Our precious stones
We offer a wide selection of precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies, as well as semi-precious stones in a variety of colours
Sensitive to the current social and ecological situation, AGUAdeORO proposes a new vision of luxury jewellery that combines ethical awareness and ecological responsibility through the use of socially responsible materials, without compromising the quality of its creations.
In May 2016, AGUAdeORO was the first jewellery store in Switzerland and one of the first in Europe to create high quality jewellery with laboratory stones also known as synthetic or cultured stones (line "Linea Verde"). We therefore offer our customers the choice to create their jewellery with either mined or laboratory stones. The concept "Linea Verde" concept applies to diamonds but also to precious stones such as rubies, sapphires or emeralds.
Since then, public and press acceptance has been positive both nationally and internationally as evidenced by our numerous press appearances. Today, the majority ofAGUAdeORO sales are of jewellery and collections with cultivated stones (Linea Verde).
Our cultured stones are optically, physically, chemically, identical to a naturally formed mine stone and above all they are 100% ethical.
Just like precious metals, diamond mining causes the same ecological and social problems. Exploited mainly by African countries, they suffer from ongoing armed conflicts financed by the illegal diamond trade, known as "blood diamonds".
As a result of these problems, the Kimberley Process was established, introducing compulsory control of the origin of diamonds, in order to avoid the financing of conflicts through them.
However, despite the efforts made, this problem still remains, due to leaks in the control process. Other problems related to mass diamond mining also persist, despite progress. The Kimberley Process does not cover all these other hazards, such as deforestation, child labour in the mines, etc. It seems obvious that it does not cover all these problems. It seems clear that it is not sustainable to deal with only one problem at a time.
Furthermore, the diamond mining market is controlled and dominated by a small group of players with a monopoly on the market. There are 10 to 15 intermediaries before a diamond reaches the hands of a jeweller. There are therefore still many grey areas, making the traceability and transparency of diamonds almost impossible to guarantee. This is especially true when it comes to small decorative diamonds, which can range from 1 to 4 mm in diameter. Their massive production makes them impossible to trace. This is because they are produced in large quantities, all from different mines. It is therefore impossible to determine the origin of each individual small diamond.
In addition, diamond mining destroys vast areas of natural land resources, with long-term and large-scale impacts on the environment. It encroaches on natural animal habitats, diminishing wildlife populations.
Diamond mining also creates greenhouse gases that contribute significantly to climate change and air and water pollution, forever altering local living conditions.
However, there is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. Did you know that?
So-called "cultured", "synthetic" or laboratory-grown diamonds are 100% chemically, physically and optically identical to mined diamonds. However, the myth of their inauthenticity still remains within the society. It is therefore our duty, as an ethical jeweller, to make people aware of this. After all, these are real diamonds. The only difference between them and mined diamonds is the manufacturing process. Indeed, because of this process, cultivated diamonds do not generate any of the social and environmental hazards produced by mined diamonds. Their creation also results in a much lower level of pollution. Thus, the use of this alternative allows a greater respect for nature and society.
At AGUAdeORO, our jewellery pieces are made with laboratory grown diamonds and Fairtrade gold officially certified by Max Havelaar. This allows for a lower ecological impact and no social consequences in the production of all our jewellery pieces. We are proud to be one of the few Swiss jewellers to make a difference.