There are plenty of ethically sourced diamonds to be found, if you look hard enough. Every major U.S. diamond distributor I can think of adheres to standards that exceed the Kimberley Process, and there are even companies like Brilliant Earth that guarantee their diamonds are "beyond conflict free." But if you're still weirded out after seeing Blood Diamond {Damn you, Leo}, here's an interesting alternative to natural diamonds: A company named Gemesis is "growing" diamonds that are genetically identical to mined diamonds. While a jeweler could tell the difference (thanks to an invisible-to-the-naked-eye inscription) a Gemesis diamond looks like, well, a diamond. As opposed to a cubic zirconium, moissanite, and white sapphires, which are popular alternatives to diamonds but have different physical characteristics. These five sparklers should give you a better idea:
Engagement Ring 1
Icon Diamond Engagement Ring, $1,064.30 (setting only).
Engagement Ring 2
Muse Diamond Engagement Ring, $1,221.66 (setting only).
Engagement Ring 3
Amour Diamond Engagement Ring, $775.82 (setting only).
Engagement Ring 4
Winding Round Diamond Engagement Ring, $1,101.15 (setting only).
Engagement Ring 5
Dame Diamond Engagement Ring, $1,331.03 (setting only).
The downside is, since you're buying a diamond—for all intents and purposes—you're paying for, well, a diamond. Here are the stats on a lab-created emerald-cut diamond from Gemesis:
And an almost physically identical mined emerald-cut diamond (it's .03 carats smaller) from Blue Nile, which sets the bar for fair diamond pricing, IMO.
So you're still paying "real" diamond prices, if that makes sense. (Because they are, physically speaking, diamonds.)
With that in mind: Would you say yes to an engagement ring with a lab-created diamond? Or would you prefer a mined stone? If mined diamonds ick you out, would you want a lab-created one instead? Or would you rather have something totally different, like a gemstone or a less-expensive man-made option? Which of these engagement rings is your favorite?