Ethical diamonds, 18kt gold, pop elements: Rue des Mille launches its high jewelry collection
Between laboratory-grown diamond jewelry and 18-carat gold, the release of Golden Mate, the prêt-à-porter high jewelry collection from Rue des Mille, marks an important milestone for our brand. We have managed to translate precious materials like gold and diamonds into our minimal, everyday, eclectic style that can bring out the personality of everyone, regardless of the moment or context. Because you don't need a special occasion to feel special. Because, like dreams, jewelry is better lived than kept in a drawer.
Internal production of made in Italy jewelry
We achieved this result after years of research and development, but above all thanks to the possibility of relying on internal production of jewelry. Yes, because if everything we produce comes from semi-artisanal Italian laboratories, where a good part of the work is still done by hand, since 2022 we have our own laboratory in Arezzo, one of the most important goldsmith districts in Italy and most appreciated in the world. Here we can push the accelerator, dare, experiment, and guide the jewelry industry along the paths traced by our designers.
What are laboratory-grown diamonds?
The main components of Rue des Mille's high jewelry are 18-carat gold and lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic or lab-grown diamonds. While it is well known that 18KT gold is the best material for producing high-end jewelry because of its workability and ability to ensure the best possible balance between design and resistance, the choice to use lab-grown diamonds is less obvious and has a specific purpose in line with our jewelry philosophy. That's why we want to tell you more about our ethical diamonds.
Natural Diamonds vs. Lab-Grown Diamonds: The Differences
Natural diamonds are made of pure crystallized carbon, formed over years and years in the depths of the earth, thanks to exposure to intense heat and pressure. Among existing gems, diamonds are considered the rarest and most precious, not only for the millenary history they contain, but also for their characteristics of brilliance, purity, and resistance. Diamonds have a value of 10 on the Mohs scale, which means that they are the strongest material you can find in jewelry, extremely resistant to scratches and chemical agents.
Lab-grown diamonds are made from a carbon seed, replicating the conditions that give rise to natural diamonds, simply by accelerating them. This means that lab-grown diamonds are made of the same material as natural ones. They are identical in physical, chemical, and visual characteristics, and also in uniqueness because even in the laboratory, no two diamonds are the same. In fact, lab-grown diamonds are often of such high quality that the only way to distinguish them from natural diamonds is by subjecting them to spectroscopic examination using specialized machinery. The difference is imperceptible to the naked eye.
What is missing in a diamond grown in the laboratory is rarity, long creation times, difficulty in sourcing, origin, and consequently, also the critical aspects related to mining extraction. That's why we talk about ethical diamonds.
How are lab-grown diamonds made?
Jewelry with lab-grown diamonds utilize two innovative processes, CVD and HPHT, which simulate and accelerate the chemical-physical process of natural diamond creation.
- CVD Technique - Chemical Vapor Deposition
This technique, literally "chemical deposition from vapor," involves applying extreme heat and pressure to a tiny carbon seed, which is called a diamond seed. During this process using a carbon-rich gas, the seed grows for several weeks until it becomes an actual diamond, ready to be worked.
- HPHT Technique - High Pressure, High Temperature
This technique also involves, as the name suggests, exposure to high pressure and high temperature. However, in this case, instead of growing layer by layer through vaporization, the diamond seed melts and increases in size.
How to recognize a quality laboratory diamond?
Once created, the stones are cut and polished exactly like natural diamonds. And just like natural diamonds, they can present different characteristics that confer varying levels of quality, which are certified by independent gemological laboratories.
The international standard terminology for classifying diamonds, both natural and synthetic, is based on what are known as the 4Cs of diamonds:
- Carat - Weight
This expresses the weight of the diamond, not its size. One carat weighs 200 mg. The diamonds used in Rue des Mille high jewelry range from 0.1 to 0.5 carats, in perfect harmony with our philosophy of quality jewelry for everyday wear.
- Color
Diamonds can come in different colors, which, according to the GIA scale, range from colorless (D) to warm white (Z). The closer we get to D, the higher the diamond is considered to be in quality. The ethical diamonds we choose for our jewelry are classified in the F/G category, practically colorless and capable of fully lighting up in the light.
- Clarity
Diamonds can have imperfections, also known as inclusions, that make each stone unique. The quality of the diamond varies based on the quantity and size of these inclusions. Rue des Mille diamonds fall into the VS/SI category, which means they have small inclusions that are invisible to the naked eye.
- Cut
The diamond cut allows all of its sparkle to emerge, reflecting light and literally lighting up thanks to the reflection of its facets. More facets ensure greater brilliance. In our laboratories, we use diamonds with a brilliant cut, allowing us to offer you an excellent dose of sparkle every day.
Why do we prefer to use lab diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds offer a sustainable alternative to mined diamonds, without compromising on quality and beauty. By choosing lab-grown diamonds, we can enjoy the luxury of beautiful jewelry without contributing to the harmful impacts of mining. It's a win-win situation: we get to enjoy beautiful and affordable jewelry while supporting a more sustainable and ethical industry. At Rue des Mille, we believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality jewelry that is beautiful, sustainable, and ethical.
Golden Mate: our mix&match between high jewelery and prêt-à-porter jewellery
L’alta gioielleria in Rue des Mille assume toni unici, ispirati dalla nostra visione del gioiello, in cui l’argento verniciato rosa shocking convive con diamanti lab grown dal taglio classico, in cui l’oro 18KT si innamora del colore e si mescola felicemente con i materiali più disparati, come la corda o il tessuto. Il risultato è un mix di tradizione e modernità, pop, minimal e chic, che dà vita a una collezione preziosa, sostenibile, originale, contemporanea. Usiamo tante parole per descriverla perché la verità è che sfugge a ogni aggettivo.
Per farti un’idea, dagli un’occhiata in prima persona: scopri Golden Mate - alta gioielleria prêt-à-porter.
Rue des Mille's high jewelry collection is characterized by unique tones and inspired by our vision of jewelry, where shocking pink painted silver coexists with classic cut lab-grown diamonds, and where 18KT gold falls in love with color and happily mixes with various materials such as rope or fabric. The result is a mix of tradition and modernity, pop, minimal, and chic, creating a precious, sustainable, original, and contemporary collection. We use many words to describe it because the truth is that it defies any adjective.
To get an idea, take a look for yourself: discover Golden Mate - high jewelry prêt-à-porter.
