Contrary to what some might think, a lab grown diamond is an actual diamond. They are not simulants or synthetics, and there's no truth to the rumour that they are not worth anything.
Lab grown and mined diamonds share identical chemical and physical properties, with the core differences being in the creation, environmental and ethical factors, as well as the price. Today we're exploring whether you can tell if a diamond is lab grown or mined, and comparing some of the key features of lab grown versus natural diamonds.
How can you tell if a diamond is lab grown or mined?
There are a few myths floating around that suggest that lab grown diamonds are very obviously inferior to mined diamonds. This is not at all true!
As we've mentioned, lab grown diamonds share the exact same chemical and physical properties as mined diamonds, and so essentially there is no way to tell the difference - not without specialist equipment, anyway. There are very few, very specialised people who would be able to tell whether a diamond is lab grown or mined.
There's no reason for anyone to know that your diamond jewellery is set with lab grown gemstones, unless you choose to tell them.
Can a jeweller tell the difference between lab grown and mined diamonds?
With the naked eye, not even the most skilled jeweller can tell the difference between lab grown and mined diamonds. However, with the right specialist equipment and training, a highly skilled gemologist or jeweller can carry out a diamonds test for specific indicators that helps identify the differences between a lab grown and a natural diamond.
These indicators include the presence of traces of certain metals in lab grown diamonds, or nitrogen in natural diamonds. Experts can also look for feathering and cloudiness that indicate a diamond is mined and not lab grown.
The diamonds would need to be tested using one of a number of different methods to detect any of the indicators that distinguish them as either mined or lab grown. These methods could be examination under a microscope, testing under UV rays, or with an infrared spectrometer.
What's the difference between lab grown and mined diamonds?
Origin
As the names suggest, mined diamonds are sourced from natural diamond mines, and lab diamonds are grown in a laboratory.
Mined diamonds take millions of years to form beneath the earth's surface, where pure carbon is exposed to intense heat and pressure, eventually causing crystals to form into diamonds.
Lab diamonds on the other hand are, as the name suggests, created in a laboratory, using one of two processes: either high pressure high temperature (HPHT), or chemical vapour deposition (CVD). HPHT mimics the way diamonds are created in nature, with pure carbon being exposed to extreme pressure and temperatures. CVD on the other hand sees a seed diamond placed in a vacuum chamber containing heated hydrogen and carbon containing gasses. This then causes layers of carbon to crystallise around the seed crystal as it gradually grows into a larger diamond.
Price
The difference in price is one reason for the growing popularity of lab grown diamonds.
Whether you're looking to buy a diamond ring, earrings, or any other diamond jewellery, one of the significant advantages of lab grown diamonds is that they are generally a better option for your budget.
This is thanks to the diamond creation process being much shorter for lab diamonds, with new stones taking six to ten weeks to form in a laboratory, versus millions of years in nature. Plus, the human effort involved in sourcing them is far smaller than for mined diamonds.
Together, these factors mean that lab grown diamonds can be up to 50% cheaper for a like-for-like stone than mined diamonds.
Ethics and sustainability
Ethical considerations are the most important of several reasons to choose lab grown diamonds.
Diamond mining has a very questionable history, with significant impacts on both the environment and the workers involved in sourcing them.
The mines themselves are incredibly damaging to the environment surrounding them, with the natural habitats of plant and animal species being seriously disrupted and even destroyed.
Then, there are the ethical implications around the people who work in and profit from the diamond mines. Child labour, forced labour and violent exploitation have all been associated with diamond mining, with wages for the people who risk their lives on a daily basis to mine the gems so low that they're rarely above the poverty line.
Blood diamonds are mined in war zones and the money made from them funds conflicts and violent activities.
Lab grown diamonds however are created in controlled environments, where working conditions are regulated, health and safety procedures are followed and wages paid fairly. Whilst there is some environmental impact from the power used to run the labs, this is still significantly smaller than that caused by diamond mining.
Lab grown vs mined diamonds
Appearance
Aside from the differences you see from one to another in all diamonds, such as the cut, carat, colour and clarity grades, there is otherwise no difference in appearance for natural and lab diamonds - they are impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.
There is no truth to the myths that lab grown diamonds are cloudy, discoloured, or less brilliant, nor will they become so after any length of time.
The main difference in appearance in natural vs lab diamonds is that lab diamonds are easier to source in different colours.
Coloured diamonds are very rare in nature, and are created thanks to the presence of different mineral elements during the creation process. In a laboratory setting, the same process is simulated in a carefully controlled environment, meaning that we don't have to wait for that rare coloured diamond to be discovered in nature.
Physical and chemical properties
Lab grown and natural diamonds share the exact same physical and chemical properties.
Lab grown diamonds are just as pure, brilliant and hard as natural diamonds.
Quality
Both types of diamond can have minor impurities, but with lab grown diamonds, these only happen if the impurities are already present in the natural seed diamond that the new diamond is grown from.
There are some arguments that suggest that lab grown diamonds can even be better quality diamonds than natural diamonds, since they are created under controlled conditions.
Any diamonds - lab grown or mined - that are not deemed good enough quality for jewellery end up being used in other scenarios, such as diamond-tipped blades for manufacturing.
Certification
Just like natural stones, lab grown diamonds should always come with a certified grading report, to confirm that they are real diamonds and to offer peace of mind that you have not gone home with a fake diamond.
These will be issued by a trusted body such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the International Gemological Institute (IGI).
Why we choose lab grown diamonds every time
Aside from the difference in price, if you have any concerns around the environmental or ethical origins of mined diamonds, then lab grown diamonds are the perfect sustainable option for your special piece of jewellery diamond engagement ring.
At Wild Fawn, we care about where our jewellery comes from and value the people involved in creating it.
Our ethical engagement rings and other jewellery pieces feature lab grown diamonds. We trace the origins of all of our gemstones and ensure they are always ethically sourced and free from conflict.
Wild Fawn offers a range of beautiful, ethical engagement rings, as well as diamond earrings, necklaces and other jewellery pieces. Browse our collection today to find the next addition to your jewellery box.
