What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds or man-made diamonds are diamonds that are grown in labs using advanced reactors that mimic the conditions under which diamonds naturally develop under the earth. They are physically, chemically and optically the same as natural diamonds.
Think of lab-grown diamonds as test tube babies; the process of formation may be different, but the end product is the same! Lab diamonds are true to the environment and the future. They are not mined and hence prevent damage to the planet. Ethical and sustainable is the way to go!
Physical Appearance
There is no way of differentiating between a lab diamond and a natural diamond by looking at them. Even a trained jeweller with their naked eyes or with normal microscopes cannot tell the difference between naturally mined and lab-grown diamonds.
Only advanced equipment and gemological labs can identify lab diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds do not change their appearance over time. They do not fade, discolour or cloud. Their beauty is timeless and eternal.
Chemical Composition
Any diamond is a diamond not because it is mined from the earth but because of the crystalline structure of carbon atoms. The chemical composition of lab-grown diamonds is the same as that of naturally mined diamonds.
Pricing
Lab-created diamonds retail at a 60–90% discount on equivalent quality natural diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are priced based on cut, colour, clarity and carat, just like mined diamonds. Since these diamonds are not mined, the mining-related costs are saved, and this price advantage is passed on to buyers.
Grading and Certificate
Lab-created diamonds are graded the same way as mined diamonds. They are certified by all the leading gemological labs, such as IGI, SGL, and EGL.
Durability and Hardness
Lab-grown diamonds match their mined counterparts in hardness, strength and durability! Take comfort knowing lab-grown diamonds are strong enough to hand down to the next generation. Both lab diamonds and natural diamonds have the same hardness of 10 on the Mohs Scale.
4 Cs – Cut, Clarity, Carat and Colour
Lab diamonds are characterised based on the 4Cs: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat, just like natural diamonds. No two lab diamonds are the same. A lot of people think that machines can be programmed to create a specific diamond grade or carat size, but that's really not possible.
Machines simply put the right conditions together, but then nature takes it from there. Just like with earth-mined diamonds, there will be variances in colour, clarity and carat size in every piece.
