Frequently Asked Questions

Founded in 2010 by mother and daughter, Elaine and Emily and based in Cornwall, we are a small sincere company with a straightforward vision. Elaine started the business from home and worked alone for 6 years until Emily joined after leaving school at 18 years old. We are a bit more grown up these days and now embrace help and support from our lovely team, Claire, Abi, Sophie, Olivia and Martin.

With our passion for people and the environment at the heart of everything we do, from our stones, down to our packaging; We aim to support a better jewellery industry, one that is accessible for everyone and one that breaks away from the corruption and damage that still exists within the traditional diamond mining industry.

Our lab grown diamonds are sourced from our diamond partners who utilise sustainable energy to grow their diamonds and the Ethica Diamond, our branded gemstone, uses advanced gem technology to create it. Fairtrade Gold and partially recycled precious metals are used to create all of our jewellery which is customisable with the choice of precious metal and carat size.  We also offer a bespoke service meaning our customers can alter one of our existing rings to make it totally unique to them or can create their own dream ring from scratch, working with our UK based design team.

We believe that meaningful jewellery should not have caused humanitarian or environment harm in its production, which is why we only choose to work with suppliers who share our strong ethical beliefs.

Read Our Story here 

We do things differently to most other online jewellery companies who dabble in both sides of the coin when it comes to diamonds: they give the consumer the choice of mined or lab diamonds. Many of these jewellers did not start their business with ethical core values, they are simply following the “ethical trend”, partially because they’ve got to adapt to survive, but also because they see an opportunity to cash in on lab diamonds as this market is rapidly growing. This is commonly known as green washing the consumer which is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound.

We are different with the options we offer in diamonds because we have never, and will never, set our jewellery with mined diamonds; we use lab grown  diamonds, Ethica Diamonds and sustainably sourced gemstones only.

Why? Because we believe these are the only truly ethical diamonds and stones that align with our core values as a company.  A lot of consumers still haven’t got their heads around lab diamonds, hence why a lot of jewellers sell both, ensuring they don’t lose the sale. However, we don’t want to capitalise on a product we don’t believe is sustainable or ethical, even if it means that we lose customers because we don’t offer that choice.

Furthermore, we only use lab diamonds that have been grown in a sustainable way: currently there are only two growers in the world that use renewable energy to grow their diamonds, so these are the only suppliers we use for our lab diamonds. The Ethica Diamond (our branded stone) is also completely lab grown, meaning no devastation caused to the environment from mining. We also use fully recycled/ recyclable packaging using 100% natural products (tissue paper, inks, paper, boxes, mailer bags etc) and the server we use to host our website uses 100% renewable energy, too. Furthermore, the metals we use are either Fairtrade or predominantly recycled (some fresh grain is added to recycled grain, but most of it is recycled grain).

All of our rings and jewellery are set with the stones mentioned above. You can decide whether you want the Ethica Diamond (lab grown diamond alternative) or lab grown diamonds set within your jewellery where you can choose the diamond you wish to have set within your pieces.

We also use laboratory grown gemstones or natural gemstones from carefully sourced ethical suppliers, for customers who want to add some coloured gems to their jewellery.

All jewellery is individually made to order, so can be customised to your exact preferences.

We offer two stone options via our website which is usually driven by budget or ethics, sometimes both and both of which are much more ethical sustainable choices to mined diamonds.

When diamonds are mined, there is huge cost to the environment, damage to eco-systems, destruction of habitats, and poisoning of water sources.  The humanitarian cost includes exploitation, poor working conditions, low pay (if any) and dubious practices with regard to the land of indigenous people.

Lab Grown Diamonds
We have partnered with Diamond Foundry who are the world’s only net zero-carbon-footprint producer of lab grown diamonds — and certified so. Each stone is unique based on the seed it was grown from and provides a beautiful diamond option without the human and environmental toll of mining.

Our other diamond partner is ALTR who also use sustainable energy to grow their diamonds and are aiming to be 100% carbon neutral by the middle of 2022.

Both growers use advanced technology notably uses less energy than industrial mining requires to extract diamonds from underground. And the energy they use is good energy — renewable hydropower energy.

Ethica Diamonds
These are our branded gemstones which are very close in structure, composition and hardness to diamond offering the same toughness and longevity, and are independently certified, provided with an independent GRI certificate. Ethica Diamonds are cut and fully faceted to exact diamond proportions, giving them incredible depth and realism. These stones truly radiate the same sparkle and brilliance as the most expensive diamonds and are made to last forever. We stock these stones at consistent E colour, VVS1 clarity and excellent cut so all Ethica Diamonds have these specifications. We can offer “warmer” colours but these have to be specially made for you. Naturally, most people want the whitest, clearest stone possible which is why we stock E colour and VVS1 clarity stones.

Coloured stones

Our coloured gemstones are predominantly laboratory grown too, but sometimes customers ask us to source natural coloured stones to put into their jewellery. For these, we only use a supply that comes directly from the small scale mines where a special colour code system is in place. This means that we can select gems that have come directly which ensures they are ethically sound.

We source the diamonds directly from our growers, and the metals that we use are sourced by our manufacturers.

We have partnered with both Diamond Foundry and ALTR who produce our diamonds. Diamond Foundry are  currently the only net zero-carbon-footprint producer of lab grown diamonds and ALTR also use sustainable energy and are aiming to be 100% carbon neutral by the middle of 2022.

Both growers use advanced technology notably uses less energy than industrial mining requires to extract diamonds from underground. And the energy they use is good energy — renewable hydropower energy.

We know that the of mining gold and platinum are not environmentally sound practices, using harsh chemicals, destroying eco-systems and risking workers lives, where regulation is not enforced.

We are registered Fairtrade Gold jewellers and we give customers the option to choose Fairtrade Gold, if they wish. Certified Fairtrade Gold is regulated, and the workers are paid fairly. Fair-trade grain comes directly from the Fairtrade organisation and recycled grain comes from companies who recycle precious metals.

We work with large manufacturers in the UK who use both fresh alloy and recycled alloy that is already in circulation, this is because some precious metals become too brittle to work with if new alloy isn’t mixed with it. Fairtrade status hasn’t yet been set in place for platinum but you can be sure that when it exists, we’ll be there!

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee from where the small proportion of fresh grain is sourced, as our manufacturers haven’t yet found a supplier of 100% recycled grain on a large scale. This is because the UK is not as advanced as other countries are in this area, but this will improve in time, as consumer demand increases.

However, our workshop uses 100% recycled precious metals for our bespoke work which operates at a much smaller scale.

You can find out more about the metals we use on our website here and in our blog.

Each piece of Ethica Diamonds jewellery has been certified in accordance with the Hallmarking act 1973, and will feature an official Assay Office hallmark.

Ethica Diamonds jewellery is beautifully crafted in a variety of precious metals such as 18K white, yellow and rose gold (standard or Fairtrade gold options)  as well as 950 platinum.

When it comes to manufacturing jewellery precious metals (gold and platinum) are rarely used in their purest form. Instead they are usually alloyed with lesser metals to achieve a desired strength, durability, and colour.

It is not possible to detect the precious metal content of an item by sight or by touch. It is, therefore, a legal requirement to have items consisting of gold and platinum independently tested and then hallmarked before they can be described as such. Items must bear a hallmark at point of sale, subject to the following weight exemptions:

Gold: mandatory for items above 1 gram; platinum: mandatory for items above 0.5 grams.

Ethica Diamonds is registered with the Birmingham Assay Office, ensuring our precious metal jewellery is compliant with the UK’s hallmarking regulations. All stock is subject to an internal confirmation process to ensure it meets the UK’s hallmarking regulations before it is dispatched to our customers.

We are an Assay Assured Jewellery Retailer. Assay Assured status is only given to retailers who have been independently audited and verified by Assay Assured which is run and overseen by the Edinburgh Assay Office, and ensures that all precious metal jewellery (except items exempt by weight) are independently tested and hallmarked.

Find out what a hallmark looks like here.

Diamond certificates help authenticate a diamond’s characteristics for quality and pricing purposes and a certified diamond is very important to a consumer, because without one, is much like buying a car without a warranty.

The Ethica Diamond is certified by the GRI, an independent grading lab, and all of our lab diamonds are certified by a mixture of bodies, including IGI, GCAL, GIA. You can read more about our two stone options here –

Our Stones 

What we love, we look after. Taking care of precious metals, diamonds and gemstones is not that difficult. With a little tender loving care, you can go a long way to keeping your jewellery in excellent, sparkling condition.

