Diamond shopping can be quite difficult, especially when you’re looking for ethically sourced diamonds. Perhaps you’ve decided to go with lab grown diamonds because you’ve heard they’re more economical, environmentally friendly, and ethical.
However, you may have heard a number of other negative and false things about lab diamonds, for instance, that they are synthetic or have little resale value.
This is largely due to the mined diamond industry’s concern of being completely disrupted once people hear about the incredible benefits of lab diamonds. With the introduction of lab diamonds to the market, there has been a flood of new information, opinions, and myths.
In truth, they’re practically identical to earth-mined diamonds, with the exception of origin and price. To clear up common misconceptions in the diamond industry, here are 8 common myths about lab-grown diamonds.
8 Myths About Lab Diamonds
1. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Fake Diamond
Like genuine mined diamonds, lab-manufactured diamonds are crystallized carbon. In other words, labs are not only physically comparable to natural stones, but they are also chemically identical. Chemical makeup has the same gleam, hardness, durability, and beauty as diamonds.Natural diamonds are extracted from the Earth, whereas lab diamonds are created in a laboratory. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is so confident in lab quality that the qualifier “natural” was eliminated from the definition of “diamond.
2. Earth Mined Diamonds and Lab Grown Diamonds have Different Financial Values
In general, lab-generated diamonds are priced less than diamonds that are earth-mined, up to 40%. If you’re buying a carat of lab produced diamonds for a couple of hundred dollars, they’re probably not lab-created diamonds at all, but maybe stone-like cubic zirconia. A 1-carat laboratory-produced diamond should cost between $2,500.00 and $4,500.00 USD.Many critics argue that the lab-grown diamond industry is saturated while ethical diamond alternatives are high in demand. Customers want an ethical, less expensive, and conflict-free option. Customers want the one that offers the best peace of mind, value, and aesthetic appeal.
3. Lab-Grown Diamonds Aren’t as Strong as Natural Diamonds
Lab-created diamonds are nearly equivalent to “genuine” or natural diamonds in appearance, feel, and chemical composition. Natural diamonds and lab diamonds both score a 10 on the Mohs scale, one that calculates the hardness of an object.
4. You Can Easily Tell a Lab from a Natural
To the naked eye, high-quality lab and natural diamonds are indistinguishable. They’re fresh, shiny, and lovely. Because these colors are so rare in nature, labs that show a trace of pink, grey, or blue may provide a minor tip-off to keen observers. Diamonds with crystal strain, on the other hand, will almost certainly appear man-made, therefore eliminating crystal strain is critical.Only the presence of a microscopic engraving on the rim of lab stones informs skilled jewelers of the fact that they were made in a lab. Because this inscription is not visible to the human eye, a jeweler can validate its authenticity using a microscope. All lab stones over.25ct are written this manner, so there’s no risk of a lab diamond being mistaken for a natural.
5. Lab-Grown Diamonds and Moissanite are the Same
While lab-grown diamond (pure crystal carbon) is chemically similar to natural diamond, moissanite is a completely distinct material (silicon carbide). Despite their similar appearances, lab diamonds and moissanite are unique gemstones with distinct characteristics.Moissanite, for example, is “doubly refractive,” which means you may see a doubling of its facets if you look at it carefully from the side (the tiny cuts all over the stone). Moissanite also has a significantly higher rainbow glitter than diamond.Because diamond is singularly refractive, it has a brighter brilliance. Its white and rainbow brilliance is also consistent. Furthermore, diamond has a hardness of 10/10, whilst Moissanite has a hardness of 9.25.
Moissanite is cheaper than lab-made diamonds, which are tougher and more traditional appearing. Both stones are lovely and come from sustainable sources. So it all relies on your preferences for a center stone!
A lab-made diamond can’t get any closer to looking “as near to a natural diamond as feasible” while being less expensive! It’s also a lot less expensive than a natural diamond. If affordability is your primary concern, Moissanite is a fraction of the price of lab stone.
6. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Graded Differently
The same diamond grading facilities grade lab-produced diamonds similar to how they grade mined diamonds. IGI (The International Gemological Institute), and the, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), are the two premier laboratories for diamond quality grading.
7. Earth Mined Diamonds and Lab Grown Diamonds have Different Environmental Impacts
The environmental impact of manufacturing and generating lab-grown diamonds is substantially lower than that of earth-mined diamonds, owing to the ease with which they may be created, the reduced water and air pollution, and the fact that they have no negative humanitarian consequences. According to The Greener Diamond, almost 1,750 tonnes of the earth must be excavated in order to find a simple 1.0ct earth mined diamond. An engagement ring’s average diamond center stone size in 1920 was 0.30ct. That average has risen to a 1.25ct diamond center stone in today’s market.According to Frost and Sullivan’s 2014 Environmental Impact Assessment, lab-generated diamonds require 7 times less water than earth mined diamonds: 70 liters per carat for lab-grown against 480 liters per carat for earth mined diamonds.
In terms of air pollution, lab-generated diamonds emit 0.028 grams of carbon per carat, compared to 37,000 grams per carat for earth mined diamonds.
8. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Always Flawless
Laboratories that can produce truly flawless diamonds have yet to be released. What’s common are VVS stones with the bulk of lab stones having SI and VS clarities. A VS or eye- clean SI1 clarity stone may be the best suit for you if you want the best value in terms of quality.Lab-grown diamonds are actual diamonds that have the same brilliance, sparkle, and shine as natural diamonds. Lab diamonds are an option to explore if you want a cut-price diamond that appears exactly like the real thing.
