MiaDonna

History

MiaDonna was founded in response to founder Anna-Mieke Anderson's discovery that her engagement ring was likely a blood diamond. She did research into conflict diamonds and determined that the damage done to communities by diamond mining was extensive enough that they were still a danger. She has stated that, "After I learnt the origin of my earth-mined diamond ring, I set out to find a conflict free diamond to replace it with. I soon found that the only true conflict free diamond was a man made option." In 2005 she founded the company in Portland, Oregon. The company first began selling jewelry in 2007. In 2014 the company partnered with Gemesis, which produces lab-grown diamonds.

Jewelry

The company creates man made diamonds and diamond simulants, with the intention of actively providing an alternative to earth-mined diamonds. The company also grades the stones according to earth-mined diamond standards. According to The Luxist, the company's diamond simulants are "a hybrid that is both simulant and man made diamond crystal." The company also uses smaller recycled earth-mined diamonds in its settings. MiaDonna has tested its stones to verify that they will not cloud or yellow for up to 100 years.

The founder of the company has described their production process for diamond hybrids by stating that it "starts with a porous crystal core. We then infuse the core with crystalized carbon - aka diamond. Since it's made with diamond, its refractive index is closer to an earth-mined diamond than [other simulants]. We are also able to get it to a D to F in colour, a VVS1 to VS2 in clarity and in larger sizes, up to 6.0 carats." She described the production process for man made diamonds, as growing them in a chamber of heat and pressure. While they are chemically and optically identical to earth-mined diamonds, the size of the stone they can create is limited. In cases where a larger stone is desired in a piece, MiaDonna uses its diamond hybrids.

Charity work

Profits from MiaDonna are used to repair diamond mining communities, with projects including the development of a 100 acre rice farm in the Konor region of Sierre Leone. The farm is run by about 500 youth, including reformed child soldiers. The company also plants a tree for every shipment they send. Anna-Mieke Anderson is also the founder of The Greener Diamond, which according to TVNZ, "Works hand in hand with the world's largest humanitarian organisations and celebrities in order to rebuild the lives and land of communities devastated by the unethical harvesting of the country's natural resources".