Lab Grown Diamonds Vs Natural Diamonds

Lab grown diamonds are the latest stones to come on the market, especially with them being more ethically sourced. Both are beautiful diamonds and visually, you cannot tell the difference, even if you have been a jeweller all your life. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference without a machine.

What are the pros and cons of both, and which should you opt for? We are here to help you with that decision.

Diamonds are minerals consisting of essentially pure carbon which is crystallised and created under a intense amount of pressure.

Lab grown diamonds only came about a few years ago and people tend to have their arguments about them whether they are better than naturally sourced diamonds. These are Identical and only using specialist equipment can you tell the difference.

Naturally Mined Diamonds

Naturally mined diamonds are formed deep down in the earth under extreme pressure and high temperatures as long as 3 billion years ago. Volcanic activity bought these minerals to the surface, known as kimberlite pipes, waiting to be mined.

Lab Grown Diamonds

There are two ways which lab grown diamonds can be made. One is high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) which copies the way diamonds are made in the earth. The other is chemical vapour deposition (CVD) which is a method of breaking down molecules of a carbon rich gas into carbon and hydrogen atoms. These are then put onto diamond seeds to produce a diamond crystal.

Growing a diamond takes less than a month for either method but most CVD method diamonds need extra treatments like heat or irradiation to change the colour after they have been grown.

The Differences

Lab grown diamonds need to be distinguished from natural diamonds as the consumer needs to know that what they are buying is what they are being sold as the price difference between them both is major.

The main difference between the diamonds is their growth morphology as they take to different shapes when formed. Even when they have been cut into their final form, it is still possible by looking for fluorescence patterns that result from its particular growth morphology among other things.

With official diamond certifications, they are tested so that you know that what you are getting is legitimate. GIA have invented a device which you can test diamonds outside of a lab called the GIAiD100 but it is expensive to buy.

Which should you buy?

It is more an opinionated matter at the end of the day. If you were to invest in any diamond and sell it in the future, you might not get as much as you paid for it unless you take it to auction or sell privately. When you sell it to a retailer, they then need to add onto it to resell the stone in the future. This is different when it comes to gold, but with stones, this seems to be the case. Lab grown diamonds are cheaper than a natural diamond, but you can get a bigger stone for a fraction of the price, and it is the same mineral! So it is a bonus for your wallet at the end of the day.

It is a myth that lab grown diamonds are not in fact diamonds. A diamond is a diamond, no matter where it is made. Lab grown diamonds are more sustainable and and ethical choice compared to natural diamonds. As a lot of people like to consider their impact on the environment, especially when committing to buying such a large purchase, it can be seen as the better option in these terms.

In our opinion, we love lab grown diamonds! You a bigger diamond for your money, and who doesn’t want a bigger diamond? Getting a nicer looking stone is a lot easier too when it comes to these also, so you are getting a stunning diamond for a fraction of the price.

If you are interested in lab grown diamonds, contact us now and we’ll do our best to help!

For more information on lab grown diamonds, click here.