Despite all popular belief, synthetic diamonds offer an alternative that is just as qualitative but much more ecological.
Diamonds may well be eternal, it seems, the Planet from which they are extracted much less… Therefore, for jewelry making, why not use laboratory diamonds, with the same qualities and chemical, physical and optical properties, as proposed Loyal.ea French start-up created two years ago by Maïssa Zard?
What is your value proposition?
Maïssa Zard : Loyal.e offers jewelry collections that only use lab-created diamonds that are certified climate-neutral, and recycled 18-karat gold, certified RJC-Coc. Each of them is made to order, by hand in our Parisian workshop by artisan jewelers. It carries an individual identification number, accompanied by a unique blockchain certificate of authenticity for full traceability.
What are the differences between a diamond mined from the earth and one made in the laboratory?
Maïssa Zard : Let’s be clear: these two diamonds have the same composition and structure, the same chemical, physical and optical properties. The diamond is composed of a single element: carbon, which crystallizes under precise conditions of high pressure and high temperature, which is found naturally only about 200 kilometers underground. Conditions that technological advances now make it possible to reproduce in the laboratory, hence the name of laboratory or synthetic diamond.
Moreover, the term “natural” in the official definition of a diamond by the Federal Trade Commission was removed in July 2018 to include both mine diamond and lab diamond. The only difference in the end is its traceability, which is difficult with a mined diamond, since it passes on average through ten to fifteen intermediaries from its extraction to your hands. This also allows the final price of the synthetic diamond to be 20 to 30% lower for the same quality.
How are synthetic diamonds made? Are they more ethical? Are they real diamonds? © Loyal.e Paris
Why your start-up will change the world?
Maïssa Zard : Apart from the origin, the other differences are ecological and ethical with the diamond mine, whose industry is regularly singled out for the working conditions it imposes but also its extremely polluting extraction practices, in addition to be one of the main causes of deforestation. A laboratory diamond requires seven times less water and produces twenty times less CO2 than a mined diamond of the same quality. On gold, you should know that its extraction generates 2 tons of waste for each gram produced, while this material can be recycled to infinity, without compromising its quality. At Loyal.e, we recover it from old jewelery or electronic waste that contains it. We therefore no longer need to resort to mining for jewelry, we have at our disposal an ethical and eco-responsible alternative that allows us to preserve the resources of our Planet. It’s not about keeping up with the times, it’s about creating it.
Maïssa Zard : When we started discussing my engagement ring with my fiancé, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of having a mine diamond to represent our love and union because I couldn’t have the certainty that this diamond would not be associated with negative impacts. Today, thanks to state-of-the-art technology, we have the chance to reproduce the conditions of formation of a diamond. The decision to have a lab-grown diamond for my engagement ring was a no-brainer for me. That’s when I realized there was an opportunity to do things differently, and I founded Loyal.e to offer responsible, warm, creative and more inclusive luxury. My experiences in the luxury industry, haute couture and cosmetics helped me to be surrounded by good, caring people who supported me from the start. I am lucky to have the support of business angels who accompany me on a daily basis in this great adventure.
What’s next in the story?
Maïssa Zard : We will soon be launching a new collection and stepping up our international development. We also want to raise the voice of the laboratory diamond to put an end to received ideas. Contrary to popular belief, it is a real diamond, and not zirconium, that decorates costume jewellery!
If you were Prime Minister, what key measure would you put in place?
Maïssa Zard : In fact, more than the sector in which I operate, what is close to my heart are women’s rights. I think there is still a long way to go. I will therefore act in their favour.
What will the world look like in 2050?
Maïssa Zard : I don’t really know, I hope so much that it will be desirable… In any case, you really have to do everything you can to get there! If each person manages to contribute a little in their own way, I think we could have some nice surprises!
What Futura hot topic excites you?
Maïssa Zard : I loved learning about Fava’s history and commitments. I find it so ridiculous that a subject like menstruation is still today, in a country like France, a sometimes taboo subject and I admire all the people who are mobilizing for the intimate health of women.