traders, Nevermined diamonds have been officially certified according to SCS-007-1 and have received the certificate “SCS Certification Standard for Sustainability Rated Diamonds”. This means that we meet all of the strict SCS criteria for our lab-grown diamonds: from origin, traceability and sustainable production to ethically responsible environmental, social and governance practices.

Powered by all-natural electricity

Environmentally-friendly use of resources

The responsible and conscious use of electricity as a resource is the most important factor in the sustainable design of our production. For this reason, we only use the best possible, most sustainable variant of electricity: green electricity. This is not obtained from fossil fuels, but exclusively from renewable energies, such as solar, wind or hydropower. We are working on covering part of our energy needs ourselves in the future.

Conscious luxury

mandana x sustainability

With the collections from mandana, Nevermined diamonds become pieces of the heart for eternity. We also attach great importance to sustainability in every respect with our jewellery brand. We only use recycled 750 gold (18 carat) to reduce the need for new gold mining. All jewellery is packaged in sustainable cases made from an innovative vegan leather alternative made from olive residues. Even their refinement is biodegradable. With the EarthChild Project, we at mandana support a South African charity that equips disadvantaged children with valuable skills for a mindful, environmentally conscious way of life – another contribution to leaving the world a little better for our children and the generations after us.

On the way to a more sustainable future

We are not perfect. And we probably never will be. But we try to get as close as possible at all times. New possibilities and alternatives are constantly emerging to make existing processes a little better, more sustainable and more durable. And that’s exactly what we appreciate. Day after day, we also work to position ourselves as well as possible for a sustainable future. Value-based entrepreneurship is the line we take. For us, it means finding solutions where they are most needed, taking responsibility for our employees and our environment, being mindful of our nature’s resources, and creating sustainability without being wasteful. We don’t want to soothe our conscience. We want to lead the way with a clear conscience in order to be a role model for our children and future generations. This is what we stand for with our commitment to sustainability.