For most people purchasing a diamond engagement ring represents a hefty financial investment. As such, selecting the right gemstone is a big decision. Luckily, there are plenty of choices.
Lab-grown diamonds represent a great alternative to their traditional counterparts. Grown in high-tech laboratories to stringent specifications, lab diamonds have a huge number of benefits over minded diamonds. Plus, they are visually identical to natural diamonds.
What are CVD Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Just as their name suggests, lab-grown diamonds are manufactured in laboratories under very stringent conditions that mimic nature. They are chemically identical to traditional diamonds, with carbon atoms positioned in the iconic diamond crystal structure, and can only be told apart from traditional stones with the use of sophisticated equipment.
Just like natural diamonds, man-made diamonds are extremely sturdy, which means that lab diamond engagement rings will remain clear and scratch- and chip-free for many decades to come. They are vastly different to cubic zirconia and other simulants, which look similar but are a lot weaker than diamonds. In addition, while many mined diamonds have impurities, defects are generally not a problem in lab-grown diamonds because they are made in a controlled environment.
CVD lab diamonds are a more advanced method and require special labs to be absolutely dust-free and power enabled at all times. in CVD, the “seed diamond is placed inside a reactor but without the carbon element. A “plasma cover” or a hot filament of gases is created inside the reactor. This process starts the desposition of carbon atoms inside the reactor. With technology, growth of diamond crystals can be enhanced in unimportant carbons suppressed. It takes about 4,000 microns 4-7 days to grow a 1 carat diamond. Sounds interesting? Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of purchasing a lab diamond engagement ring.
Here are 5 things you should know about lab diamonds:
1. Lab diamonds are graded the same as natural earth-mined diamonds
Lab created diamonds are graded at the same world renowned labs IGI and/or GIA. They get certified just like an earth-mined natural diamond and get a unique certificate.
2. Newer lab diamonds can be must more incredible and superior in terms of color and clarity
Lab diamonds are no longer subject to the earth’s treatment that makes a diamond over time. Diamonds are now lab created and made to be more perfect in nature. More lab diamonds are of higher clarity and color than earth-mind diamonds.
3. Lab diamonds are on average 40% less expensive than earth-mind diamonds
Diamonds are expensive due to their limited supply and the number of people who want to buy them. Luckily, cultured diamonds are a more affordable option. In fact, you can save up to 40 percent by purchasing a man-made diamond rather than a mined one, meaning that you will be able to spend more money on the wedding or the ring’s design.
4. Lab diamonds and natural diamond are identical in terms of composition
Lab created diamonds are technically not synthetic or fake in anyway. They are as much real as natural diamonds and are basically composed of the same elements of carbon. Lab diamonds are much less impure.
5. Lab diamonds are more ethical & conflict-free
Diamond mines are some of the deepest in the world, which means that they require a lot of fossil fuel to dig. In addition, diamond mines often cause the destruction of natural habitat that is home to wildlife. Cultured diamonds do not come with the environmental consequences of mining, so you can feel good about the fact that your lab diamond engagement ring is not contributing to the destruction of the planet. In addition, man-made diamonds are vegan as they are cruelty-free.
Every diamond comes with a story. And the story of a mined diamond may be far from pretty. Diamond mines can be unsavory places, which often employ underpaid miners who work in harsh and dangerous conditions. Some mines have even been known to employ child miners. In contrast, those investing in lab-grown diamonds can rest assured that their purchase does not contribute to the world’s humanitarian crisis. This is because cultured diamonds have a clean history that can be traced to their source.
If you are after a lab diamond engagement ring in Los Angeles & Orange County, check out our extensive collection of gemstones at Gemorie.com
