THE MYSTERY THAT IS LAB GROWN DIAMONDS….
Picking a diamond for your engagement ring is a big decision. For most of us, buying a diamond is a significant financial undertaking and we want to get it just right.
Imitations such as cubic zirconia and synthetic moissanite were our only options for a diamond like substitute. To clarify, these gems could never have been mistaken for a diamond by any grading lab.
With the advancement of technology, enter the lab grown diamond. Is a lab grown diamond a simulant? Definitely not, as a matter of fact GIA states “lab grown, or factory produced diamonds have chemical and physical properties very closely to those of natural diamonds.”
At Vandenbergs, we are finding more and more clients are choosing lab grown diamonds, not only for their beauty but also their price. Many people are also considering lab grown diamonds because they are new and exciting and environmentally sustainable.
HOW EXACTLY ARE DIAMONDS GROWN?
State-of-the-art growing facilities use cutting edge technology, creating an environment that mimics nature below the earth.
- Most diamonds are 99.95% carbon, and by choosing the finest quality diamond “seeds” (either from mined or grown diamonds) these are placed in greenhouses or Chemical Vapor Deposition Chambers to begin the growing process.
- Hydrogen and methane is introduced, and carbon atoms crystallise layer by layer on the seed to form the new diamond. This process takes about 12 weeks.
- Cutting and polishing processes are the same as with mined diamonds.
- The final laser inscribing on each diamond .25ct or larger completes the process. Each lab grown diamond is accompanied with their individual grading report from the same independent gemological labs which grade mined diamonds.
ARE THERE ADVANTAGES TO LAB GROWN DIAMONDS?
One of the main benefits of a grown diamond is their environmental sustainability. It takes a lot less energy, manpower and movement of earth to create one carat of diamonds. You can also, with 100% certainty, know the origin of your grown diamond. Although mined and grown diamonds are very similar in characteristics, you will find the price of the grown diamond lower by 30%.