Lab Grown Diamonds
What Exactly are Laboratory-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds (also known as lab-produced diamonds, created by man diamonds, engineered diamonds, and cultivated diamonds) are developed in highly controlled laboratory settings using sophisticated technical procedures that imitate the circumstances under which diamonds organically develop when they originate in the mantle, which is located under the Earth's crust.
Other names for lab-grown diamonds include Lab-grown diamonds, engineering diamonds, cultured diamonds, and lab-generated diamonds. These synthetic diamonds have all the hallmarks of a diamond's crystal structure, down to the carbon atoms that make it up.
In addition, they have the same chemical and visual qualities as real diamonds since they are both manufactured from the same substance.
The colourlessness scale of our lab-created diamonds is extensive. Fancy colours, like the vibrant yellow that is popular, are also possible in our laboratory-created diamonds but are uncommon. As a result, the price of a lab-created fancy-coloured diamond is far more affordable than that of a similar natural diamond of the same hue.
Why Go for a Laboratory-Grown Diamond?
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No Need for Mining
There is no need to mine for them, so diamonds created in a laboratory are a sustainable option.
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Charming and High-Quality
The physical, chemical and visual qualities of diamonds generated in laboratories are identical to those of diamonds taken from the Earth. Diamonds created in laboratories have the same lustre and brilliance as diamonds mined from the Earth.
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Value
Synthetic diamonds are a fantastic buy for the money. They are less expensive than the same-sized and quality natural diamonds. Producing vast quantities of lab-grown diamonds takes just a few weeks. This means that all else being equal, lab-grown diamonds are a far better value than their natural diamond counterparts of the same size and grade.
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Varieties of Colors Available
In addition to colourless stones, diamonds grown in laboratories may also be produced in various hues that occur naturally and are quite costly to purchase.
How are Diamonds Created in a Laboratory?
One thing leads to another, beginning with a single seed. The seed is crafted using chemical vapour deposition or high-pressure, high-temperature treatment of a microscopic lab-grown diamond.
CVD involves placing the seed in a plasma reactor chamber and adding a mixture of carbon-rich gases at low pressure. Microwaves then heat the gases to produce plasma. Several thousand degrees of heat cause gas molecules to break apart, allowing carbon atoms to connect to the seed in a layer-by-layer process.
Seeds are placed in a massive mechanical press, and the carbon inside is subjected to high temperatures and pressures to simulate the circumstances under which real diamonds are formed. The seed serves as a blueprint for the lattice of carbon, which will eventually become the diamond as it grows layer by layer over a few days until the necessary carat weight is obtained.
Grown-in-the-lab Vs Simulant Diamonds
There is a significant gap between lab-grown diamonds and diamond imitations. Diamonds and their imitations, such as cubic zirconia and moissanite, are both examples of diamond simulants. Despite their appearance, diamond simulants are not genuine carbon crystals.
Lab-grown diamonds command far higher prices than their real diamond counterparts due to their superior chemical and physical qualities. However, even without special equipment, the untrained eye can tell a fake diamond from a real or lab-created one.
Using a portable diamond tester, one may distinguish between natural and lab-created diamonds and cubic zirconia based on the thermal conductivity qualities of natural and lab-created diamonds.
However, because moissanite and lab-created diamonds have a comparable level of electrical conductivity, some diamond testing equipment has the potential to incorrectly identify certain lab-created diamonds as well as naturally coloured diamonds.
On the other hand, diamonds have a single refractive index, whilst moissanites have a double refractive index; gemologists can tell the difference between moissanite and diamond owing to these qualities.
Are Diamonds Grown in a Laboratory Equivalent to Natural Diamonds?
Natural diamonds and diamonds made in laboratories have the cubic crystalline structure of pure carbon as their primary component. One cannot tell the difference between natural diamonds and diamonds made in a laboratory just by looking at them; this requires the use of specialized equipment and the expertise of a trained professional.
Are there Different Colors that can be Obtained from Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are available in a broad range of colours, from pure white to pink to blue, that look like the sky on a clear day
Luxury Brand Jewellery has an unrivalled collection of jewellery crafted with lab-grown diamonds.
Laboratory-Grown Diamond Ring Mountings
As part of our commitment to providing products not extracted from the Earth, we design our engagement ring designs to include lab-grown diamonds as accents when paired with a lab-grown centre diamond.
In most of our designs, we choose accent diamonds to complement the type of centre diamond that you have chosen. However, the product specifics will specify whether or not the accent diamonds on your setting are lab-grown if you choose a lab-grown centre diamond.
Synthetic Diamonds Vs. Mined Diamonds
The fire, scintillation, and brilliance of our lab-grown diamonds are identical to those of genuine diamonds, as are their physical and chemical properties. As a result, lab-created diamonds are almost indistinguishable from real ones when seen through a jeweller's loupe.
Diamonds grown in laboratories may have trace elements absent or present in natural diamonds but do not alter the diamond's visual characteristics.
Only through testing with specialist equipment can lab-created diamonds be recognized as real diamonds. Any commercially available lab-grown diamond must be accompanied by a gem certification specifying that it was generated in a laboratory.
