Not real. Low in quality. A bad choice for engagement rings. These thoughts might come to mind – and from others – when you start to think about lab-grown diamonds.
Let us go ahead and relieve some of the pressure: all of those misconceptions are false.
Lab diamonds are in fact real, high in quality, and an excellent choice for engagement or investment rings. How? Because they’re still made with carbon like naturally sourced diamonds to sport the same sparkly brilliance while costing a fraction of real diamonds’ cost.
Take Ferko’s lab-created diamonds as an example. We are committed to crafting premium lab diamonds full of quality and authenticity.
If you’re on the hunt for diamond jewelry made with ethical, sustainable standards that lowers the environmental footprint, then lab-grown diamonds might be for you. Here’s everything you need to know about the differences between lab and natural diamonds.
What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?
As the name suggests, lab grown diamonds are diamonds that are created in a controlled lab, not naturally mined or sourced.
It should comfort you to know that below the surface, lab grown and natural diamonds are the exact same in their chemical and physical properties. The biggest difference comes from how they are created.
Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds
Even though lab grown diamonds look the same as natural diamonds to the naked eye, professionals can always distinguish the two if they look closely.
While lab grown diamonds contain the same chemical properties as natural diamonds, one of the elements natural diamonds have is missing from lab created ones: nitrogen.
Natural diamonds contain tiny amounts of nitrogen that gemologists can see when they inspect the diamond under a loupe. Lab grown diamonds are missing this element and is one of the major signifiers to professionals that a diamond is lab created.
Chemical and Physical Properties of Lab Grown Diamonds
Nitrogen is the biggest chemical compound that differentiates lab grown diamonds from natural ones. That’s because when nitrogen is created in a lab instead of occurring naturally, it shows up as an impurity with a yellowish tint, which is what lowers the value of a manufactured diamond even though it’s real.
Other than nitrogen, lab created diamonds contain the same chemical atoms in the same structure that natural diamonds have. Besides the yellowish impurity, gemologists inspect the physical structure of lab made diamonds to distinguish their difference underneath the surface.
Lab made diamonds can be found with either nickel-based fluxes or black particles under the surface that developed from the creation process, but this doesn’t change the overall shape of the diamond on the outside.
Creating Lab Grown Diamonds
When lab grown diamonds are made in a controlled setting, they’re made with one of two methods: High pressure, high temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
HPHT essentially creates diamonds the same way natural diamonds are created in the earth with the high pressure and temperature conditions. The CVD method is a more complex process that involves depositing broken down methane molecules onto diamond seeds to create the desirable crystal.
How Lab Diamonds Differ from Diamond Simulants
Remember the misconception that lab created diamonds are not real compared to natural diamonds? That’s only true when you compare lab grown diamonds to diamond simulants.
Diamond simulants are the “fake” diamonds. Essentially, these pieces of jewelry are designed to mimic the appearance of a diamond, but are made out of other materials like glass or cubic zirconia (CZ).
Diamond simulants do not contain the same chemical and physical properties lab grown or natural diamonds have. So while they may look like a diamond, they’re not diamonds.
The Benefits of Choosing Lab Grown Diamonds
Now that you know it’s definitely okay to shop around for lab grown diamonds instead of a naturally sourced one, let’s look at the benefits of lab created diamonds.
Environmental Advantages of Laboratory Diamonds
While natural diamonds are ultimately the most valuable because of their rarity and purity, they can pose a small threat to the environment due to their mining and habitat destruction.
Lab diamonds help cut this impact down since they don’t require environmentally sourcing for materials. They’re free of land disruption and carbon emissions that occur when natural diamonds are sourced, making lab grown diamonds the more sustainable option.
Ethical Considerations and Conflict-Free Assurance
Unlike natural diamonds, lab diamonds don’t come with the baggage of ethical considerations or conflicts.
Natural diamonds, in the past, have been linked to several human rights, funding, and environmental issues. Lab grown diamonds, you’ll be happy to know, are free of any conflicts or ethical issues because they eliminate the processes that involve dragging these sad circumstances into the creation.
Value and Pricing Compared to Mined Diamonds
One of the biggest perks about purchasing a lab grown diamond compared to a natural diamond is the value and pricing.
It is true that lab grown diamonds do not have the higher value natural diamonds have, but they’re still considered valuable on their own.
Whereas natural diamonds come with higher price tags due to their rarity and realness, lab grown diamonds significantly cut down the price.
Lab grown diamonds are excellent for those who need investment pieces while shopping on a budget. With a lab-created diamond, you get a gemstone that is made with the same properties as natural diamonds and a piece that looks exactly the same as a natural gem.
But, where lab-grown diamonds are made in a lab setting that doesn’t require the time and resources to mine, you benefit from the drastic slash in price without minimizing the appearance of a real, luxurious diamond.
