Cultured diamonds lovers out there, we thank for your downloads and subscriptions that placed our new podcast, the ‘Diamond Disruptor’ on podcast charts around the world with the show’s debut covering our historic design win at JCK Las Vegas 2019.

And now, the Diamond Disruptor podcast is back, with an episode examining the controversial DPA (Diamond Producers Association) report from last May you might remember—the one that crazily claimed that diamond mining is better for Earth than cultured!

Part 1 of the “Controversy” series features exclusive interviews with Anna-Mieke Anderson, CEO of MiaDonna and Company and Secretary General of the IGDA (International Grown Diamonds Association) Richard Garard.

Lark & Berry’s Diamond Disruptor podcast is free, with no ads, and can be found on all major music/audio streaming platforms. “Controversy: Part 1” can be downloaded HERE or you can listen on your favourite podcast service by simply clicking on the icon. Please Subscribe!

Since you all follow us on social media and no doubt have seen our continuing press coverage, you well know that our biggest priority as a brand is to only use cultured diamonds—as in, the ONLY sustainable diamonds on Earth. As in, the best diamonds for our planet!

But devoted a fan as you might be, you might be shocked to learn that numerous sites, blogs and the like continue to prop up this DPA report, which makes highly controversial claims about mining for diamonds being better for Earth than cultured diamonds producing. If you’re thinking “What?! There’s NO WAY mining is better than lab growing!” …well, that’s where we’re at, too, and why we wanted to produce this podcast mini-series.

This past May, the DPA (Diamond Producers Association), which includes all of the major names in mining, released a research report claiming that mining for diamonds is more environmentally sound than cultured diamonds produced in labs.

This report has been called out in the press many times in the months since as having made very controversial claims and having used cherry-picked information to claim mining for diamonds is better. Maddie Stone of the Earther Gizmodo blog, also back in May, in her ‘Beyond the Hype of Lab Grown Diamonds’ called the figures presented in this DPA report into question. The report seemed to have left many key components out that would have made a great case for cultured diamonds being easier on Earth to produce—things like human rights impact, the exploratory energy burned to mine for diamonds and the irreversible damage done to land and wildlife by mining for diamonds.

Despite people like Stone checking the validity of this DPA report, the report has still continued to be propped up erroneously online by many sites as if it were very sound science and “an end to the debate” of mined versus cultured. Since cultured jewellery brands like Lark & Berry have a relatively smaller voice in this industry, we think it’s not only fair, but important for our planet to combat these claims through resources like our new podcast, The Diamond Disruptor.

Lark & Berry’s Diamond Disruptor fits comfortably in business, science, technology and human-interest podcast genres. The show features industry commentary from noted industry vets, with a news magazine, documentary style approach, appealing not only to people with experience in the luxury market, but also to anyone who likes podcasts and has an interest in learning. The Diamond Disruptor podcast will eventually expand to include coverage of sustainability in other industries as well.

Check out “Controversy: Part 1” on ANY streaming platform, subscribe, and give us your feedback! And if you missed our debut episode covering our brand’s debut at JCK this year and our award win for the Bow suite, get listening!