The 64th Grammy Awards in 2022 delivered plenty of memorable moments. Jon Batiste, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Silk Sonic and many other leading artists made it a night to remember, while the red carpet once again showcased the biggest fashion trends of the year. As usual, diamonds were everywhere, with stars such as Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa wearing dazzling statement pieces.
Diamonds and controversy
Fine jewellery has not always been free of controversy. Concerns about so-called conflict or “blood” diamonds, stones mined in war zones or under exploitative conditions, have followed the industry for decades. In 2021, Beyonce faced criticism after appearing in a Tiffany & Co. campaign wearing a famous diamond whose history raised questions about colonial-era mining.
As consumers become more conscious of where their purchases come from, the industry has been under pressure to prove that its stones are ethically sourced.
How Sarine Technologies traces diamonds
Sarine Technologies is a well-established technology provider to the diamond industry, offering tools used throughout the supply chain, from planning how rough stones are cut to grading finished gems.
Its diamond tracing system is designed to give buyers confidence in a stone’s origins. By combining its global network of 3D scanning and identification devices with blockchain technology, the company records each diamond’s journey from the mine through cutting and polishing to the retail store, creating a verifiable history for the consumer.
Why blockchain?
Blockchain technology came to prominence in 2008 as the system behind Bitcoin. It uses a decentralised digital ledger in which recorded entries cannot easily be changed, making it useful for tracking the origin, movement and ownership of goods.
Software developer Dave Stern, a consultant for Bright Apps LLC, explains it simply: “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.” He adds: “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.”
Other industries are already using the same idea. IBM’s Food Trust platform, for example, connects participants across the food supply chain, and Walmart has used it to trace fresh produce.
Every diamond is unique
Diamond tracing works because no two stones are identical. Each has its own combination of shape, inclusions and other characteristics, which can be scanned to create a unique digital fingerprint. That uniqueness is also part of why natural diamonds are so valued.
A shift in consumer choices
Concerns about sourcing helped fuel the rise of alternatives such as lab-grown diamonds, moissanite and cubic zirconia, especially among younger buyers. Traceability technology gives natural diamonds a way to answer those concerns by offering proof of provenance.
For celebrities, the lesson is clear: the origin of a gem matters as much as its sparkle, and fans increasingly expect the jewellery on the red carpet to be ethically sourced.
