Shopping for wedding jewelry is an exciting part of the wedding-planning process. You’re choosing a symbol of your love for and commitment to another human being. Your wedding rings are perhaps some of the most meaningful pieces of jewelry you’ll wear in your lifetime. Whether it’s sparkle or polished (or both) that you’re looking for, one critical element to consider for your engagement or wedding ring is that it is ethically made and conflict-free.
And that’s exactly what MiaDonna offers as a Portland, Oregon–based lab-grown diamond jeweler focused on ethical, conflict-free fine jewelry and accessories. Its collection of beautiful, ethical and affordable lab-grown diamond rings are handcrafted in New York City using the finest recycled precious gold.
When Anna-Mieke Anderson, founder and CEO of MiaDonna, found out she unknowingly had a conflict diamond in her engagement ring, she uncovered the living nightmare of the lives and land damaged by the jewelry on her hand. Taking action to help the individuals living in diamond mining communities, she began sponsoring a little boy in Liberia, Africa, named Ponpon. In one of his letters to Anderson, Ponpon wrote, “I had a great summer because only one of my classmates was killed,” and it was right then that Anderson knew more needed to be done and the diamond industry needed to change for the better. She made it her mission to start selling conflict-free jewelry and lab-created diamonds to fund her foundation, in order to sponsor more children in diamond mining communities and to offer consumers a beautiful, ethical and affordable diamond alternative.
In 2005 in Portland, Oregon, Anderson established MiaDonna, which has become the first leading retailer of conflict-free engagement rings and fine jewelry handcrafted in the United States using lab-grown diamonds, lab-grown gemstones and 100 percent recycled metal. All fine jewelry from MiaDonna is guaranteed conflict-free, crafted ethically above-ground to positively impact native communities, local societies and the earth. In 2019, MiaDonna became a Certified B Corporation as well, meaning it meets the highest standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Finally, a jewelry company is putting people and the planet before profits.
The jewelry created by MiaDonna is downright stunning. Whether you’re in the market for engagement rings, wedding bands, gifts and accessories or loose lab-grown diamonds to set in your own ring setting, MiaDonna has something for everyone in both masculine and feminine looks. Styles and products range from vintage engagement rings to right-hand stackable rings, three stone engagement rings, or wedding bands. The selection of new lab-grown diamond accessories are the perfect gifts for a special occasion or just to treat yourself with something sparkly. Featuring eternity bands, tennis bracelets and hoop earrings, their lab-grown diamond jewelry collection is crafted exclusively with the finest lab-created diamonds to provide a truly ethical and affordable accessory option that you can feel proud of its origins.
To better understand what conflict-free is, let’s take a moment to discuss what a conflict diamond is. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) defines it as a “rough diamond mined in an area controlled by insurgent forces whose sale is used to finance anti-government military action.” But MiaDonna takes it further than this because the current definition “does not include the humanitarian impact or the negative environmental consequences of traditional diamond mining,” the jewelry company shares. “This means that the diamonds mined, for example, in Zimbabwe, a country notorious for killing, raping and maiming hundreds of artisanal miners, are considered “conflict-free” under the KPCS. This is because, despite being mined under horrific conditions, they did not fund armed forces. These “dirty diamonds” are being certified by the Kimberley Process, making them “clean” and then sold to unassuming diamond consumers who think they are purchasing a truly “conflict-free” diamond.
“It’s easy for a mined diamond to be certified as conflict-free by the KPCS, however, at MiaDonna we have much higher standards. We feel it is important to define a conflict diamond in a much broader scope, incorporating the protection of the environment as well as the native communities who live in these areas and are often forced to mine for diamonds.
“MiaDonna was created by a mother and consumer who was fed up with children being hurt by our love affair with diamonds. Her solution was to create America’s first and truly conflict-free diamond store, to be an advocate for you, diamond communities and the earth.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misleading information out there which is mostly set forth by companies that want to maximize their profits with little or no respect of how they get there. We are here to make a difference by changing the way things are being done.”
When you purchase at MiaDonna, you’re choosing to invest your dollars back into rebuilding communities negatively affected by diamond mining, helping to create a more sustainable and socially conscious diamond industry. MiaDonna is a foundation-first company and proudly gives back a minimum of 10 percent of its net profits from every purchase to its charity foundation, The Greener Diamond, which funds educational, mentorship, agricultural and urgent relief programs in diamond mining regions around the world. In 2019, MiaDonna opened its first brick-and-mortar retail store located in Portland, Oregon. And as always, you can shop online 24/7 at MiaDonna.com.
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