The Truth About Lab Grown Diamonds

Most of us have heard about lab created diamonds by now, but what does that mean and should you buy one instead of a natural diamond?

And wait…why did the jeweler I went to yesterday try and persuade me NOT to purchase a lab grown diamond and the other jeweler I saw tell me it was a great idea??

Before we get into the what’s and why’s of lab grown diamonds, let me just explain a little of the great divide between jewelers and lab grown diamonds. Again, this is my personal opinion and you can agree or disagree, but from what I have observed this seems to be the trend amongst us jewelers. There are a lot of jewelers who are 100% against lab grown diamonds and think they have no place in the market.

Lab grown diamonds do cause a problem for the consumer and the seller when they are being put into jewelry without disclosure, it’s making things very messy. This is sometimes occurring in the smaller sizes (your accent diamonds). Aside from lab growns being added to pieces with natural diamonds, but other jewelers not disclosing and explaining lab grown diamonds is causing some problems. In the appraisal world it makes things very difficult as well, especially when testing equipment can cost into the thousands of dollars.

There can also be issues with people wanting to trade-in their lab grown diamonds for an upgrade…***whoever you buy your lab grown diamond from should be telling you the value of that diamond is going to go down significantly the minute you leave the store. With more lab grown manufacturers emerging, that means more product on the market, which means value will go down.

Then there are the jewelers who think there is a place in the market for lab growns and say heck ya, why not save thousands of dollars! There is definitely a place for lab grown diamonds and I think they’re a GREAT alternative for people who either A. don’t want to spend the money on a natural diamond or B. can’t spend the money on a natural diamond. However, it is EXTREMELY important that I and every other jeweler selling lab grown diamonds educate and disclose to my customers that the price they are paying for this lab grown diamond will NEVER give them any type of return. So when you're shopping, keep this in mind and I hope you're choosing a jeweler that is thoroughly educating you about your purchase.

**VERY IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE! There is a HUGE difference between a lab grown diamond, and a diamond simulant, they are not one of the same. I've seen a lot of companies out there advertise "lab grown" diamonds, but in the fine print it says these diamonds are diamond simulants, so if you're buying online, read the fine print before you spend thousands of dollars on something that isn't even close to a lab grown diamond.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the what and why’s!

Let’s start of with what is a lab grown diamond? They are just that…diamonds that have been grown in a laboratory by humans, mother nature did not have ANYTHING to do with making these diamonds.

Well, how can it be called a diamond then? Short and simple answer: lab grown diamonds share the same chemical composition and essentially the same crystal structure as natural diamonds. This makes them an EXCEPTIONAL alternative to purchasing a natural diamond.

Lab grown diamonds are just that, diamonds… so they’re going to behave just like natural diamonds. They are going to refract light the same, sparkle the same, wear the same, and look the same. Yes, lab grown diamonds have inclusions too and they are color graded just like natural diamonds. In my personal experience with lab grown diamonds there are good ones and bad ones, so if you’re buying one (just as you would a natural diamond) please look at it in person before purchasing it. Some manufacturers are better than others and it’s quite obvious the price difference when you compare.

Are Lab Grown Diamonds More Ethical than Mined Natural Diamonds?

This is a big factor for a lot of people, and there is in my opinion no right or wrong answer to this question, nor is there really a solid black or white answer. No matter where you get your diamond, there will be a carbon footprint left behind.

Lab grown diamonds have their benefits as do mined natural diamonds. Check out my post on Blood Diamonds to get more information on the good that diamond mining provides for communities nowadays and what measures have been put in place to ensure ethical diamond mining practices. If you're really, really worried about your diamond being a conflict diamond, lab grown is a great way to ensure that it is not a conflict diamond.

Here are some environmental facts from GIA about lab grown versus mined diamonds:

The Argyle diamond mine uses 7.5kWh to recover one carat of diamonds, and the Diavik diamond mine uses 6.6kWh to recover one carat of diamonds. The Apollo diamond (lab grown) used 28kWh for a normal growth cycle and the Gemesis used 20kWh. -GIA Brochure “Distinguishing Natural Diamonds from Laboratory Grown Diamonds and Diamond Simulants”

So should you buy the lab grown or the natural?

As with any jewelry purchase this is a personal decision. Weigh your options, look at natural diamonds, look at lab grown diamonds, ask yourself do you see the difference in value? For some people it’s very important to have a natural diamond, for others it’s more important to have a larger size, but you don’t want to pay the price for a natural diamond in that size. Either way, whatever decision you make is right, there is no right or wrong choice when choosing between lab or natural. And like I mentioned earlier, your friends and family are not going to be able to tell whether or not the diamond on your finger or in your ears is a lab created or a natural…unless they’re a trained gemologist with the proper testing tools.

FUN FACT

Lab grown diamonds have been around since the 1950’s