1.  Be sure to remove your jewellery when doing activities or duties which would strike, repeatedly wear, knock or potentially cause damage.
2.  Never put multiple earth mined and/or man-made precious stones and gems together as this could scratch your stone.
3.  Keep lotions, perfumes, oils, cake soap, and skin oil away from your jewellery. Please keep your stone clean as this will ensure maximum fire and brilliance.
4.  The best way to clean your Ethica Diamond jewellery at home is to use warm water, mild dishwashing liquid and a (very soft) toothbrush. For professional cleaning, see your local jeweller for ultrasonic steam cleaning.

Diamond is the hardest mineral we know of, but just like your man made diamond/s, they are not indestructible. They can be scratched, chipped or split by sharp edges. No one wants that, so take care when wearing and storing your diamond jewellery. We always recommend you keep your Ethica Diamond jewellery in its box or case. Also always be aware of diamonds scratching diamonds, so lay your diamonds out flat wherever possible.

The lustre and patina of gold is gorgeous. It does not tarnish or fade over time. In its pure form however it is very soft and care should always be taken not to scratch or knock it against hard surfaces.

We recommend that you wear rings of a similar carat together, e.g. your wedding and engagement ring, as the higher the karat of gold you wear, the softer the metal and one may wear down the other over time.

Gold should be cleaned regularly in order to maintain its beauty. A soft, lint free cloth is a very effective way to keep gold jewellery looking beautiful. Gold does not like chlorine or bleach so be aware of this when in a swimming pool or hot tub.
Platinum develops a natural patina that many people prefer over the “just polished” look.  When this happens, you can send it to us or take it to your local jeweller to have it re-polished back to its new high gloss look.

As with diamonds and gemstones, you should take care to protect any precious metal jewellery by keeping it safe in the jewellery box it came with or a chamois bag.

You may also find our blog helpful, Aftercare and Insuring your Jewellery From Us 

We also have a care booklet with every piece of jewellery purchased that explains our recommendations for how to care for your jewellery.

You can also download our care guide here:

Our Recommendations 

We have a resize service which costs £125, which includes insured postage back to you, but to make sure we are confident that you are ordering the ring in the correct size in the first place, we can send you a free ring sizer in the post.

You can request one here –

Finding the right ring size 

At Ethica we always strive to offer exceptional jewellery and offer a 12 month warranty on all jewellery purchased from our website. If a problem occurs with your jewellery it can be sent back to us for inspection and repair. Any faults resulting from manufacturing error will be repaired or replaced free of change (excluding shipping), whilst damage resulting from normal wear-and-tear or misuse can be fixed at a competitive price by our in house jewellery workshop.

If you are a Ethica Diamonds customer in need of jewellery repair please contact our dedicated customer service on 01872 222248 who will be able to advise you further.

You can find us easily, as we are located in the town centre of Truro. There is plenty of parking available nearby and the closest public car park is Garras Wharf which is approximately a 5 minute walk.

This is where we are:

Ethica Diamonds – Fine Jewellery Boutique – Suite 1, Mansion House, Prince’s Street, Truro. Cornwall TR1 2RF

We understand that shopping online can be really difficult – This is why we offer a 30 day home approval on your purchase that lets you try before you buy in the comfort of your own home.

If you don’t find the style that you are looking for on our website, you can view our online catalogues where you will find hundreds of other choices to look through. If you still aren’t ready to make your purchase, we can supply silver samples of most of the designs that we have advertised and post them out to you. Once you’ve picked your favourite, simply pack them up and ship the rings back. Please note, we charge a £100 security fee per item plus postage. The security fee/s are refunded in full once your returned package is received, but not the incurred postage.

If you wish to view your stone (Ethica Diamond or lab grown diamond) before selecting a style for your ring, you can purchase a loose diamond from us for you to appraise at home. If you are happy to then proceed with a ring design, simply return the stone to us and we will set it in your chosen piece.

If you are not happy, we will of course, refund you once the stone is returned to us.

We can offer all the following shapes in our carbon neutral laboratory grown diamonds or the Ethica Diamond including but not limited to:

• Princess
• Emerald – traditional
• Emerald – radiant
• Heart
• Asscher
• Marquise
• Baguette
• Tapered baguette
• Needle baguette
• Oval
• Pear
• Cushion

We can supply Ethica Diamonds up-to 10 carats in any shape. We can also customise the cut and colour according to your specific requirements. We can also supply CVD laboratory grown diamonds up-to 7 carats.

Please Contact Us for more details.

All of our jewellery will arrive to discretely packaged, double boxed for protection and security and is fully tracked and insured via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

Once received, our jewellery can be insured easily but we don’t recommend any particular insurer. Usually people insure their items of jewellery from us under their existing insurance.  Most insurers will offer insurance on itemised valuables over a specified amount, and this can be added onto your standard house insurance.

We have a secure server which stores all our customer data safely and securely, and all data submitted by the website is managed through Stripe – an online payments infrastructure for the internet.

Appointment Only
Our showroom is now open and we continue to run strictly by appointment only – to both help us prepare for each personal consultation, and avoid crowding within the boutique. We will be limiting the number of appointments at any given time and all appointments will be staggered and limited to three people at any one time.

Remote Consultations and Deliveries
We continue to provide virtual appointments, via email, phone and other digital mediums. Likewise, if you are due to collect your order, please note that we can continue to ship items out as you wish and recommend this.

For your showroom or virtual appointment BOOK HERE

We may experience intermittent delays due to the impacts of COVID-19 which could affect any stage of your order including manufacturing, setting, polishing or hallmarking. We will continue to update you regarding your order.

Lab grown diamonds are made one of two ways – either through High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT), or through Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). HPHT is the precursor to CVD, and CVD is the more highly valued method of growing diamonds.

High Pressure High Temperature or HPHT

HPHT recreates the natural growing environment found within the earth. There are a few different types of HPHT technologies used, but the process best suited for producing gem quality diamonds to be set in finished jewellery are created using a Bar press. The Bar press was invented by Russian scientists and uses a combination of inner and outer anvils to apply hydraulic pressure to the growth cell within the unit. The growth cell itself contains all the elements necessary to grow a diamond, including a tiny diamond seed, highly refined graphite and a catalyst consisting of a mixture of metals and powders. Consistent temperatures reaching 1,300 degrees Celsius and over 60,000 atmospheres of pressure are applied to the growth cell. Over a few days the elements within the growth cell melt and then reform during cooling to create a finished rough diamond ready to be extracted for cutting and polishing.

The entire HPHT growing process requires an incredibly controlled environment to produce a gem-quality diamond. Any shift or change during growth can cause the diamond to stop growing or can create inclusions that result in unusable diamonds. Every diamond must complete the entire growth cycle before the machine can be opened. It is only after the HPHT chamber is opened that we can see the finished rough diamond and its colour, clarity and size.

Chemical Vapour Deposition or CVD

Chemical Vapour Deposition, or CVD, is a process used to create gem-grade diamonds as well as optics and semiconductors. The process begins with a slice of a diamond containing the atomic blueprint for a new diamond to form. Carbon is added in a plasma reactor that reaches 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, as hot as the sun’s surface. The CVD process uses ultra-pure carbon-rich gasses in a controlled chamber. Carbon-based gasses, such as methane, are heated until they break apart allowing the carbon atoms within the gas to separate. These tiny carbon atoms fall onto a diamond substrate and build up layers resulting in a rough diamond crystal. Atom by atom, the diamond lattice forms, the process by which diamonds form in nature is re-created. This process yields gem-grade Type IIA diamonds within 6 to 12 weeks resulting in a unique stone which is then cut, polished and graded by the same world-renowned labs that certify earth-mined diamonds.

While both offer a controlled environment, the HTHP is more costly and less energy efficient. The thermodynamic process involves placing a diamond seed into pure carbon, then exposing it to intense pressure and heat. The carbon attaches to the diamond seed in 14 different directions and forms a rough diamond with a complex cuboctohedron shape.

CVD is a more economical and sustainable process, using vacuum chambers to convert carbon-heavy gasses into plasma with less energy consumption. Kinetics allow the carbon atoms inside the chamber to build on top of the diamond seed in a single vertical direction, so the rough diamond grows into a cleaner square shape.

Ethica Diamonds only work with suppliers that use the CVD growing method which has been the most successful in producing the highest quality diamonds.

Modern technology makes it possible to grow real diamonds by replicating the same growth process as natural diamonds in highly controlled facilities using state of the art technology and natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds possess the same hardness and properties.

