What are lab grown diamonds?
You may be wondering, what are lab grown diamonds? The simple answer is that lab grown diamonds are chemically and optically identical to natural mined diamonds.
The only difference is that that are grown from a mined diamond “seed” by scientists using state of the art technology – as opposed to having been extracted from the earth.
The laboratory replicates the natural conditions under which diamonds were formed in the Earth’s mantle millions of years ago. For that reason, lab diamonds consist of carbon atoms in a lattice crystal structure – exactly the same as mined diamonds.
Do they look the same as mined diamonds?
Yes. They have the same physical and chemical properties as mined diamonds, so they look exactly the same.
They can only be told apart from their mined counterparts by using special laboratory equipment.
Can you tell the difference? Pictured left, a mined diamond, and right, a lab grown one. The mined diamond ring retails at £2,965 (left) whereas the lab grown one (right) costs £2,409.
Lab grown vs mined diamond physical property comparison chart
Click table to expand it:
Do they come with a quality certificate?
Here at The Diamond Store, we offer all our lab created diamond solitaire pendants, earrings and rings at 0.25 carats and above with a diamond certificate. This report comes from an independent diamond laboratory, just as we do with mined diamonds.
For example, our larger solitaires are certified by the International Gemmological Institute (IGI).
When you’re looking at a diamond jewellery piece on our website, simply click the Product Specifications tab. There, you’ll easily see what type of documents and certificates are included with your diamond.
Do lab grown diamonds come in different qualities, like mined diamonds?
Yes. The same as natural diamonds, they can have very slight colour differences or tiny imperfections called “inclusions”.
This affects their colour and clarity grades and, consequently, their price.
Just as with natural diamonds, our gemmologist rigorously selects each of our lab grown diamonds by hand to ensure its high quality.
Are they more affordable?
Lab grown diamonds are hi-tech luxury goods. A fusion of art and technology, the process is exacting and expensive.
However, compared to the rarity of natural diamonds and the cost of finding and extraction, lab created diamonds offer considerable value.
This can mean up to a 50% larger diamond for your spend.
Are lab diamonds ‘fake diamonds’?
No, they are not fake substitutions for diamonds. Fake diamond alternatives like cubic zirconia or moissanite consist of completely different raw materials, not true carbon crystals.
For example, cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxide. You only need to look at it with a naked eye to easily distinguish it from both lab-grown and natural mined diamonds.
Are lab grown diamonds ethical and sustainable?
Lab grown diamonds are sustainable, or environmentally ethical, because they have not been extracted from the ground.
Therefore, their production protects the environment instead of threatening it, and guards our natural resources for future generations.
Additionally, lab grown diamonds will always be free of conflict because they do not come from mines. This means that they are also socially ethical.
Should you choose a lab grown diamond?
Whatever type of diamond you decide to buy, the most important thing is that you pick beautiful jewellery that speaks to you personally.
Natural mined and lab grown diamonds are both great choices with their own unique benefits, so the decision is yours.
What the experts say
A recent Channel 4 program looked at the benefits of lab grown diamonds, saying they are becoming more readily available at “larger retailers like The Diamond Store.”
The program’s diamond expert explained that lab and mined diamonds are identical, and that with lab diamonds “you’re looking at saving up to about 50%”.
Visit TheDiamondStore.co.uk
Whatever you choose, at The Diamond Store we promise you luxury with confidence. We offer a stunning collection of lab grown diamond jewellery.
Including solitaire and halo style engagement rings, tennis bracelets and solitaire necklaces. Click here to view them all, or see the individual collections below.
