When you think of ethnically sourced fashion one usually thinks of fabrics and materials, but now you can consider diamonds too, thanks to Diamond Foundry. Brides-to-be who are wary of the diamond industry may work with a jeweller to verify that their diamonds are ethically sourced, but it’s impossible to know for certain if they harmed the planet or a person along the way.
Vanessa Stofenmacher, co-founder of Vrai & Oro spent two years working on a collection of diamond engagement rings for her direct-to-consumer jewellery brand. She told Vogue: “Our whole philosophy is to bring transparency to the industry, so when we started looking for a diamond source, it was really disheartening. Even ethical diamonds drain the lakes and destroy the ecosystem, so there’s a fine line between what’s ‘ethical.’ And the diamond industry itself is completely corrupt—it operates like a cartel. Then we came across Diamond Foundry on Instagram, and it was exactly what we were looking for.”
What makes it unique is there are no doubts about its origin, carbon footprint, or human impact. Diamond Foundry grows diamonds in a lab so it is a completely sustainable cycle. Stofenmacher adds: “They start with a sliver of a diamond, which is placed in a reactor with plasma as hot as the sun. By adding carbon, which is what happens in nature, it forms into a diamond within two or three weeks. Atomically, it’s identical to a diamond from a mine.”
R. Martin Roscheisen launched Silicon Valley-based Diamond Foundry to the public in 2015, and it remains one of the only sources for “morally pure,” technologically produced gem-quality diamonds. The brand even caught Leonardo DiCaprio’s attention—he was among the 12 investors who raised more than $100 million for the company last year.
Roscheisen added: “There hasn’t been any substantive innovation in [the diamond industry] since the late 1990s. We’ve been impressed with the tremendous momentum that Vanessa and her team have managed to build online [with Vrai & Oro] and are psyched to join up with them on their next plans.”
