C5 company

Discover Ethically Sourced Gems

At C5 company, we are relentless in our efforts to work with the best suppliers of both mined and lab-created gems who share our commitment to responsibility and who seek to contribute to positive change. C5 company jewelry is made with the utmost integrity and has minimal social and environmental impact. We are pleased to be able to offer you the best, most ethically sourced gems in the world.

Though there are only a handful of suppliers that meet our standards, we confidently offer you the highest quality diamonds and gems available.

C5 company is not only leading by example, but is playing an active role in creating systemic industry change. Our hope is to make ethically sourced gems the norm and to raise the standard of business so that the revenue generated by the jewelry sector contributes to positive economic development.

Namibian Diamonds

Namibia, located in southern Africa, hosts a population of approximately 1.8 million people, more than 50% of whom live below the international poverty line (less than $1.25 USD per day).

With an unemployment rate that hovers between 30-40%, it is easy to see why the mining industry, which accounts for 25% of Namibia’s revenue, is considered a necessary evil. Mining for uranium, lead, zinc, tungsten, silver and diamonds provide much needed economic stimuli.

The Kalahari Diamonds from Nambia that C5 company carries are traced through the supply chain from mine to market. Each polished diamond is crafted entirely in Namibia, bringing opportunity to the people and communities from which the diamonds are harvested. A group of Namibian craft persons, 50% of whom are women, shape each individual stone for maximum brilliance.

The ethically sourced Kalahari Diamonds offer consumers the opportunity to have beautifully crafted, genuine African diamonds while contributing to positive economic development in one of the world’s most impoverished nations. The Kalahari diamonds are the best in conflict-free.

Each Kalahari diamond comes with third-party quality certification as well as a certificate or origin that verifies the origin of the diamond.

Lab-Created Diamonds

C5 company is your best source for ethically sourced and genuine lab-created diamonds. Because of our relationships with many different suppliers, we are uniquely positioned to find you the biggest and best synthetic diamonds on the market today.

Lab-created diamonds (also called lab-grown, man-made or synthetic) are optically, chemically and physically identical to their mined counterparts, but do not carry the same degree of social and environmental impact. Though the white lab-grown diamonds are comparable in price to mined white diamonds, the colored lab-grown gems offer an incredible value compared to colored mined diamonds. Colored lab-created diamonds are available in shades of blue, pink and yellow.

Sadly, the technology to create gem quality, engagement ring size diamonds has hardly evolved since the first diamond was produced in 1953. The “sweet spot” for lab-grown white diamonds remains at about .30 carats. Though lab-grown diamonds tend to be cut in such a way as to appear larger than they are (wider table), this size hardly fulfills the vision of many American brides-to-be. C5 company has been able to get white, lab-created diamonds as large as a carat, but those are not readily available. Only yellow lab-created diamonds above a carat or more are typically available.

It is important to note the vast distinction between synthetic lab-created diamonds and diamond simulants. Lab-created diamonds are man-made gems that consist of actual carbon atoms arranged in the characteristic diamond crystal structure. Diamond simulants, such as cubic zirconia, are merely diamond look-alikes (fakes) and are not genuine diamonds. Simulants do not have the same chemical and physical properties as diamonds and therefore simulants sell at much lower prices than lab-created diamonds. C5 company does not carry any diamond or gem simulants.

Fair Trade Precious Gems

Fair trade gems are closely traced from mine to market to ensure that they have been handled according to responsible protocols. These protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices, health and safety standards, and a monitored chain of custody. By using fair trade gems, C5 company can ensure that our gems have not been treated for color or quality. They have only been cut and polished. Many of the companies from which we purchase our fair trade gems also contribute to education, community development and industry accountability.

C5 company has access to a variety of different gems that are all fair trade mined, including sapphires, garnets, emeralds, and rubies.

Zultanite

Conscious consumers searching for an alternative to traditionally mined gems should consider zultanite, a rare, ethically sourced gem mined exclusively in Turkey.

C5 company is one of only 40 retailers in the country carrying this unique color changing gem that turns from sage green to champagne to pale raspberry in various lighting. With a higher refraction index than a diamond (.048 compared to .044), zultanite has more sparkle than even the most perfectly cut diamond. Additionally, the color of zultanite is consistent throughout its rough, so any zultanite piece, old or new, can always be matched with another zultanite gem.

Though, like other gems, zultanite is less durable than a diamond (7.5 compared to 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness), many consumers are now considering it for their engagement rings. Its brilliant sparkle, alluring rarity and ethical sourcing make zultanite a truly stunning option.

Moissanite

Though many people mistake moissanite for diamond, it is indeed a totally different gem that is beautiful in its own right.

Fifty thousand years ago, a meteorite crashed into the Arizona desert, scattering tiny fragments for miles. Enveloped in the meteorite fragments was a mineral discovered in the 19th century by Henri Moissan. This mineral was later to be called Moissanite, a nearly clear, very pale yellow-greenish gem.

In 1998, Charles & Colvard was able to recreate moissanite in a laboratory in sizes that allow this brilliant gem to be used in jewelry. (Naturally occurring moissanite crystals are too tiny.) Indeed it is a terrific gem alternative for those who like the look of diamond, but who do not want to support diamond mining and who desire a gem larger than the size of which diamonds can be created in a laboratory.

Moissanite is nearly as hard as diamond and has excellent light dispersion. The gem actually has more brilliance and sparkle than a diamond.