PURIST: So many people have been talking about lab-grown diamonds. What is the difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds?
Dana Stone: The only difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds are the conditions in which they are created. Lab-grown diamonds have the same crystal structure and chemical composition as mined diamonds. As a graduate gemologist, I can’t tell the difference between a mined and a lab-grown diamond with my naked eye, nor with magnification.
PURIST: What are the benefits of buying lab-grown diamonds versus mined diamonds?
DS: There are two reasons for purchasing lab-grown diamonds. The first is the significant positive impact on our environment. To produce every 1-carat polished mined diamond requires over 7,300 liters of water; the process emits 352 pounds of CO2. In contrast, every 1-carat polished lab-grown diamond requires just 1 liter of water and 26 pounds of CO2. Unsaid lab-grown diamonds are grown in the U.S. using renewable energy. Unsaid has earned a Butterfly Mark, the luxury industry’s leading sustainability certification.
I make a lot of conscious choices in my life to benefit the environment, so for me it makes sense to choose lab-grown diamonds. The second reason is innovation. Throughout my long career in luxury jewelry, I have seen remarkable rare and exceptional gems, but never diamond jewelry quite like Unsaid’s. Our scientists, technicians and engineers push the boundaries of design, and produce innovative cuts that would be impossible to create with mined diamonds. Our lab-grown diamond cuts refract light and sparkle in spectacular new ways. Many jewelers copy traditional jewelry designs using lab-grown diamonds for a lower price, but Unsaid does the opposite. We use lab-grown diamond material as a medium to create works of art in 18k gold. Our Rem X ring took two years to engineer and create. It was worth it, because it is spectacular.
PURIST: Who is Unsaid?
DS: Unsaid is a Parisian maison led by Ankit Mehta (CEO) and Philippe Nobile (chairman), who launched the brand in 2022 to pioneer new luxury. Supported by a team of global experts, Unsaid was launched in September 2022 followed by rapid international expansion across key markets: Le Printemps (Paris, Deauville), Dover Street Market (London, NYC, LA, Tokyo) and Saks (NYC and Palm Beach).
PURIST: What do you love most about Unsaid?
DS: The designs are inspired by human emotion. Unsaid interviewed hundreds of people and asked,“What are your life-defining moments?” From those interviews, designers created unique collections. One example is the stunning Phoenix collection, which is shaped from women’s stories about life challenges—maybe an illness or a loss, and how they rose above that painful period and eventually became empowered by it. The design features a gorgeous patented signature phoenix cut engineered by Unsaid. When I wear that collection, I tap into those incredible women who overcame their difficult challenges and I allow it to empower me.
Discover the Unsaid collection popping up at Sage and Madison in Sag Harbor on August 12-18, or reach out to dana@unsaid.com; unsaid.com