What Are They?
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Ever come across the words “lab-created” or “lab-grown” when shopping for diamond jewelry? You probably have as they are more common on the market than ever before. While the terms seem self-explanatory, they also lead to some big misconceptions. Let’s take a closer look at what these diamonds actually are.
The main misconception about lab-created diamonds is that they are “fake” stones. They are not. These diamonds are grown in the laboratory and are 100% chemically, physically, and optically identical to their natural counterpart. The only detectable difference is that lab-created stones have few if any inclusions; these can only be seen by a trained eye with a strong magnification instrument. To the naked eye, there is no difference between a natural and lab-grown diamond.
So what are the benefits of a lab-created stone? For starters, they are more affordable than their natural equivalent. That doesn’t mean they are cheap, however. It is easy to find lab-created diamond jewelry that goes well into the thousands of dollars. But take any lab-created stone and its carat equivalent in a natural stone would be significantly higher. This means if you want to go with bigger bling, lab-created stones allow you to do so for less money.
Another benefit these rocks have is that they have fewer defects. You actually are getting a better quality gem in the lab-grown option. Also, since no mining is involved which contributes to the depletion of resources, lab-created diamonds are the choice for the eco-conscious buyer. Today’s buyer is also more concerned about the ethical/human rights issues surrounding the diamond mining industry and they know lab-created diamonds have no history of questionable origins.
So why are natural diamonds valued at a higher price if lab-created stones are more flawless? Because society simply values them more. Marketing campaigns, diamond myths, and the human inclination to see something natural as more precious than something engineered in a lab, have led to mined stones being the more valued choice.
Lab-created diamonds increase the selection of stones we have in the market and make it more affordable to acquire what are otherwise very pricey gems. They also provide us with a eco-friendly alternative to the ever destructive process of mining our finite resources.
For more diamond facts check out our series Decoding Diamonds.