How do Laboratory-Grown Diamonds Differ from Natural Diamonds?
Diamonds that are grown in laboratories are just as genuine as those that are extracted from the ground. They are created under the same high-pressure, high-temperature conditions as mined diamonds, so they look and behave similarly.
Still, they don't include violence or dubious labour practices that plague certain diamond mines. In addition, lab-grown diamonds often have a higher quality than mined diamonds owing to the very sterile environment in which they are formed and the meticulously scrutinized manufacturing process. The following is a list of some of the most significant benefits associated with lab-grown diamonds:
- More appealing because of greater standards of quality and cleanliness.
- Fewer flaws
- Safe for the environment
- More reasonable prices
- Rare-in-nature hues may be manufactured, providing once-impossible access to rare and highly sought-after items.
It might be important to you that the diamonds you purchase come from a reputable source that does not participate in exploiting its employees or destroying its local community by ensuring that their origin can be traced.
It is simpler to keep up with demand without losing quality or participating in destructive practices or conflicts when employing lab-grown diamonds, which are generated using a sustainable chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique.
To what Extent do Laboratory-Created Diamonds Undergo Grading and Certification?
It is policy to treat synthetic diamonds no differently from mined stones. When they are finished being polished, they are submitted to a third-party gem lab for certification.
The procedure of grading lab-produced diamonds is the same as the process for grading conventional diamonds. This means that each gemstone's cut, clarity, carat, and colour are all considered. However, the cut is the most significant aspect since it determines the diamond's shine.
The absence of flaws or blemishes is what we mean when we talk about clarity. Lack of colour is a grading factor for clear diamonds. Finally, the size and weight of the diamond are expressed in carats. There is a rigorous examination process that determines the diamond's quality grade.
Exquisite diamond jewellery is a perfect treat for yourself or a dear one. Diamonds may be worn daily or saved for a particular occasion. Investing in a lab-made diamond is a great way to get a beautiful, high-quality bauble without sacrificing morals or the planet.
FAQs
Is there a price difference between mined diamonds and those created in a laboratory?
A superb deal, lab-grown diamonds are less expensive than their natural counterparts of the same size and quality.
Can laboratory-grown stones pass for the real thing in laboratory tests?
Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical composition, optical properties, and brilliance as their natural diamond counterparts.
In other words, they are genuine articles. It takes a trained eye to distinguish between a lab-grown diamond and a mined one. Specialized testing technology can tell the difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds.
Could you find a fault in a diamond that was created in a lab?
The colour, clarity, and cut of synthetic diamonds are all subject to variation in the same ways as in genuine diamonds. Every every one of them is special in its way.
To a lesser extent than even the finest natural diamonds, lab-grown stones may have minute internal or external flaws. Independent gemological laboratories that certify genuine diamonds also examine and grade laboratory-created diamonds, following the same stringent criteria.
Do synthetic diamonds ever get cloudy?
Lab-created diamonds have the same physical and chemical properties as diamonds mined from the Earth, so they are just as durable and won't cloud with time.
Compared to natural diamonds, can laboratory-created stones provide a fair return on investment?
Since lab diamonds are often less expensive than their natively mined counterparts, they may be preferable to customers searching for a mining-free alternative or a bigger stone within their budget.
The resale value might go up or down over time, just like any precious stone. Since laboratory-grown diamonds have just recently entered the market, their projected prices are more opaque than those of natural diamonds.
Can insurance cover Lab-grown diamonds?
Creating a diamond in a lab is a controlled environment. Therefore yes, they are insurable exactly as mined diamonds.
Why do certain mined and Lab-grown diamonds have a phosphorescent quality?
When exposed to shortwave UV radiation, some diamonds display a phenomenon known as phosphorescence, which causes them to glow in the dark.
This phenomenon occurs in natural and laboratory-grown diamonds when ultraviolet (UV) light reacts with certain trace components. For example, in certain beautiful blue diamonds that are naturally occurring, the interplay of ultraviolet light, boron, and nitrogen cause this appearance.
Could synthetic diamonds pass for moissanite?
Due to their similarities in thermal conductivity, certain diamond testers may incorrectly identify a diamond as a moissanite. However, since moissanite is doubly refractive while diamonds only refract in one direction, experts have little trouble telling them apart.
If my diamond was treated in the lab, does that change anything?
This is a natural occurrence throughout development. For example, after being created in a laboratory, some diamonds are subjected to further high heat and pressure to simulate the conditions under which a diamond would form naturally deep under the Earth.
We treat just a small percentage of the diamonds we sell, so please read the certificates carefully. In certain cases, diamonds may have been treated, although this fact will not be disclosed on the certificate.
Conclusion
Lab-grown diamonds are a sustainable, ethical, and affordable alternative to mined diamonds. So if you're looking for an environmentally friendly diamond option, lab-grown diamonds are the way to go. With their growing popularity, more and more retailers will likely start carrying them in the near future, and they are best for your engagements. So don't wait – get yourself a lab-grown diamond today!