Under testing conditions, lab grown diamonds will detect as real diamonds. Even experienced gemmologists will be unable to tell the difference.

It is like the difference between a natural flower and a flower grown in a greenhouse. They are both the same real flowers and the only difference between them is the environment in which they are grown.

REAL – Lab grown diamonds are chemically, optically and physically identical to earth-mined diamonds.

VALUE  – Lab grown diamonds are priced up to 40% less, and free of any environmental or humanitarian concerns.

CONFLICT FREE – The environmental consequences are minute compared to mined diamonds, and is also kind to people, unlike the diamond mining industry.

There are many ways to tell the difference between a fake diamond and the real thing. Turns out, the definition of a real diamond is not linked to origin (earth vs lab), but rather by its characteristics. Lab created or man made diamonds have been created replicating the earth’s natural process, and will pass a diamond tester because of their identical characteristics.

“They are real diamonds. They have the same optical, chemical, thermal, and physical features.”
Matthew Hall, Director, Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

1. It stands the test of time?
2. Is it made in an ethical way?
3. Using the highest standards of workmanship?
4. Is it independently graded?
5. Looks and behaves as the best diamonds do?
6. Works with my budget?

CHEAPER – Ethica Diamond pricing is set fairly according to manufacturing and retail costs, not according to the fixed diamond pricing structure, therefore it is significantly lower than the equivalent mined and even lab-grown diamonds, making it excellent value for money. This means that you would have more money to spend on your wedding and ticks all the boxes without the hefty price tag!

BIGGER – This is especially noticeable on the larger carat weights. You can have a bigger, brighter stone for significantly less compared with the equivalent quality mined or laboratory grown diamond which retail for thousands more.

AESTHETICS – They truly radiate the same sparkle and brilliance as the finest diamonds and are made to last forever, to be passed on through the generations.

TOUGHER – The presence of internal birthmarks (known as inclusions) make natural and lab diamonds more susceptible to breaking. Referenced as the clarity of the diamond and the more inclusions, the weaker the structure of the diamond. Ethica Diamonds are IF-VVS1 clarity, which is the highest grade. This means they are less susceptible to breaking compared to an average clarity diamond.

CONSISTENT – We use the best credentials to create the Ethica Diamond. Colour (E) Clarity (IF-VVS1) Cut (excellent/hearts&arrows).

CERTIFIED – All Ethica Diamonds are independently certified by GIA using international benchmark grading standards and every stone is laser inscribed. This is the same process as laboratory grown and natural diamonds and is done for identification purposes.

ETHICAL – Negligible greenhouse emissions, water or air pollution, no devastated ecosystems, hazardous chemicals, radiation or other environmentally dangerous substances or processes results from the creation of these beautiful gemstones.

About 80% of all polished diamonds come with a certificate issued by a grading lab and over many years, diamond producers have developed robust relationships with a small number grading companies. The GIA is one of the most well known who own the market for diamond certification and roughly two thirds have a GIA certificate. Others include AGS and IGI.

Some believe that only a GIA certificate is good enough, but there are many other gem laboratories that provide diamond certification services.

Diamonds with certificates issued by one of these bodies will carry a higher price premium, around 21% more than the average price for any given diamond.

This does not mean that a diamond that you buy with these certificates are better quality, it just means that you pay more for it.

The reason for this is because they have gained trust by monopolising the market. It’s the same as paying a premium for a branded product that is more well known and therefore believed to be better.

Our laboratory grown diamonds by Diamond Foundry create diamonds in America and polish them in its own workshops, they are not only well equipped to accurately grade diamonds but we are also the most obvious point where a consumer would want to go to in case of questions. As an American producer, they are best positioned to stand behind their product and issue a warranty for it just like Gucci and Apple do it. Most every consumer product relies on producer warranties for consumer protection. It is time for the diamond industry to do so too — and this is why we work Diamond Foundry, who share our forward thinking approach. When you purchase a bag from Gucci, you rely on Gucci’s warranty and have recourse with Gucci on any issues with it. Ditto with your £1,200 iPhone and Apple.

The Solution: GIA Gemologist Grading Using Data & Technology; Plus A Full Warranty

Diamond Foundry, work with a carefully selected group of GIA Gemmologists, trained and certified to be diamond graders, with their data and technical advantage to create accurate diamond grades for their diamonds. Backed up with a full legal guarantee and a full warranty. The result is a GIA Gemmologist Grading Report Warranted by Diamond Foundry.

The Ethica Diamond is independently graded by the GRI, who are a small organisation that are not marketed or branded, like GIA or IGI but they provide a professional fair appraisal for gemstones using the same standards that are used internationally.

The best of all world’s for consumers.

The true cost of a mined diamond falls under several headings, environmental, human and ethical.

Environment

Where diamonds are mined, a huge hole is created in the Earth, and a small city is created on the surface to process the diamonds from the rock retrieved, and accommodate the workers.  This damages that piece of the Earth’s surface, probably forever.  The waste, the spoil, is stacked up somewhere and left to scar the area. The water courses locally are re-shaped, often poisoned from the runoff.  The trees and plants in the area are stripped away, and even if they’re replaced, the eco-systems will never be quite the same as the constitution of the soil will have changed.  The animals that lived there will have moved, or died.  The animals that used to migrate through the area will have been forced to use different routes to reach their destinations, putting extra strain on their bodies, causing weakness and ill health.

Human

In first-world countries, mine workers are often highly skilled workers, well paid and well looked-after.  In poorer nations, where the industry is not so well regulated, diamond miners often work in treacherous conditions, where there is little concern for safety, and the pay is low.  In some cases, there is no pay, and women and children are also effectively enslaved by the mine owners, or where the diamonds are sold to fund conflict and rebellion.  The international diamond trade has tried to prevent these so-called ‘conflict diamonds’ from entering the market, by introducing the Kimberley Process, to verify diamonds’ ethical origins, but there are flaws and loopholes in this process, so you can never entirely guarantee that a mined diamond is free from human rights abuses.

What is Ethical?

When diamond-bearing rock structures are discovered, that’s where mines are built. You can’t really decide to put it a little further upstream away from spawning fish, or a couple of miles south to avoid sensitive habitats, or areas of importance to indigenous peoples. Handling these challenges with sensitivity is something that has only recently become necessary for diamond producers, and the ethical considerations are not always handled well. The artificially high cost of diamonds, designed to create wealth for mine owners and cartels, is another ethical stain on the industry.

The Ethica Diamond is designed to be created in a way that harms nothing; no person, no animal, no land, and not the customer’s pocket either.

Our laboratory grown diamonds are created by Diamond Foundry, the worlds most sustainable diamond grower utilising hydropower. These diamonds are grown using green, renewable energy meaning that these very special diamonds have zero carbon emissions, and are certified carbon neutral. Read more about our diamonds and how we are committed to sustainability.

There is much more information about this elsewhere on our website, here:

Our Blog

Energy used –  mining vs laboratory grown

It is not entirely true that diamonds are an investment. This is a myth that has been put about by the marketing departments of diamond cartels, to build an empire for the diamond producers and those who control the diamond industry. The only diamonds that will hold their value or appreciate in value are the genuinely rare ones, which could be very large flawless diamonds, or rare coloured diamonds that are found in small quantities. The truth is with mined diamonds, you purchase at retail price and sell at wholesale price, and if you can sell it at all, you will only get a fraction of what you paid for it. Most diamonds are neither rare, nor valuable and are certainly no investment. People often confuse the worth with the cost and think because a natural (mined) diamond costs more, it is therefore worth more, but this is not true. There is little/no resale value in your average natural diamonds or laboratory grown diamonds.

The only way you will get your money back is if you claim on your insurance policy who will base the value of your loss against the artificially inflated diamond pricing index.

Many people are now very aware that the powers within the diamond industry control the high price of natural diamonds, that they are artificially inflated with the aim of convincing the consumer that they are worth what they pay for them. Most people now understand that average sized diamonds are not worth very much at all and that the investment into the marketing for decades has been the most misleading marketing ever known in history. As this awareness is growing, many savvy consumers learn that this is not true this from their research which prompts them to look at the alternatives on the market.

