Sustainable and Natural Diamonds: What’s the Difference
Technology has changed the world in many ways. This is true even for the diamond industry. And while we can point to a slew of different developments, sustainable diamonds might just be the most impactful. Sustainable, or lab-grown diamonds, have grown in popularity in recent years. Indeed, technological innovations have made it possible to engineer diamonds in a controlled environment. This has completely upended the diamond industry as people now have more options and alternatives to natural diamonds. With that being said, there are still some differences between sustainable and natural diamonds. If you want to learn more about these differences, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Read on as we break down everything that you need to know about the differences between sustainable and natural diamonds.
Value
The resale value of synthetic diamonds is much lower than that of natural diamonds. The resale value of natural diamonds is often over 50% of the original price, while the resale value of synthetic diamonds is almost always accepted at around 10% of their original price. This means that your synthetic diamond ring will be worth very little if you try to resell it. Not only that, but lab-created diamonds are dropping in price, but natural diamonds are historically increasing in value. If you're considering a synthetic diamond for a long-term investment, then your synthetic diamond is almost guaranteed to be worth less than a natural diamond of a similar grade. With that being said, things may change in the coming years as sustainability may play a huge factor when it comes to how diamonds will be valued.
Sustainability
The mining process of diamonds, which was pioneered at the beginning of the 20th century, has led to more than its fair share of controversy surrounding both its negative environmental impact and the effect it has on people in African countries. That’s not to say that natural diamonds are necessarily unethical; it just means that man-made diamonds offer more in the way of a positive long-term impact on the environment and on people than their natural counterparts do.
Look
For the most part, lab-created and mined diamonds are alike, though there are very small differences. It's rare for anyone to be able to tell between a lab diamond and a mined diamond unless you tell them. In almost every case, a lab diamond is just as brilliant and shiny as a natural one. That means if you only want a jewel that looks beautiful, you can purchase a lab diamond without compromises or settling for less.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you differentiate between natural and sustainable diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds and diamond simulants are visually indistinguishable using only the naked eye. However, certain thermal conductivity tests can differentiate between the two, along with the types of equipment used to conduct other physical and chemical tests. Be sure to keep everything you’ve learned here in mind so that you can make the most informed decisions when purchasing diamonds.
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