Lab Grown Diamonds
With the ever-growing consumer consciousness regarding sustainable, ethically sourced products the diamond industry has had to diversify its offering to keep with changing standards. To accommodate the demands of the consumer the diamond industry has responded by making lab grown diamonds available to the retail sector.
Lab grown diamonds are an exceptional alternative to mined diamonds. While sometimes referred to as synthetic diamonds, the description is not quite correct. Lab grown diamonds are crystallised carbon diamonds grown in a controlled laboratory environment, they are formed using a small portion of an existing diamond and are therefore a product of a real diamond. Lab grown diamonds share the same intrinsic properties as a mined diamond and will pass all tests used to confirm a pure carbon diamond as they retain the same chemical, physical and optical properties as an earth mined diamond.
Certification
Lab grown diamonds are certified diamonds meaning they are recognised as real diamonds by the gemmology authority. Every certified diamond is assigned a clarity grade by a lab. These clarity grades tell us how large and noticeable a diamond’s inclusions are, though the scale used to grade clarity in lab-grown as a opposed to an earth mined diamond is slightly different.
The certification statement for a lab grown diamond will state that the diamond is lab grown. It will also note the diamond’s colour and clarity utilising the same boundaries as the grading system for earth mined diamonds but there are fewer recognised quality grade categories for lab grown diamonds.
Colours
A pure diamond with no impurities is referred to as a colourless diamond. Colourless diamonds are the most commonly worn diamond. They are often differentiated by their grade. Colour grades range from D-Z. Diamonds graded D-F are the purest coloured diamonds on the market. I-J graded diamonds are relatively pure but can exhibit a hue of yellow under certain lights. Lesser graded diamonds tend to include a descending richness of yellow. A Z graded diamond will be purely yellow. While lab grown diamonds are not graded as strictly as earth mined diamonds, they are still rated on a similar grade scale but with less nomenclature. Coloured lab grown diamonds are also available and can be found in pink, blue, yellow, green and black.
Cut and Shape
Lab grown diamonds are cut by hand by an experienced jeweller. Every lab grown diamond is cut to highlight its brilliance and colour. The certification statement will include the cut grade. Same with shape. Lab grown diamonds are available in the same shapes as earth mined diamonds.
Value
Lab grown diamonds generally retail at approximately 30% less than a mined diamond. However, simply because they retail at a slightly reduced price does not mean they are in any way compromised in quality or uniqueness. Same as a mined diamond, no two lab created diamonds will be the same. Each lab grown diamond will exhibit its own scintillation, sparkle and brilliance. Also, labgrown diamonds possess their own variations meaning that your lab created diamond will not be replicated anywhere else on the market and will still be a one of a kind diamond.
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