Quality and Grading of Lab Grown Diamonds
Since lab grown diamonds are in fact real diamonds, they still abide by the same professional grading standards once they are created.
After gemologists create a lab grown diamond in their controlled setting, professional tools like loupes, spectroscopes, and refractometers to inspect, observe, and grade the created diamonds based on the same qualifications.
The 4Cs of Lab Created Diamonds
Natural diamonds are graded based on a scale that takes the 4Cs into account: color, cut, carat, and clarity. And so are lab grown diamonds!
Here’s a breakdown of what each C means:
-
Color: Diamonds follow a color chart to describe how clear or colorful the diamonds are. The scale ranges from letters D to Z with letters falling farther down the chart indicating more colorful diamonds.
-
Cut: Cut refers to how the diamond’s facets are arranged to reflect light. It doesn’t refer to the shape of the diamond, but rather the brilliance of the sparkle.
-
Carat: This evaluates the weight of the diamond
-
Clarity: Clarity looks at any flaws or inclusions under the surface of the diamond to determine its value. The more flawless a diamond is, the higher its value is and price.
Certification and Authenticity Verification
Also like natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds come with a certification. Lab-grown diamond certification is a document the customer receives that breaks down all the information collected during the inspect process.
On your lab-grown diamond certification, you’ll find the basic information such as the 4Cs, measurements, and more detail about how the gem was created.
These certifications serve as proof of the value of your diamond so you can feel confident that the piece you’re purchasing comes with the same quality level as a naturally sourced diamond.
Lab Grown Diamonds in Fine Jewelry
Just because a lab is grown in a controlled environment doesn’t take away from how beautiful and precious it is in fine jewelry pieces.
A lab-created diamond is just as special as a natural one and is a great option if you’re wanting to keep your purchase cost down.
As you shop around for the perfect lab-grown diamond to add to your collection, here are a few tips and guidelines to make the process easier.
Popular Lab Diamond Jewelry Styles
Lab-grown diamonds can still be made with the same styles and cuts as natural diamonds. Some popular styles include the traditional round cut like this 1.25 ctw 14K Halo Setting Round ring that creates the optimal flash and brilliance everyone wants their diamond to have.
You can also find the same cut with beautiful gemstones like emeralds or sapphires to add a rich pop of color to your looks, like with this 14K Gold Oval Cut Emerald Halo Diamond Necklace and 14k Oval Cut Blue Sapphire Earrings with Diamonds.
Popular shapes that differ from the traditional round cut include the square princess cut that’s seen on our 14k Princess-Cut Diamond Solitaire Pendant and this 14k Unique Ruby and Diamond Art Deco Ring.
When it comes to settings, one of the most popular styles that keeps the piece looking simple in nature is the solitaire setting. This setting features just one focal diamond secured by a metal band wrapping all the way around the gemstone as you can see with our 14K Dainty Diamond Solitaire Bracelet.
But, if you’re looking for something more flashy and full of opulence, then you can’t go wrong with the halo setting.
Halo setting diamonds, like these stud earrings and stunning emerald necklace creates maximum sparkle by surrounding the large center diamond with smaller diamonds all the way around the gem.
Lab Grown Diamond Engagement Rings
When it comes time to pop the big question, lab-grown engagement rings are perfect for a piece that’s packed with meaning, real, and more affordable.
There are plenty of lab-grown engagement rings that carry the same styles and designs as natural diamonds. Take our 1.50 ctw 14k Oval Shape Three Diamond Engagement Ring and 1.15 ctw 14k Classic Basket Round Engagement Ring for examples.
Both rings are carefully curated to give the ring a gorgeous appearance that are still made of real diamonds for a more affordable price point.
Caring for Your Lab Created Diamond Jewelry
Once you’ve purchased a lab-grown diamond, you’ll want to keep up with a regular cleaning routine. This ensures your priceless gem stays as sparkly and flashy as the day you bought it, and prevents the ring from any damage.
The good news is that caring for a lab-created diamond is the exact same as caring for a natural diamond. You will need to soak the piece in a homemade mixture of warm water and mild soap and keep the gem away from any products that contain harsh chemicals.
It’s recommended that you clean your diamond jewelry at least once a month before taking it to a professional jeweler every six months or once a year for a deeper cleaning and inspection.
Find Your Precious Diamond Today
Shopping for yourself or someone special? Ferko’s has a collection of fine diamond lab-created jewelry we’ve worked meticulously hard to design.
Each lab-grown diamond undergoes hours of designing and creating to ensure each piece is made with the same premium quality as natural diamonds.
While we already have a significant selection of lab-grown diamonds available, we can help you create a diamond that’s completely custom to your preferences. Our designer will create a personalized diamond tailored to your specific needs for a lab-created jewelry piece you’ll cherish forever.