CVD/HPHT laboratory grown diamonds are priced deliberately lower than natural (mined) diamonds, not because they are worth less, but because it protects and separates the mined diamond industry from the fast emerging laboratory grown diamond market. If CVD/HPHT laboratory grown diamonds were priced according to manufacturing and research costs, the price would be so far apart from the natural mined diamond pricing (which is artificially inflated) that it would drive most consumers into purchasing a laboratory grown diamond over a natural one as the prices would be even less than they are already.  The diamond industry have attempted to separate the natural mined diamond market from the laboratory grown diamond market in an attempt to “preserve” the natural diamond market for the more ‘discerning’ consumer in the market for a ‘very special piece of diamond jewellery’, leaving the lab grown diamond market for the younger, ‘less discerning’ consumer. They have deliberately chosen to focus the lab diamond market on fashion and gifts rather than engagement or wedding jewellery and their marketing of the two types on offer is communicated through their business model, Lightbox very blatantly.

The Ethica Diamond is priced according to manufacturing and retail costs, not according to the fixed diamond pricing structure (cartel pricing), therefore it is significantly lower than the equivalent mined or HPHT/CVD lab-grown diamonds for equivalent colour, colour and clarity.

How big the stone size or carat weight does not determine how much you love your significant other or are loved by your partner. Bigger is not always better and stone size is relative to personal style, stature, hand size, setting preference and budget.

The 1 carat centre stone used to be the standard “desired” size, now 1.5 and 2 carat are gaining demand. If you have smaller hands and a finger size L or lower, we recommend you consider a 1 carat or 1.5 carat. If you have larger hands with larger ring size than L you might want to consider a 2 carat. Anything over a 2 carat is all about personal preference.

Please read our Engagement Ring Buying Guide for more information.
You may also find our page on Loose Stones useful, where you can see how different stones look on a hand.

Having a diamond engagement ring to show off to your newly-engaged status to your friends is something that is engrained in our culture, along with the unspoken tradition stating that an engagement ring should three months salary for the prospective bridegroom.

When you consider that the pressure to spend that amount of money is purely social, yes, it does seem ridiculous to be spending it on a piece of jewellery, instead of saving for your wedding, or house.

If you were to be bluntly practical, then an engagement ring is a luxury. Indeed, many of our customers say that their pragmatic fiancées had suggested that a smaller ring might be sensible, given pressures on finances. However, choosing an Ethica engagement ring, set with either our branded stone, the Ethica Diamond or a lab grown diamond, brings the price down into much more reasonable territory, meaning that a lavish ring doesn’t come with an extravagant price-tag, keeping everyone happy!

Choosing a man-made diamond is something that is an obvious choice for some of our clients, who already know about the dubious ethical practices of the natural mined diamond industry. If you need a little more information, please do investigate the rest of our website, where there is plentiful information about the environmental and humanitarian damage that is being done, all over the world, in the name of mining diamonds.

In an ideal world, anything that is natural feels better than something that is forced or manufactured artificially. But we don’t live in an ideal world and we need to balance up the pros and cons. Natural doesn’t always mean better.

If we take a look at flower growing as an example. Flowers that grow naturally almost certainly will be damaged at some point by rain, wind and pests. Whereas flowers that are grown in poly tunnels are protected from these harsh conditions. Both flowers are beautiful, but the protected ones will almost indefinitely be more consistent.

Similarly, stones that are formed in natural Earth conditions, are also exposed to harsh conditions that result in a large percentage of wasted stones that are unsuitable for jewellery due to poor quality.

To produce one carat of diamonds, miners sift through about 250 tons of rock and sediment with the average diamond coming out of a mine is just one tenth of a carat, which is very small.  About 80% of approximately 142million carats annually are used in industry for tools and cutting equipment etc. Only 20% are suitable for gems and of those, around just 2% are cut to the best standard.

Most of us would agree that all of this damage to our Earth is neither authentic or meaningful and if there is a kinder way, then is has to be better.

Lab created diamonds are 100% pure crystallised carbon, which makes them optically, chemically, and physically identical in every way to an earth-mined diamond.

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is a well-known diamond simulant, normally set in fashion jewellery that has been used for many years to mimic diamonds.  CZ is made of synthetic zirconium dioxide in its crystalline form and is commonly used as a low-cost alternative to a mined diamond; it has absolutely no presence of carbon diamond bonds in its creation, it is simply a crystal cut in a way to mimic the look of a diamond, is glassy in appearance and is very porous and becomes  cloudy easily. The lack of crystallised carbon is why CZ differs chemically, physically, and optically from an earth mined and lab created diamond.

The technology was born from our diamond growing founding team’s solar technology experience — acquired over a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in developing one of the most innovative solar electricity cells ever produced, for making solar energy mainstream affordable. It started by studying the laws of nature.

Diamonds are born from a fiery heat, so a plasma of unprecedented energy density was created. Coded software was developed to run tens of thousands of physics-based simulations. In a warehouse just south of San Francisco, novel plasma reactors with hundreds of individually precision-engineered parts were built. Then, plasma formed as hot as the outer layer of the sun. It turns out diamond can be created in plasma — the fourth state of matter (the other states of matter being solids, liquids, and gases in increasing energy levels). In a plasma akin to a sun on earth, atoms can attach to nature’s diamond crystal lattice and grow it in size. One by one, the atoms stack on top of a thin foundation of diamond, extending the unique crystal structure of diamonds extracted from the earth.

Relative to brute-force industrial mining, the production is boutique and intensely based on modern-day wisdom and craftsmanship; and unlike hundreds of millions of carats produced by mines, these are much harder to produce.It is far from easy to create diamonds above the ground – most early experiments failed. But after years of refinery of craftsmanship, the Diamond Foundry are now able to create the conditions in which nature forms diamond on its own and each one is that grown results in each diamond being unique.

We are proud to partner with the Diamond Foundry who easily guarantee the impeccable provenance of our Kind, not Mined diamonds: each is born at the Foundry in America.

Ethica Diamonds has partnered with the world’s finest lab grown diamond producers, the Diamond Foundry who are the first and only certified carbon neutral diamond producer in the world. Their foundry is powered by renewable energy, using hydropower, from the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.

These sustainably created diamonds are the world’s only diamonds produced with zero carbon footprint: Certified Carbon Neutral®. Combining proprietary technology of superior efficiency with the zero-emission power, resulting in the purest diamonds.

Most people only think of just the 4’cs when judging the beauty of a diamond. However, there are also Types of diamonds. Type lA, llB and Type IIA, llB. In the past, we haven’t talked too much about the different types of diamonds because the superior Type ll has been unattainable to the majority of the population.

Type IA

98% of diamonds mined from the earth will be a Type lA diamond. These are very common diamonds that you will find at your local jewellers or online retailers.

Type IIA

Only 2% of diamonds mined will be a Type IIA diamond, making them very rare. They are special because they contain the purest form of carbon, with either very little or no nitrogen atoms in the crystal structure. This makes Type IIA diamonds harder and brighter than common Type lA diamonds. White diamonds are exceptionally colourless and coloured diamonds are often found with a brown, purple, blue, or pink tone.

Previously, Type IIA diamonds were only owned by royalty and the super-wealthy due to their incredible beauty and high caliber. For example, The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond and The Hope Diamond are both Type IIA Diamonds.

Ethica Diamonds only work with suppliers who grow superior Type 11A diamonds.

Type IIB

Type IIB diamonds, those defined as having trace amounts of substitutional boron, are prized for their blue colours. The famous Hope diamond is a perfect example. Besides their boron content, these rare diamonds are also characterised by their general lack of nitrogen. Little is known about how type IIB diamonds form, but they are especially intriguing because boron is often regarded as a crustal element whose presence in mantle-derived diamonds is unexpected.

Summary 

• Type I diamonds are the most common. They represent 98% of all natural diamonds and have detectable traces of Nitrogen.
• Type IA diamonds contain clusters of Nitrogen atoms throughout the crystal structure of the stone. They tend to emit a yellowish tone.
• Type IB diamonds contain Nitrogen atoms as well. These atoms are all singular as opposed to clustered groups. These stones are 0.1% of all diamonds and emit a strong yellow, orange, brown and even green color tone.
• Type IIA diamonds are the most valuable and consequently are very collectable items. They contain either very little or no Nitrogen atoms in the crystal structure of the stones. White stones are exceptionally colorless and fancy colored diamonds are often found with a brown, purple, or pink tone. They represent only 1% – 2% of all diamonds.
• Type IIB diamonds contain elements of Boron within the structure. As a result, they often emit a blue or grey tone. They represent only 0.1% of diamonds. And consequently they are also very valuable.

Lab-grown diamonds are the new standard of choice for environmental and social responsibility and peace of mind. We know that natural diamonds, like other underground resources, have a significant impact on the natural environment and ecosystems to extract them from the ground.

