Fans were certainly not disappointed by this year’s 64th Grammy Awards. Artists including Jon Batiste, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Silk Sonic, and an array of the world’s most talented musicians made it an evening to remember.
The red carpet was graced by the yearly parade of A-listers, the prominent influencers who use the Awards to spotlight the latest fashion trends they promote. As with years past, a centerpiece of 2022 was undoubtedly the stunning diamond jewelry, as worn by Lady Gaga and Due Lipa.
However, not too long ago, jewelry was the focus of controversy when rough stones were found to be unethically sourced. Most notably, criticism was leveled at Beyonce in 2021, when she inadvertently promoted Tiffany & Co jewelry that allegedly used blood diamonds.
Thanks to high-tech innovations, these tainted jewels might become a thing of the past. Sarine Technologies is a well-known fixture in the diamond industry, providing enterprise-grade technologies throughout the supply chain.
The company’s use of a diamond tracing system guarantees that stones are ethically sourced. By integrating their worldwide fleet of 3D stone-identification scanners with blockchain technology, each gem is traced directly from the mine. The entire journey of the diamond is tracked until it’s in the possession of a retail customer.
Blockchain is a critical security value-exchange protocol that became popular in 2008 for powering the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. By using a decentralized online ledger, it ensures that no recorded event can be altered. The protocol is used to verify and track the source, activity, and ownership of a both products and services.
Dave Stern, a software developer and consultant on behalf of Bright Apps LLC recently lectured about the applicational use of blockchain. “You can think of it as if each piece of information forms a link in a long chain that extends from point A to point B. The information is integral to the object as a whole,” he explained.
Stern concluded, “We know where the chain begins, where it ends, and all of the links in-between. As long as a physical object has a distinct identifier, it can be blockchained.”
The application of the protocol to products is already being used by other well known companies. IBM produces technology to create what it calls “Food Trust.” Their website states that it’s “a solution that connects participants across the food supply.” Walmart is just one of IBM’s customers, using the system to track produce.
One of the keys to tracing gems involves the distinct verification of an object. Each stone has properties that make it completely unique. This, in fact, is one of the attributes that make gemstones so cherished.
Awareness of unethical sourcing led to a surge in the artificial diamond market, where lab grown, moissanite and cubic zirconia became alternative choices for many young people. But now that the sustainability of natural mined diamonds can be verified, the natural gemstone industry is experiencing a surge.
Following the Beyonce scandal, celebrities are careful to ensure the provenance of any jewel they are showcasing, and to the delight of fans, the Grammys were a sparkling affair.
