Journey of a VRAI Created Diamond

Alicia Briggs | January 05, 2024

VRAI created diamonds have always been made with sustainability in mind. VRAI built new technology and a global infrastructure to produce the world’s first Carbon-Neutral Certified lab-grown diamond in 2017. Through the power of renewable energy, VRAI created diamonds are unmatched in origin and quality.

The journey of a VRAI created diamond follows a precise path of more than 243 work steps. VRAI oversees each step, from our foundry, to our master workshops, to our expert craftspeople, to the moment your VRAI created diamond is delivered to your doorstep. Read on to discover how VRAI created diamonds came to be.

The Source: 100% Renewable Energy

From the beginning, we set out to ensure that sustainability was the very foundation of VRAI. In America’s beautiful Pacific Northwest, an Indian tribe by the name of Wenatchi (“source of the rainbow”) lived in the foothills of what is now called the Columbia River in Wenatchee.

Wenatchee is the apple capital of the world due to its numerous apple orchards. We found a small building among these apple orchards that could be 100% powered by the Columbia River. VRAI’s first zero-emission foundry was born.

Today, VRAI uses our own advanced technology to create the purest diamond crystals from the natural elements found right in our foundry. VRAI created diamonds are made over four weeks using the CVD method. Grown by the source of the rainbow, VRAI created diamonds have unmatched fire and scintillation that we hope would make the Wenatchi Indians proud.

VRAI’s 100% zero-emission foundry harnesses the renewable power of the Columbia River. VRAI is the first producer of Carbon-Neutral Certified diamonds certified by Climate Impact Partners, setting an unmatched industry standard.

Not all lab-grown diamonds are equal. Most lab-grown diamonds are created using coal, just like mined diamonds, and resource depletion is not sustainable. Beware of any marketing to the contrary. If an eCommerce website claims to be carbon neutral, these claims are usually unverified. No matter what diamond miners say, diamond mining is never sustainable, and the origin of a mined diamond can never be guaranteed.

Unmatched Diamond Cutting and Polishing

When the initial batch of VRAI created diamonds was grown, we reached out to two renowned Belgian master diamond experts. Belgium has been the center of the diamond trade for decades, home to the industry’s leading experts.

The two diamond experts that VRAI approached came from families that had been in the industry for four generations. These experts have built global diamond polishing operations for the top luxury jewelry brands.

When VRAI shared our rough diamond crystals with them, they instantly spotted the beauty of VRAI created diamonds and our partnership was born. Ten years later, we are now equity partners. Our Belgian partners manage our renowned polishing operation in Xi’an, China. We are proud to be based in the historic city of Xi’an.

Our Belgian master cutters built their team from the ground up, taking a selection of staff through a rigorous training program over several years. Much of the initial team is still with us today, over twenty years later, and we feel like a family.

VRAI recently expanded further diamond cutting and polishing production in India with partners who cut diamonds for prestigious luxury jewelers. India is the diamond hub of the world today, and we love working with local craftspeople.

There are more than 243 work steps involved, some of them taking an entire month, for a VRAI created diamond to be cut and polished to perfection before it’s sold. Our master craftspeople in our workshops in Belgium, India, and China are to thank for creating the expertly crafted luxury VRAI jewelry you see on our website today.

Making the Cut: Excellent Quality Only

When you buy a diamond, you want it to be brilliant with maximum fire and scintillation. If the diamond isn’t cut to perfection, it will be dull. All VRAI created diamonds have cuts that are in the top 1% in the world. VRAI only offers excellent cuts.

VRAI diamond cuts are so precise that we offer two different additional cut grades for Round Brilliant diamonds: Ideal and Ideal + Hearts. These diamond cuts take three times as long to polish than other diamond cuts, requiring an even higher degree of precision.

Meet Our Diamond Creators

VRAI created diamonds are only as exceptional as the craftspeople who make them. The skills required to create a mesmerizing diamond are held by the best talent in the world. There are very few experts capable of such levels of craftsmanship.

VRAI’s master craftspeople have cut some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry for generations. VRAI works closely with our in-house craftspeople, providing fair wage employment and ethical working conditions.

No Middlemen

VRAI created diamonds come directly from our own foundry, with no middlemen and no markups. VRAI fully controls our diamond inventory. We know that the value of a diamond depends on its quality. To accurately evaluate a diamond, you need to know the diamond. At VRAI, we know and control our diamonds to an extent unmatched in the industry.

Vendors who list a mix of inventories located overseas, that they have never seen, do not know their diamonds. These vendors source diamonds from others and rely on infrastructure they cannot control. They can never truly guarantee the quality or origin of their diamonds.

Diamond Value Guaranteed

All VRAI created diamonds come with a full Lifetime Warranty and a Diamond Value Guarantee. We use advanced technology based on over a billion data points per diamond carat to grade the quality of each VRAI created diamond.

Because we truly know our diamonds, we can confidently offer a full warranty that guarantees the quality and value of our diamonds. Other diamond reports, including those from the Gemological Institute of America, do not offer a warranty.

True to Your Values

A diamond represents your values, and with VRAI, you can now choose diamonds that align with those values. We know that people today want to purchase just a diamond. They don’t want to purchase a diamond that causes environmental destruction and has a negative human toll, Those are the consequences of diamond mining.

With VRAI, you can buy a truly sustainable alternative to mined diamonds. Each VRAI created diamond carat saves 143 lbs of carbon dioxide, 250 tons of earth, and 2,011 ounces of air pollution. Make the choice that’s true to you with VRAI.