While natural diamond mining takes measures to minimise its impact, lab-grown diamonds are grown in highly controlled facilities that do not require extensive mining or deforestation, and the energy required to grow the diamonds is significantly greater than that required to extract them from underground. The impact on the environment is greatly reduced because there is less of it.

Our lab grown diamonds are produced by The Diamond Foundry who are the world’s first zero carbon-footprint producer of diamonds — and certified so. Our diamond producer is 100% hydro powered, meaning zero emissions and no carbon footprint. This advanced technology notably uses less energy than industrial mining. And the energy we use is good energy.

They shine exactly the same! It’s all about the colour, cut, and clarity that you get.

Yes, these are real diamonds, which are pure crystallised carbon. Lab created diamonds will pass all tests used to confirm a pure carbon diamond.

Lab created diamonds are 100% pure crystallised carbon, which makes them optically, chemically, and physically identical in every way to an earth-mined diamond.

We can not speak to other companies’ lab created diamonds, however, our grown diamonds are created in highly controlled and technologically advanced environments, where worker safety and welfare is a priority, by employees being paid a fair and competitive wage.

By not mining diamonds, we are preserving indigenous communities and the earth while protecting workers from unsafe and threatening conditions. MiaDonna goes one step further by using our profits to positively impact the lives and land that have been negatively affected by the diamond mining industry.

Yes, each of our lab-grown diamonds is inscribed with its unique identification number. It is very small, and can only be seen with a jeweler’s loupe.

There are 360 degree videos available for all our lab-grown diamonds. They are photographed under 10x magnification and provide an excellent up-close view of the diamond before choosing to set it in a ring, or purchase it loose.

The latest gem technology is used to create the Ethica Diamond, which after many years of research and development, has resulted in a premium quality gemstone . It is grown in a laboratory under strict conditions which begins with synthetic rough silicon carbide, (much like a rough natural diamond, but without the environmental harm associated with mining). It then undergoes specific treatment which creates the clearest, whitest stones. (D/E colour on the diamond colour scale) They are then cut, faceted and polished to that of exacting diamond standards.

Each stone over 0.35 carats is inscribed with its own serial identification number (just like natural and laboratory grown diamonds) and are graded independently, by GRI who use international diamond grading guideline standards. A grading card which verifies the credentials, dimensions and unique serial number is provided with every stone over 0.35 carat.

This entire process creates gemstones that are very close in structure, composition and hardness to diamond and are very tough and durable. The overall hardness is 9.7 on the Mohs scale of scratch resistance (diamond is 10 which is the highest) and every Ethica Diamond is consistently created using most desirable credentials. Colour (D-E) Clarity (FL-VVS1) Cut (Excellent/Hearts & Arrows*)

This stone truly radiates the same sparkle and brilliance as the most desirable natural or laboratory grown diamonds and are made to last forever.

You can read more about the Ethica Diamond and our carbon neutral laboratory grown diamonds here.

*Hearts & Arrows cut is specific to the round brilliant shape stones and only around 2% of the worlds mined natural diamonds are cut to this standard.

The Ethica Diamond is precisely grown and formulated not to fade, discolour, go cloudy or lose its brilliance for the lifetime of the stone.  Treat your Ethica Diamond as you would a natural diamond and it will last many lifetimes.  Simply clean it as you would any other diamond jewellery and it will always look beautiful and sparkly!  We offer a lifetime guarantee against loss of brilliance, colour change or fading on every Ethica Diamond.

When you look at a diamond, you expect to see a clear-coloured stone.

You’d expect it to refract the light, with a brilliance that sets it apart from other stones.

You’d expect a diamond to be hard, and have crisp edges where it is cut.

You can’t tell the difference, with the naked eye, between the Ethica Diamond and a diamond.  It has the clear colouring, the brilliant sparkle, and the crisp hardness of diamond.

Anyone else looking at your Ethica Diamond won’t be able to tell either… unless you choose to let them know.

We don’t want our jewellery to be mistaken for diamonds though, so an identity number is laser-etch onto the underside of every single stone, so that they can be distinguished.  Don’t worry, this can’t be seen by the naked eye and all certified natural diamonds and CVD/HPHT laboratory grown diamonds have them too.

This beautiful, strong gemstone is a fraction of the cost of both natural diamond or laboratory grown diamonds.

Our ethical ethos is the cornerstone of our business and our product gives the consumer the opportunity to give something meaningful to their loved ones that matches the intention to which it is given –  that has not caused environmental or humanitarian destruction and has not put them into debt to afford it as we are not tied to the diamond industries artificial pricing structure.

The Ethica Diamond will also last the test of time and that is every bit as beautiful without the social pressure.

The cost of a natural, mined diamond and its value are two wildly different things. The cost is what you pay for it, and the value is often only a fraction of that, which you would discover if you attempted to sell a mined diamond ring back to a jeweller.  You simply would not be able to recoup the cost.

Mined diamonds are more common than we are led to believe, and their price at which they are sold is carefully regulated. The reason for this is that the supply of diamonds is controlled by a cartel of diamond producers, and the pricing is set by them, according to the cut, carat, clarity and colour of the gems.

With most lab-grown diamonds, (CVD/HPHT)  if they are certified by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or the IGI (International Gemological Institute), then the pricing is set according to the mined diamond pricing table, minus a percentage, which varies from one retailer to another.

The Ethica Diamond is priced according to the cost of research, development and manufacture. They’re not priced according to the tables used by the diamond producing cartels, as we don’t believe this is fair to you.

The ‘quick and dirty’ test of a true diamond is ‘will it scratch glass?’ Simulated diamonds, such as cubic zirconium, are not as hard as real diamonds, and will not leave a mark on glass. Ethica Diamonds will.

Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale, where diamonds score the maximum, 10. Glass scores around 6.5, and Ethica diamonds are also 9.5-9.7, meaning they can scratch glass.

Hardness 

The Mohs scale was created to be a reference for the 10 most common minerals ranked in order of increasing hardness. At the top of the scale is diamond (10) and directly below it is Corundum (9), which is what rubies & sapphires are made from. At between 9.5 and 9.7, the Ethica Diamond is just above Corundum but below a diamond.

Hardness with reference to gemstones is often misunderstood. The word “hardness” has a very specific scientific meaning in gemmology that differs considerably from its everyday usage. The scientific definition of hardness is the ability to resist scratching, nothing more. For example, if you asked someone which is harder between a feather and glass, they’ll say feathers are soft and glass is hard. In the world of gemology, however, glass is soft. It can be scratched easily by a variety of what gemmologists consider hard substances.

Hardness depends on the bonds that hold the atoms together within a crystal structure. This bonding is reflected in the ease with which the layers of atoms at a surface can be separated by applying pressure with a sample of another material. If the second material is harder than the first, it’ll leave a furrow, or scratch. That represents the breaking of millions of atomic bonds on a microscopic scale. The hardness of a mineral is, specifically, its “scratchability”. Every mineral can be ranked based on those others minerals it can scratch.

The Moh’s Hardness scale ranges from 1-10 in measuring the hardness of a gem (Resistance to scratching).  It was created by the German Gemologist, Freidrich Moh. Ten is considered the hardest point.

Toughness

Is the resistance to chipping and breaking.  Natural diamonds have internal birthmarks (inclusions) and are graded from best quality to least. (FL-VVS1-VVS2-VS1-VS2-SI1-SI2) and so the lesser quality diamonds have a weaker internal lattice structure, which can cause them to crack or chip under pressure or a knock.

Because Ethica Diamonds have a very high clarity of IF-VVS1, they are not susceptible to breaking or chipping and are actually tougher than the average quality natural diamonds.

The Ethica Diamond extremely durable and can easily handle everyday activities.

Every gemstone, including diamonds, have the potential to chip, particularly on the corners or edges, where the structure is thinnest and do not come with a guarantee.

Although we cannot guarantee that your Ethica Diamond will not chip or break, if it takes a severe knock or blow, we do promise to replace it if it does under normal wear.

The carat (ct) of a stone reflects dimension more than weight itself: it is the size that accurately dictates the ‘carat’ of a gemstone, this is because different gems have different weights, but must adhere to size in order to be utilised for the manufacturing of jewellery. Our created gemstones are fractionally less dense than pure diamond of the same physical size,  So the 1 carat Ethica Diamond is 0.93ct in weight compared to pure diamond, but is always 6.5mm in diameter, the SIZE of a pure 1ct diamond. This information is backed up by the Ethica Diamond certificate and laser inscription.

