Giving Back

Chatham has a long history of support for environmental preservation, education and gemological research. Adopting elephants in Africa, helping children in poverty, and planting forests for future generations are just some of the ways Chatham gives back.

We Don’t Just Stop At Sustainably Growing Gems

It’s no secret that mining gemstones and diamonds creates long lasting impacts on the areas where these activities occur. Growing these precious gems in a lab creates the exact same materials that the earth is ripped open to harvest. There are also countless unspeakable human rights violations involved in these activites.

Choosing lab grown gems and diamonds is the most socially responsible choice you can make when it comes to your jewelry purchase. On top of that, your Chatham purchase helps support a number of causes.

We Plant A Tree For Every Jewelry Piece Sold

In 2020, Chatham partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit dedicated to global reforestation. Their mission is to reforest the planet, one tree at a time. For every Chatham jewelry product sold to the consumer, Chatham vows to plant a tree.

Chatham cares deeply about the planet and creating a business that gives back to nature. Trees clean our air and water, create habitats for biodiversity, contribute to our health and wellbeing, and create jobs for social impact.

One Tree Planted is a global initiative planting trees across various regions: North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Chatham is focusing on the state of California, it’s birthplace, for restoration. Within the past 5 years, California has faced periods of severe droughts, wildfires and a bark beetle infestation that has caused great damage to its lush forests. Plant species in this region include the Sugar Pine, California Redwood, Maple, Elderberry, Willow, Birch, Dogwood, Cedar, Giant Sequoia, and Walnut.

We’re honored to have reforestation through One Tree Planted as an integral part of our business model.  

Supporting Elephants & The Children Around Them

Chatham is excited to support the Elephant Cooperation, a non-profit focused on finding and funding the most effective ways to save elephants and to help the children living near them. Elephant Cooperation supports dynamic organizations and people who make a real difference in the lives of African elephants and children. The initiatives they help fund include anti-poaching efforts, human elephant conflict mitigation, elephant rescue, habitat conservation as well as education and food support for children living near wildlife areas.

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Preserving Our History For Future Generations

In the 1950s, our founder Carroll F. Chatham was asked by the Smithsonian Institute to grow the largest emerald he could. He spent three years growing a crystal that was more than 1,000 carats, about the size of a baseball, which he donated to the museum’s collection.

Additional Chatham Museum Donations:

• American Museum of Natural History

• Harvard Museum

• Museum of Mineralogy in Hamburg, Germany

• Museum of Idar-Oberstein

• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

Gemological Education

One of Chatham’s core values is the continuing education and professionalism of the jewelry industry. We are strong advocates of consumer protection through truth and disclosure.

With that stated, we have donated over $500,000 to the Gemological Institute of America, the world’s leading gemological educational institution. Through our support, students have been able to study our crystals and gemstones for clearer identification between lab-grown and mined gemstones. Our support of GIA research has helped to further the frontiers of gemological knowledge. Chatham’s donations have reached the GIA, GIA Alumni Association, and GIA Japan.

Tom Chatham has personally donated his time, providing global lectures on the growth of gemstones and diamond for more than 30 years. He has personally given away over 20,000 Chatham crystals to further promote education.

Chatham Professional Association Donations

Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society
Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society
Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society
Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society
Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society
Women's Jewelry Association
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Association of Great Britain
Canadian Gemological Association
Brazilian Institute of Gemology & Mineralogy
Brazilian Gemological Association
Asian Institute of Gemological Science
American Gem Society

University Donations

Chatham is a constant supporter of higher education. Our goal is to inspire young professionals about the opportunity of the jewelry industry as a profession. Chatham has annually sponsored the Gem Grab Bag auction at the University of Maryland, which funds student grants. This initiative, which benefits the Maryland Parents Association Student Scholarship Fund, helps students who are faced with financial hardship and at risk of not being able to complete their education. So far, we’ve been able to grant Chatham scholarships to more than 30 students.

Chatham University Donations:

• Iowa State University

• Northeastern Illinois University

• Oklahoma State University

• University of Hamburg, Germany

• University of Maryland

Scientific Research & Other Causes

Chatham Research Laboratories has been an ongoing member of the American Crystal Growth Association. To further research in the development of ruby lasers and computers, Chatham donated many crystals in the 1950’s & 60’s to the Association. This resulted in our emeralds being sent to the planet Mars within the Rover dune buggy helping to analyze the geology of the red planet.

Chatham Scientific and Charitable Donations:

• American Crystal Growth Association

• City of Hope, Louisiana

• NASA

• Vietnam Veterans of America

the chatham difference

Our Promises To You

Lifetime Warranty

We provide the highest quality lab grown color gemstones with a lifetime guarantee, so you can wear your Chatham jewelry as everyday elegance without worry.

Never Mined

We want you and the planet to feel beautiful. That's why we follow strict ethical and responsible gem growing practices. We also plant a tree for every jewelry piece sold.

Pure Brilliance

We combine advanced technology with extraordinary craftsmanship to ensure the highest quality lab grown gemstones and jewelry.
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