You have choices! So many breathtaking stones in the diamond category—every single one has something going for it. Have you given any thought to Lab-grown diamonds? If you’re ecologically minded, love the best characteristics of diamonds, and would like the biggest stone for your budget, you may already be on the track for a lab-grown diamond.
First, you need to understand how lab-grown diamonds stack up against the natural earth-mined diamonds we all adore. The top-grade (yes there are grades!) of lab-grown diamonds can often outshine their natural counterparts. Here’s why.
Lab-Grown Diamonds Special Traits
Lab-grown diamonds took their cues in beauty and durability from the diamonds found in the earth. Natural diamonds are made of a single component, and that is carbon. It only took a couple of billion years under extraordinary conditions of extreme heat and high pressure to transform the lowly carbon into a crystal-clear sparkling jewel that we all go mad for. This unusual creation also made natural diamonds the hardest substance found on earth.
Those are some pretty impressive traits. But guess what? Lab diamonds were created in a controlled environment to duplicate those same conditions under which diamonds were formed. By carefully inserting a minuscule diamond ‘seed’ into a pressurized and heated lab container, in one month, a bright colorless diamond is produced. The technology is an amazing feat and the world applauds the persistence it took to create high clarity, high color diamond crystals.
What does that have to do with today’s diamond shopper? You likely are looking for something exceptional that is worthy of your special love. Something bright, highly dispersive like the finest diamond, and with clarity to amaze. You can have all that with a lab-grown diamond. Modern technology has produced lab-grown diamonds, also called synthetic diamonds. They have exceptionally high clarity, and their color is very high on the grading scale. Your stone will be admired by everyone who sees it and cherished by you for a lifetime.
Things to Consider with Lab-Grown Diamonds
Still, there are other considerations to understand with a lab-grown diamond. A vital trait of diamonds is knowing their hardness. All gemstones are ranked on the Mohs hardness scale from 1 to 10—with ten being the very hardest substance known to exist. Diamond ranks 10 on the Mohs scale, meaning they are the hardest of all gemstones. Only a diamond can scratch another diamond. The reason this is important to jewelry and gemstone lovers is that the harder your gemstone is, the more durable it will be during all the years you own it.
You may be surprised to learn that lab-grown diamonds are just as hard as natural diamonds. So, you can expect a lab-grown diamond to remain just as brilliant, pristine, and sparkling with a dazzling light as the very day you got them. If you have a lab-grown diamond engagement ring, you will enjoy it in all its radiant beauty for decades to come.
A Sustainable Choice
How many of us have a growing awareness of sustainability and eco-consciousness with our purchases? When we can, I think most of us will prefer supporting efforts of protecting our earth and its natural resources. Lab grown diamonds are many consumers of diamond preference. They were created without mining efforts or disruption of our precious earth. That’s something to feel good about. It’s a good choice when we consider we’re selecting diamonds that did not further disrupt the precious ecosystem in mining regions of the earth.
Not to be overlooked is the affordability of lab grown diamonds. Whatever our budget is for purchasing a diamond ring, we want to stay within those limits. To the astonishment of most shoppers, a much larger, brighter, and higher clarity lab diamond can be purchased, contrasted to the same cost for a natural diamond. Today, we’re getting used to seeing brides flaunt large diamonds that were out of reach just a couple of years ago. And every bride would like the most gorgeous diamond she and her fiancé can afford. But to stay in a budget, that often means getting a petite diamond, which perhaps has a lower clarity grade or lower color grade.
Imagine if you didn’t need to sacrifice a thing when you buy a lab grown diamond. These diamonds are created in gorgeous high colors, breathtaking clarity, and large carat sizes that most couples never dreamt they could afford.
It’s the Real Deal
But is it a real diamond, many ask? The simple answer is yes. Lab created diamonds are often referred to as synthetic diamonds. It doesn’t mean they are imitation, or simulant, or any such thing that diamond look-a-likes are. A lab grown diamonds or synthetic diamonds are actual diamonds in every sense. They have the same optical, chemical, and physical characteristics as an earth-grown diamond. The only difference—is that they were grown in the laboratory over a short period, rather than in the ground over billions of years.
So, if you are a true admirer of diamonds for their wonderful traits, you may be an excellent candidate for a lab grown diamond. There is something to appreciate about both natural diamonds and their lab-grown counterpart. Many diamond collectors enjoy wearing both earth-mined diamonds and lab grown diamonds. Lab grown diamonds have loyal fans all around the world today. And we might just be describing you!