The certificate that accompanies the Ethica Diamond will record two carat weights. One measurement shows the weight of the stone if it were a pure diamond, the other measurement shows the approximate weight of the man made diamond that you have purchased, which is always lower.  This is because the relative density is less as described above.

The Ethica Diamond is always a perfect industry standard carat size equivalency. This is correct for the size of the stone that you have purchased which is the equivalent size in mm as a diamond of the same carat weight. No refunds or adjustments will be made relating to the carat weight of the stone that you have purchased.

• We laser etch all our Ethica Diamonds over 0.35ct for individual certification, the same way that naturally mined diamond and laboratory grown diamonds are certified.
• Every Ethica Diamond over 0.35ct comes with third party certification from the GRI, with its credentials – cut, clarity, colour and the unique serial number.  The certificate is fully traceable online, via the GRI website.
• We give you a 30 day home approval promise on every purchase.  We are confident that once you have seen, touched and worn the jewellery you have purchased from us, you will be delighted with it.  Therefore we will take it back, if you are not happy with it, provided it remains in new condition with original packaging and the tamper-resistant tag. Please refer our Returns & Exchanges Policy for further information.
• We offer a Lifetime Guarantee on every Ethica Diamond. This covers any colour change or defects due to manufacturer defects, that can be seen by the naked eye, but this does not include normal wear and tear.  Having your jewellery resized or repaired by a jeweller other than Ethica Diamonds will void this guarantee, as does cleaning it other than by our recommended method (see below). We would like to point out that we have under 1% returned to us in 10 years of trading.
• Should your Ethica Diamond be lost, stolen or damaged, and you need to claim under your own insurance, we are happy to provide any additional paperwork that your insurers require, to prove the value or type of stone, and any ongoing help you require through this process.
• Loose stones purchased from us that are set into jewellery by another jeweller (rather than our own workshops) is at your own risk.  It is standard practice that jewellers will not be held accountable for damage to your jewellery, which includes any of your stones once you instruct them to carry out work.  We cannot be accountable for anything that happens to a stone that you purchase from us once authority is passed on.

For full information about our guarantees, please follow this link.  

The 4Cs of diamonds are traditionally Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat.  In recent times, Conflict has been added as a fifth C, and we also believe a sixth C, Cost, is important.

Cut– All round brilliant Ethica Diamonds are created with the ‘Ideal’ ‘Hearts and Arrows’ cut which is the perfect cut for maximum sparkle and symmetry. Less than 2% of mined diamonds achieve this cut, as they have to be cut according to internal faults in the stone. All other shapes in the Ethica Diamond range are cut to ideal/excellent standards. They are hand-cut and polished by experienced, fastidious diamond polishers.

Clarity– This describes the tiny imperfections found within a diamond. The number and size of these inclusions determine the grade of clarity they are given. The Ethica Diamond has clarity graded between Flawless (FL) and VVS1, – ‘very very small inclusions’. A diamond can be described as “flawless” only if it has no visible imperfections when viewed under 10x magnification by a skilled diamond grader.

Colour– The less colour there is in a diamond, the more valuable it is.  Colour is graded alphabetically from D to Z, with D being perfectly colourless.  All Ethica Diamonds are graded E which is superior quality to many diamonds used in jewellery.

Carat– A diamond is measured in carats, which describes its weight, rather than its size. This does mean that stones of similar carat weights could look very different.  As laboratory grown diamonds (CVD/HPHT) are of very similar density to mined diamonds, the carat weights are more or less the same. We measure our stones in millimetres, and a 6.5mm round Ethica Diamond is equivalent to a 1 carat diamond of the same cut, although it weighs 0.93 carats.

Conflict– The Ethica Diamond has no links with conflict, or humanitarian abuses, unlike mined diamonds.  Even natural diamonds marketed as ‘conflict free’ are not 100% guaranteed to come from conflict-free mines, or be un-tainted by other human-rights issues.

Cost– Many people are now aware that the powers within the diamond industry control the high price of natural diamonds, that they are artificially inflated with the aim of convincing the consumer that they are worth what they pay for them. Natural diamonds retail for thousands and the price is often tens of thousands for a slightly bigger stone. The pricing structure is set by diamond producers.

Laboratory grown diamonds (CVD/HPHT) are sold to the consumer in a similar the way as natural diamonds, using the same pricing structure, but discounted back and can vary a lot from one retailer to another. Although laboratory grown diamonds are sold for less than the cost of a similar quality natural stone, the price for the larger carat sizes remains unaffordable for most.

The Ethica Diamond is exacting in grade and cutting standards etc and is independently graded. The other good news is that the price is not controlled and is based on linear scale per carat. Therefore, a 2 carat stone is twice the cost of a 1 carat stone, rather than thousands more for the larger carat weights as you would be paying for a laboratory grown or natural diamond.

Please read our Diamond Buying Guide for a more in-depth look.

No, our virtual and showroom appointments are friendly and free, and available for everyone.

You can schedule your appointment here.

We have a lot of information about getting the sizing right for your ring elsewhere on our website.  There are various ways of measuring, using an existing ring, visiting a jeweller, or using our printable ring-sizer, and various factors you need to take into account, such as the width and profile of the ring.

For more information please view our brochure our view our guide to the right ring size for further details.

After choosing an item you would like to purchase, follow the instructions and proceed to checkout. If for any reason you are unable to order in this way, please contact us with the details of your purchase, together with your name and telephone number. We will then contact you to arrange payment and delivery.

We have a ‘Let’s Talk’ customer chat box, where you can ask questions and talk with one of the Ethica Diamonds team, as you progress through the ordering process.  If no one is there at the time you request a chat, please leave your name and contact details and we will be in touch the following working day.

Alternatively, you can contact us by sending us an email or call us on (+44) 01872 222248

We have a number of methods by which we can accept your payment:

• You can pay online at the time of booking, using a credit or debit card.
• Via Stripe – you simply need a debit or credit card in order to pay. Payment with Stripe is a very simply process, and you can can just use your mobile phone number to pay in subsequent transactions (if you choose!).
• You can pay by phone at the time of booking, using a credit or debit card.
• You can set up Interest Free Credit, to pay in instalments, via our website at the time of booking.
• You can pay by PayPal or cheque. (Please contact us to arrange this.)
• You can pay by BACS transfer, from an invoice. (Please contact us to arrange this.)

Payments for bespoke purchases can be arranged in stages as the work is carried out.

All prices displayed on our website are inclusive of UK VAT. For all orders outside of the UK, VAT is not applicable.
We can process your order manually via our invoicing system which is net of VAT, but would need your proof of residence plus an overseas address for delivery outside the UK for us to process this for you.

We understand that our customers don’t want their precious jewellery arriving in branded packaging, opening them up to theft, or ruining a surprise.  Therefore we send all of our Ethica Diamond jewellery in a plain-coloured box, about the size of a child’s shoe box, that isn’t obviously jewellery.

Within that, your purchases will be packaged in our beautiful signature packaging, carefully wrapped in co-ordinated tissue paper, and finished with exclusive Ethica Diamonds ribbon, ready to use as a gift. Whether it’s a solitaire engagement ring or a diamond pendant for someone’s birthday, we’ll make sure your diamond jewellery is presented as attractively as possible.

For your convenience, your order details, as well as certification for the items you have purchased, are shipped at the same time, in the same package.

All Ethica jewellery is made to order, according to your exact requirements.  We typically plan for a delivery date of around 4 weeks from the date on which your order is placed. We offer a Priority Service which costs an extra £70 and this option is available on our website when you make your selection before you checkout. This service reduces the lead time by around 5 working days. Delivery dates will depend on the time of year and we are very busy from Black Friday, through till the run up to Christmas. Lead times will vary and from the beginning of December, we may not be able to offer the Priority Service. Orders made over the Black Friday period cannot be guaranteed for pre Christmas delivery.

Shoulder set pieces and the Fairtrade Gold option will require a few extra days. Every stone is set by hand in the UK, and setting more stones takes a little longer – we want to get it perfect for you.

Bespoke deliveries can take about 6-10 weeks, as we need to work closely with you before the design of your piece of jewellery is signed off and you are happy, before we start to create it. The complexity of your chosen design will usually dictate how long this process will take – but we won’t start creating it until you are 100% happy to proceed and at pace that you are completely comfortable with.

To ensure the highest level of quality, all of our jewellery is handcrafted and made-to-order for every customer. Once your order is received and processed, we will begin making it for you – Our usual delivery time on items displayed on our website and in our online brochures is approximately 4 weeks.

