Do Amore’s prices start at about $800, but the customization options mean they can go for as much as $400,000. The natural diamonds come from Canada, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Russia, while the lab-grown ones are made in the U.S. and India.
An infographic on the company’s website lets customers see exactly which countries they source materials from. For instance, sapphires come from Montana, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Sustainable Partners
Efforts to curb the diamond industry’s negative impact are a labor of love for Frank Darling. After years working in 3D printing in the tech industry, Fisher, 34, and her partner Jeff Smith, 38, noticed the lack of transparency and sustainability within diamond jewelry brands.
About a year ago, they launched Frank Darling, with the name inspired by their desire to be “frank” yet offer “darling” gems. Featured prominently in their lineup are lab-grown diamonds that are made using renewable energy from San Francisco-based producer Diamond Foundry. Currently the world’s only zero-carbon-footprint diamond producer, Diamond Foundry has created stones worn by celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. The foundry is powered by Washington state’s Columbia River with no emissions or water pollution.
On Frank Darling’s website, interested buyers can take a quiz to receive a free sketch of their dream ring. They can choose from a selection featuring cuts like pear, asscher, and marquise in settings such as halo, solitaire, and eternity band. Prices start at about $1,000 for an engagement ring and increase with the level of customization.
Frank Darling also sells recycled natural diamonds and works with customers who have heirloom stones and want to repurpose them. They’ve even combined antique diamonds with lab-grown gems into a single piece. In addition, the company is committed to using recycled gold whenever possible.
“Gold mining is often overshadowed by diamond mining, but it’s really disruptive to the environment, and there’s no reason we need to be mining new gold,” Fisher says.
The company allows customers to try on mock-ups of their products at home using sterling silver replica rings with 1-carat cubic zirconia stones, which are then sent back to Frank Darling using recycled packaging. All products are made on-demand to prevent waste from excess inventory.
Customer Demand
For Ken Leung, founder of Ken & Dana Design, there was never a question that his operation wouldn’t be eco-friendly. He’s fulfilling the goal by using recycled metals for his engagement rings, offering a wide selection of lab-grown diamonds, and reusing packaging. Leung’s family has been in the jewelry business since the 1970s, and he branched out on his own in 2009 with a line that’s been worn by Beyoncé, Rashida Jones, and Rachel Ray.
A portion of the sale of every engagement ring is donated to Global Witness, an organization that works to break the links between natural resource exploitation, conflict, poverty, corruption, and human-rights abuses. “It seems kind of intuitive. I don’t see myself as doing something that different,” he says about creating rings that give back. “It’s just our duty to do it.”