OUR MATERIALS
our metals
Atelier Elisa Lee uses only the purest of metals. We work exclusively with suppliers who practice fair gold mining. Our suppliers are therefore certified by FLO-CERT, FAIRMINED and are subject to the strict criteria of the Responsible Jewellery Council. Thanks to these labels, we can guarantee that our gold comes from mines where the environment, safety and good working conditions are central, and where no child labor takes place.
Our diamonds
The white, natural diamonds that we offer at Atelier EL have a color grading of F, G, E, or D up to a stone size of 4 mm. For stone sizes larger than 4 mm, we offer customization and search for the best diamond with the most advantageous characteristics for the customer's request. When setting a diamond in white gold, the color (i.e., the whiteness) will score higher than, for example, clarity. Furthermore, we only work with high-quality GSI, VS, and VVS diamonds. These are very pure diamonds (clarity). If you wish to deviate from this on your own initiative and are interested in a specific color and clarity combination, we will be happy to help you find your ideal diamond.
We also work with salt & pepper diamonds on request. These are diamonds with impurities, which means you can find a larger diamond for the same price (carat). Our colored diamonds are originally natural white diamonds. They always have a beautiful VS quality and are colored by means of radiation. We choose to work with natural diamonds as standard. We prefer to work with rough diamonds from African mines that are cut here in Antwerp. For larger diamonds, we are increasingly working with more budget-friendly synthetic diamonds, known as "lab diamonds" because they are created in a laboratory. Read about the pros and cons of using lab diamonds here.
Our gemstones
Sapphire, morganite, tourmaline, aquamarine and diamonds
We chose to work only with the hardest gemstones. This allows us to guarantee high scratch resistance of Elisa Lee jewelry.
Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale, which ranks minerals on a scale of 1 to 10. Diamond (10/10), sapphire (9/10), morganite (8 a 7.5), emerald (8 a 7.5) and aquamarine (7.5) are considered the hardest (note: ruby is also hard (9) but is exceptionally not yet in the collections).
All our stones are completely natural and not subjected to coloring under heat or other treatments.
On request, we are also happy to work with exclusive sapphires such as padparadscha and other exclusive stones from specific mines.