We do offer a Priority Service if you are in a hurry to receive your order which reduces the delivery time by around 5 working days. The extra cost is £70.

During quieter periods, we can sometimes deliver much earlier than these given times, so please email us or call us (+44) 01872 222248 Sometimes, we can turn orders around within just 1 week if items are available and we have the desired stones in stock.

We will advise you of the estimated delivery date by email once we have received your order, but the exact date of delivery is not known until it is confirmed with our manufacturer and our workshop.

Occasionally,  there are situations that will sometimes fall outside our control during the manufacturing and setting process. This means that we will do our very best to deliver when we have advised, but we cannot 100% guarantee the anticipated delivery date whether your order is placed on standard delivery or Priority Service.

Please give us a call on (+44) 01872 222248 or email us.

Let us know as quickly as you can!   If possible, we will try to rectify the mistake.

If we’ve already dispatched your order, refer to our Returns and Exchanges policy.

Yes. We will happily ship to anywhere in the world.

Please refer to our Packaging & Delivery details for further information.

For standard payment terms, yes, please complete your order via our website using your card’s billing address and your chosen delivery address, if they differ.

If the delivery address has changed since the order was placed, just contact us to let us know the correct delivery address.  We will update our system and send you confirmation of the revised delivery address.

However, if you have paid using our Interest Free Credit arrangements, to protect you against money laundering and fraud, we have to send your purchase to your registered address.  This is part of the terms laid out by our credit provider, and we are unable to change this.

We proudly handcraft all of our settings from scratch in the UK.

We do not plate any of our metals and none of our settings are hollow – all of our settings are solid metal. To keep mining to a minimum, we only work with manufacturers who make use of recycled gold and platinum alongside new alloy (to prevent brittleness and porosity).

We make the jewellery when you order it and to the exact requirements you choose, as only hold a small collection of in stock jewellery. This ensures you get the highest quality possible.

Our manufacturers offer warranty on the mount for 3 months, but as company, we extend this for our customers to 12 months. After 12 months, unless the repair is a manufacturing fault, there will be a small charge which we will honour at cost price.

This 12 month warranty only includes manufacturing defects to the metal and does not include loose stones in their setting which are covered for up to a month following any purchase or resize with us. Please refer to our Resize and Repair Service information for more details.

We offer all of our repairs at cost price, so it is convenient to send your jewellery in when maintenance is required.

That being said, if there is any kind of manufacturing defect on one of our settings we will cover all the costs associated with the repair or remake and reimburse for any shipping fees paid by the customer. We are also happy to offer free cleaning services as well as free centre/side stone tightening, if your ring is ever sent to us for resizing or a repair. Other repairs, such as accenting stone replacement, resizing, polishing, prong repair, etc. usually have costs associated with them.

View the services available here –

Our Services

We can supply a full range of other laboratory grown gemstones or ethically sourced   gemstones if you wanted to combine sapphires, rubies, emeralds etc or fancy coloured diamonds in your setting. We can use any preferred stones for the sides or centre stone.

Email us or give us a call on 01872 222248 for more information.

Yes, we’d love to!  Many customers come to us with a design that they have seen elsewhere and would like recreated with a created diamond, or an idea that they would like us to make into reality for them.  We work with skilled jewellery designers to produce 3D designs for your jewellery, which we then tweak according to your comments, before creating to your specifications.

You can find out more here –

Our Bespoke Design Packages

Many of our customers have a clear idea for their engagement ring or wedding band or both and despite looking through the hundreds of designs that we have available in catalogue, they do not want to compromise on what they have their heart set on. The initial charge for this service is £300 which only covers the designers time, to produce 3D print CAD images, accurate dimensions and graphics showing all angles. There is a time allowance built into the price for a few changes as most people will want a few revisions before the design is agreed in principle.

A wax model of the design can be made ahead of production which helps to give you a feel for the width, depth, height etc and ensure it fits correctly and if any changes are required. Although this is not necessary, and some customers opt out of this stage due to tight timescales and the extra cost of between £70 and £120 to build the model. This is a manufacturing set up fee for machinery down time to produce the model whilst they are not able to produce finished pieces that generate revenue.

In addition to the above, all custom build rings are quite a lot more substantial in weight than the catalogue pieces. The reason for this is because it is unique and only one of them is being produced, more metal is used and there is a lot more time spend softening and finishing on the jewellers bench and a great deal more time is spent on the finer details.

The one to one work involved with bespoke jewellery is very different in the sense that someone can simply go onto the website and purchase without any interaction with staff. Whereas, bespoke jobs require one to one right from the start and the hours spend on each commission can run into 8 hours plus.

Finally, all pieces are individually designed for you, no one else can use your design and we do not make another one. You pay for something really special and unique to you to be made whilst the website designs are replicated thousands of times.

Read more about our ethical diamond custom service here.

We use CVD lab diamonds in all of our jewellery set with small stones, including our engagement rings, that are set with diamonds in the shoulders, earrings and pendants with small accented stones and our diamond set bands.

We are supplied by ALTR, one of our diamond partners for these sizes as they require very specialist cutting and so are not supplied by Diamond Foundry.

The average colour is F/G and the average clarity is VS.

Here at Ethica we pride ourselves on being able to exceed our customers expectations and are able to customise our standard rings to accommodate your personal preferences. If you like a design but it would be simply perfect if a slight tweak could be made, we can modify the design. Changes to the stone shape, stone type or band can be made – just let us know what you would like to alter and we can find a way to make it happen!

Please see our Existing Design Service  for more information.

Please note that personalised designs are excluded from our returns policy and therefore cannot be returned or exchanged.

At Ethica, we possess an extensive database of additional images and videos of our rings. If you are interested in seeing these, please get in touch via telephone on 01872 222248 or email us.   We can send across any additional photos and videos available of your chosen designs by WeTransfer.

Please note that we will not necessarily have photos or videos of our newest designs. This is because we make all of our jewellery specially to order, and we  only take photos and videos of finished set pieces that come into our showroom before despatching to our customers.

We understand that it isn’t always possible to get the size right on the first attempt – surprise engagement rings are notoriously tricky!  We offer a resizing service for those rings that need resizing.

The standard cost of this service is £125.00 which includes insured postage from our workshop back to you.

All resizing work will need to be returned to us, to keep your guarantee validated.  Simply return it to us, insured with the postage, we will resize it for you and return it. See details on our website.

If for some reason you need to return an order, simply contact us to inform us that you wish to do so.  Provided the order is returned to us within 30 days, in its new condition and original packaging, complete with the tamper-resistant tag, we will happily process a full refund.

*This does not apply to bespoke, personalised or re-sized items. We will accept earrings back for an exchange equal to or greater than the original order value. Please refer our Returns & Exchanges Policy for further information.

Certainly. We are happy to re-set diamonds which become loose, and in the unlikely event that your jewellery is damaged during normal activities, or the stone chips or cracks, we are happy to repair or replace, as appropriate.  See our Repair Policy for more information.

It’s a flexible finance account provided by NewDay. With it, you could enjoy a credit limit of up to £5,000 to spend everywhere you see the Deko and Newpay in the checkout, along with various payment plan options – an instalment plan, flexible credit. So, you can repay the balance however suits you best. Just bear in mind, the interest rate, credit limit and payment plans you’re offered will be based on a credit check.

NewDay will be your finance lender, and emails about Newpay will often come from them. So, remember to keep an eye out for their name while you’re scrolling through your inbox.

Anyone can apply for Newpay, as long as you:

• Are 18 years or over and have a regular income
• Are a permanent UK resident and have lived in the UK for the last 12 months (unless you are HM Armed Forces Personnel)
• Have a current UK bank account
• Have a valid email address and mobile phone number
• Don’t have an existing Newpay account

Of course, but just be aware that not everyone will be accepted for it. It’s worth remembering that NewDay will have to run a credit check as part of your application. So, your credit score will be taken into account when NewDay decide if you’ll be approved for Newpay.

It should only take 5-10 minutes to apply, and you should find out straight away. There are occasions where NewDay might refer the decision to an underwriter to assess. If this happens, they might contact you for a bit more information before they decide if you’ve been accepted.

Yes, NewDay will always carry out a credit search. They run a no risk eligibility check first though, to tell you if they think you’ll be eligible for Newpay.

The first no-risk eligibility check won’t affect your credit rating. But the full credit check might, and it’ll be recorded against your credit file.

It’s easy – just give NewDay’s customer services a call on 03308380170. They can send you a copy of the agreement at any time while you’ve got an Newpay account.

