Some reputable jewellers by working closely with the world's most scientifically advanced diamond growers and cutters who share common core values, are able to offer exceptional lab-created diamonds that are affordably priced and conflict-free.
They pride themselves on being a leading lab-created diamond jeweller and know that not all grown diamonds are created equally. Some of them offer the best, ethically sourced, Type IIa lab-created diamonds available.
Why choose a man-made diamond.
They offer collections of lab-created diamonds available up to IF in clarity, D in color, Ideal in cut, and up to 10.00 carats in size. They come in a variety of shapes including round, emerald, cushion, oval, heart, princess, and radiant. Colors include white, yellow, blue, pink, and green. Inventory and availability of fancy colors varies from day to day, from some reputable jewellers.
Some good jewellers, offer every lab-created diamond in Type IIa, the purest form of diamond. They are harder and more brilliant than Type Ia diamonds. Only 2% of earth mined diamonds are of this quality.
Furthermore, each lab-created diamond is graded and certified by the same leading independent gemological labs that are used to grade earth mined diamonds.
Lab-created diamonds cost up to 40% less than their mined diamond equivalents. Buyers beware: keep an eye out for lab-created diamonds sold for a few hundred dollars per carat. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Only diamond simulants fall in this price range.
As mentioned, the price of a lab-created diamonds tends to be less than mined diamonds. However, this does not mean that a lab-created diamond is "cheap." In fact, the capital costs for lab-grown and mined diamonds are pretty similar.
So, why are lab-created diamonds less expensive? Mined diamonds and lab-created diamonds have the exact same costs when it comes to cutting, polishing and inspection. However, up to that point, the costs and processes are very different.
Mined diamonds have a long supply chain. To get a diamond from its raw form to a retail-ready gemstone requires miners, distributors, cutters, polishers, jewellery manufacturers and retailers.
On the flip side, the lab-created diamond supply chain is much shorter by skipping the mining process. To put it simply, a lab-created diamond touches fewer hands, making it ultimately less expensive.
Every lab-created diamond from some jewellers are guaranteed conflict-free and sourced from first world countries where they are treated and cut in a controlled lab environment.
Unlike earth mined diamonds, lab-created diamonds are created without negatively harming native communities, society or the Earth.
Ethical Several years ago, the mined diamond industry came under scrutiny with unethical production practices were exposed. These diamonds, sometimes referred to as blood or conflict diamonds, were funding violence and exploiting miners and their families.
Thanks to the Kimberley Process, established in 2003, these unethical practices have been significantly reduced. In fact, it's estimated that 99% of natural diamonds are now conflict-free.
However, if avoiding conflict or blood diamonds is important to you, lab-created diamonds provide peace a mind that a natural diamond often cannot, and you may find reassurance in knowing the exact origin of your diamond.
Environmentally kind as with the mining of any natural resource, the diamond mining has a significant impact on the environment. To be fair, diamond mining companies are fully aware of that impact and have taken steps to try to minimize the effect they have on the ecosystems around them.
However, lab-created diamonds are inherently and significantly less detrimental to the environment as it takes considerably less energy to grow a diamond in a lab than it does to dig it out of the ground. In fact, it is actually in the interest of the growers to minimize the amount of energy they use in the process to save money and decrease their costs.
The mining of earth mined diamonds results in hundreds of hectares of soil being disturbed (approximately 0.00091 hectares per carat), excessive carbon emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions that lead to deteriorated air quality and pollution. Additionally, approximately 126 gallons of water are used for every 1.00 carat diamond mined.
The amount of land disturbed in the creation of a lab-created diamond equates to 0.00000071 hectares per carat. The use of water is also minimal, with approximately 18.5 liters used in the creation of a 1.00 carat lab-created diamond.
| Properties | Earth-Mined | Lab-Created |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed Conflict-Free | No | Yes |
| Environmently Friendly | Varies On Mining Technique | Yes |
| Hardness (MOHS) | 10 | 10 |
| SP3 Carbon Diamond Bonds (%) | 100% | 100% |
| Internal Crystal Structure | Face-Centered Cubic | Face-Centered Cubic |
| Hardness Comparable | 2.42 | 2.42 |
| Color | D To Z grades | D To K grades |
| Clarity | Varies Onn Inclusions | Internally Flawless |
| Price | $$$$$ | $$$ |
| Resale Value | $$$$$ | $$$ |
| Cut | Poor To Ideal - Varies On Cutter | Very Good To Ideal - Ideal Hearts & Arrows |
| More Brilliance | Depending On Cut | Yes |
| Cut For Beauty Not Weight | Retention Depends On Cutter | Yes |
| Consistency | Depends On Cutter | Yes |
Earth mined & lab-created properties.
It typically takes a few weeks to make a man-made diamond in the laboratory. This is a much shorter period than a natural diamond spends in the Earth, which can be millions or billions of years.
Commercial production of synthetic diamonds for jewellery use is taking place all over the world, including China, Ukraine, Russia, Japan and the United States.
Lab-Created vs. Mined: As lab-created diamonds continue to grow in popularity, diamond shoppers will be asking themselves this exact question. But, the only one who can answer that question is the shopper.
It all boils down to what is important to you. You may choose a mined diamond because you feel they hold a certain significance and are one of nature's miracles with a mysterious origin.
Or, you may be attracted to a lab-created diamond because you feel they signify a modern love and the incredible progression of technology.
While some may want to debate which type of diamond is "better," in reality, mined diamonds and lab-created diamonds aren't in competition with one another. They both produce beautiful, high-quality gemstones, each with an intriguing history.
The true significance of the diamond you choose isn't in its origin. It's not how much you paid. It's not how it's graded. It's not its size.
The significance of the diamond you choose is the love it represents.
