Lab created diamonds are exactly what they sound like. They are authentic diamonds formed by scientists who duplicate nature’s process above the ground. A lab created diamond is just as real and contains the same properties as mined diamonds. The only difference between the two is in their origin.
The process by which the lab grown diamonds are created mirrors what occurs in nature. Only that it doesn’t cause massive environmental and ethical harm. What happens on the earth’s surface during mining gets replicated in a lab using advanced technologies. The process in the lab then yields ready-to-cut and polished diamonds, which are then graded and certified.
Buying a Lab Created Diamond: What are the Benefits?
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Are you considering leaving mined diamonds to embrace the future, which is lab created diamond jewelry? That would be a smart move, considering that lab-created diamonds have economical and environmental benefits.
Lab created diamond engagement rings are just as beautiful as their mined counterparts. They have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as mined diamonds.
Note that it will take an expert and sometimes advanced equipment to tell whether an engagement ring is made from lab-grown diamonds. The best bet for lab-grown diamond engagement rings is choosing a reputable custom jeweler.
It’s important that you work with a jeweler you can trust for such a personal purchase. They will do a great job in guiding you through the selection process and explaining the available options.
Here are the benefits of lab-created diamond engagement rings.
- Cost Effectiveness
The most obvious draw to lab created diamond jewelry is that you can get them within your budget. And let’s be honest that getting more bling for your buck is quite exciting.
Are you surprised at the cost-effectiveness of diamonds? The answer can be found in deceptive marketing practices in the industry. That includes the fact that one company had a monopoly on the mining industry for decades.
The whole story of “diamonds are forever“ was born from the desire to get clients to pay expensively for diamonds. Including having one company control the price and supply for it. This is the main reason why mined diamonds are expensive.
The advantage that comes with the best lab created diamonds is that they don’t have the markup that mined diamonds have. The other advantage is that manufacturers of these diamonds own their labs. All of these factors added together make lab grown diamonds, cost-effective.
- They Are of Better Quality
You must be aware of the four Cs of diamond ratings. That’s clarity, carat, cut, and color. These four Cs help individuals and, especially, jewelers in knowing the quality of diamonds.
High quality types of diamonds mean a higher price. And remember, it’s said that you get what you pay for. Buying the best lab created diamonds will get you pure diamonds. Natural diamonds have impurities, which are a result of the natural environment in mines. The best lab created diamonds come with many benefits.
One of the advantages is that they show fewer signs of strain in their crystal structure. That’s because they are made under careful and controlled conditions. Improved purity is proof that the lab created diamond is poised to be brighter and better. In fact, these diamonds receive higher purity ratings compared to their natural counterparts.
- Available in Different Colors
You will occasionally find a mined diamond that has color to it. These types of diamonds are rare and pricey. The color of mined diamonds also tends to be dull and imperfect.
On the other hand, lab grown diamonds of color are affordable compared to mined diamonds. The colors are bright and don’t fade. They also have perfect purity and are easier to find compared to mined diamonds of color.
Thus, if you like the idea of an engagement diamond ring with a splash of color, note that there are different shades to choose from. Lab-created color comparison enables you to understand the different shades.
Yellow lab diamonds, for instance, are available in various hues. The yellow color comes from nitrogen, which can be controlled in a lab environment. This helps to distinguish the desired shade of yellow.
These diamonds also come in orange or a shade of blue. Pink is also a popular color choice and you can opt for pale pink through a deep shade. Pink lab created diamonds don’t get their color during the growing process. Instead, the pink is inserted through irradiation and annealing.
Mined diamonds are sold for inflated costs due to their rarity value. But thanks to technology, the best lab created diamonds are available for a fraction of the cost of natural colored diamonds. What’s even better is that they are brighter and more perfect compared to the natural colored diamonds. The best lab grown diamonds are pure, steady in color, and easy to find.
- Environmental Sustainability
Have you ever thought of how diamonds are mined? Mines are immense holes and they need the use of tremendous amounts of fuel to power heavy machines for extraction.
The damage this causes to the ecosystem and watersheds extends beyond the hole where the mine is located. Between damage to natural habitats and the use of fossil fuels for running equipment, diamond mines aren’t environmentally friendly. Not to mention the tons of greenhouse gasses and other harmful gasses they emit to the ozone layer and the air we breathe in.
As for lab grown diamonds, they are created using renewable resources to power the facilities. This is good for future sustainability.
- Known Origin of Lab Created Jewelry
People prefer knowing the origin of their different types of diamonds. Mined diamond jewelry comes with the risk of being a result of blood diamonds. That’s to mean that the diamonds were mined in areas where rebel forces used the money to fund attempted coups.
Such diamonds are unfortunately mined by workers who have been badly mistreated. In some cases, even slave labor is used in mines. Simply put, there is a disregard for safety with blood diamond mining.
If you buy lab grown diamonds, you will have a way of tracing where it was grown. The history of such stones is known and it’s 100 percent traceable. You can tell when and where it was bought to be set into jewelry.
Final Take Away
People don’t purchase different types of diamond jewelry because of their investment value. It’s because of their emotional purchase, which is where their true value lies.
For consumers, there’s no clear difference between mined and lab created diamond jewelry in terms of quality. The only observable difference is in the size and cost of lab created diamonds. They beat natural diamonds in that regard.