We offer relaxed and friendly, no obligation appointments either face to face in our Truro showroom or virtual in the comfort of your own home. So if you are not sure if what you have in mind needs to be necessarily custom made, we can guide you through the various options to help you to achieve your unique piece of jewellery.

There are often different expectations of how a bespoke piece of jewellery is made and initially, it all depends on whether you have a design in mind that you are quite certain of or if you are not really sure and you need the help and advise from us and our designers.

You may have seen a design from another website that you really like, but unable to find anything similar enough to it on our Ethica website. We have hundreds of designs available through our UK manufacturers and sometimes, we can semi customise an existing design to suit exactly what you are hoping to achieve which is not only quicker but also more cost effective than going down the bespoke route.

First of all, we will ask you to share any photos and links that you may have ahead of your scheduled virtual or face to face appointment with us. Please don’t worry if you have lots of ideas at this early stage. The more information that you can give us ahead of a meeting is really valuable and helps us have a really good insight into your thoughts. We will ask you to think about what sort of metal you want to use for your custom piece, 950 platinum or 18k gold, or a mixture of both, do you know the finger size, carat weight or stone size that you are looking for? We will guide you through all of these questions during your appointment and then we can decide if we need to fully customise or semi customise your commission.

We will then provide quotations for your consideration. Some people ask for a couple of different quotes based on bigger or smaller carat weights etc.

An initial deposit of £300 is taken to start the process for you, which is offset from your personal quotation. For the full bespoke service, we will send you hand drawn sketches about a week later for you to consider, bringing all of your ideas to life. Once you decide on a chosen design, we will then follow up with computer images and detailed measurements. For the semi customised jewellery, it is not necessary to start with the hand sketches as you have already got the design in principle, which needs a little customising, but we will provide the computer designs by email before we head into production.

For a fully customised ring, we say to allow a minimum of 6 weeks for your commission to be produced once your design has been finalised and around 4-5 weeks for a semi customised design.  Typically we say between 6-10 weeks, especially during COVID where some services and supplies are still a little bit delayed.

Yes. Creating your perfect ring shouldn’t be rushed, which is why we have a minimum budget to allow our designers to dedicate time to each ring. Our Bespoke Design Package has a minimum spend of £2000 laboratory grown diamond rings, £1500 for Ethica Diamond rings and £1250 for shaped wedding bands, stacking and tiara rings.

If you already love one of our existing designs and would like to make a minor change, such as sourcing alternative stones, or slight tweaks to the setting, prices start from £900.

Read more about our Design Packages here.

Yes.. we can organise a resin mould of your ring design ahead of production which helps to give you a feel for the width, depth, height etc and ensure it fits correctly and if any changes are required. Although this is not necessary, and many customers opt out of this stage due to tight timescales and the extra cost which is £70 on top of the quoted price.

During your online design consultation we will ask you questions. Of course we’ll ask lots of important questions about how you met, when you plan to get married and the styles of ring you and your partner likes. However, we’ll also ask questions about the wearer’s hobbies, personal style and interests. This really helps us during the design process to not only capture the personality of the person who will be wearing the forever ring we’re creating, but to also ensure it is appropriate for them.

We will then talk to you about your ring. We’ll take you through all of the material choices, such as metals and gemstones, and discuss these in relation to your budget.

At the end of the session we will tell you what to expect next – which is usually further communication via email with our design and gemstone options.

Each appointment usually takes 45 minutes so please leave an hour free.

Before your design consultation it would be great if you could have a few things ready. Firstly, you’ve probably taken a look at other rings and have already seen some you like. If you could send us these images/ and or links so we can talk through the elements you like within each ring.

Secondly, it’s great to know a little about the person you’re designing the ring for. If it isn’t for yourself, here’s a few things to things about beforehand which would be helpful:

– Do they wear jewellery? If so, what metal do they prefer?

– What colours do they like to wear, both in other jewellery but also clothing?

– Do you know or can you find out their ring size?

– What about stone shape? are you thinking round, oval, marquise, princess etc? what does your partner prefer?

– Carat size? This is how the stone might look on a hand. As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the hand, the larger the stone appears and the larger the hand, the smaller the stone appears. We can advise further on this during your consultation if you are not sure.

Finally, think about your budget and how much you would like to spend.

That’s everything – we’re here to walk you through the whole process and can help you with all of the above if you are unsure.

As a team we’re passionate about timeless design. We want everything we create to stand the test of time, and to look as wonderful in 100 years time as it did the day it was made.

Beyond this, anything goes. We’ve created stunning designs from contemporary a-symmetrical rings, to art deco and vintage pieces inspired by years gone by. Some people see a design they really love, from shop windows to celebrity inspired rocks and we recreate it for them using traditional hand forged methods and beautifully made and hallmarked in the UK.

Working with us on a bespoke ring is a chance for you to tell a story through a design – we’ve worked with favourite gemstones, modelled a Mickey Mouse ring, incorporated infinity symbols encrusted with diamonds, sourced gemstones of favourite colours and unusual shapes, and added intricate personalised engravings. We’re here to listen to your ideas and to help you bring them to life in a truly timeless piece.

Each process is slightly different, dependent on the complexity of the design or the rarity of the gemstones. You can expect to receive:

– A quote via email

– Hand drawn concept sketches of your ideas via email

– A choice of available gemstones from our trusted suppliers

– A CAD image of your final design (we may go straight to this stage if your design is straight forward)

– Production using our skilled UK-based bench jewellers and stone setters

– Dispatch via insured Royal Mail delivery (unless based overseas where suitable alternatives are used)

The cost of each ring varies and is based on the gemstone or metals you decide to use. For our semi custom rings (with a minor tweak to one of our existing designs, for example including using coloured gemstones in the setting), prices start from £900 to around £6,000. Our bespoke rings typically start at around £2,000 up to around £10,000. Please note that these are just examples and the final price all depends on the design you are after and the desired carat weight.

– Production using our skilled UK-based bench jewellers and stone setters

– Dispatch via insured Royal Mail delivery (unless based overseas where suitable alternatives are used)

Creating a custom piece with Ethica Diamonds requires just small deposit to get started. This fee is non-refundable but is applied toward your final order total. We offer three unique design packages, the Shaped Ring Design Package, Customising an Existing Design Package and our Full Bespoke Package. The deposit amount for all three packages is £300 and we invite you to pay this fee directly via our website following your consultation with us. This fee is due only once we fully understand your customisation requests, which usually follows your face to face showroom appointment or a virtual consultation with us. From there we will provide you with hand drawn sketch ideas for you to consider which is before stone sourcing and the production process begins. Please do not hesitate to  Contact Us if you have any questions about customisation and deposits. This includes all engagement rings, personalised jewellery and jewellery that requires moderate to extensive customisation.

The final cost estimate range is discussed with the client but may vary slightly based upon final production costs, labour needed and precious metal weight.

When you come to us with a design idea, we can tell you if it’s within your budget, but we can’t always give you an exact cost.  We usually need to go through the full design process because sometimes your design ideas may change along the journey.

Once we have an idea of your design ideas, we will invite you to pay for our Bespoke Design Package, which costs £300. This non-refundable deposit allows us to complete your design, and included in this fee is dedicated time from our jewellery designer who will provide hand drawn sketch ideas, CAD drawings and gemstone sourcing. We can then discuss the final price which we aim to keep as close to the quoted price as possible. We can discuss options such as alternative gemstones as part of this process to bring it in around your budget if required. (Please note that minimum spends apply)

Yes we do! If your heart is set on a ring that you have seen elsewhere or do you have an idea of what you are looking for? We offer lots of simple mens and ladies wedding bands on our site and a lovely collection of diamond set bands and shaped wedding rings. But if the shape or design isn’t quite right, we can update the design so it fits perfectly with your existing ring. Our Shaped Ring Design Package can be purchased for £300 to get the process started. We’ll send you a ring mould kit in the post so you can take an impression of your engagement ring at home. When this is returned to us, our design team will get to work creating the perfect forever ring partnership. Please note the minimum spend for our Shaped Wedding Ring Package is £1250.

However, if you’d like to create something completely unique, we’d love to work with you. Our minimum spend for this service is £1500 and is well suited to intricate designs, incorporating unusual gemstones and dramatic stacking rings.

Some partners like to propose to their better half with a promise ring and involve them in the design of the engagement ring. It’s wonderful working with couples and an experience you can share together. We’re all in for you creating it as a duo!

If you have a question and we haven’t covered it above, you can email us through our Contact us page here.