Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds that grow in a laboratory, rather than in the ground. Lab grown diamonds are said to have the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds, so they have the same look, feel, and sparkle as their mined counterparts – but at much lower prices! However, it’s important to know that while they are real diamonds, they are not necessarily conflict-free or even environmentally friendly.
First, Is An Overview Of How Lab Grown Diamonds Are Made.
Lab created diamonds – also known as lab grown diamonds or lab-grown diamonds – aren’t naturally occurring. They’re a product of technology. Diamond crystals are grown in specially designed furnaces that can reach temperatures as high as 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius). In just over one week, they can produce a few carats of diamond, depending on how large they’re made and how efficient the furnace is. Until recently these gems were too pricey for anyone other than those with very deep pockets; but thanks to new technological advances… If you want to learn more about these processes and why laboratories keep them a secret you’ll have to read further below.
Production Costs
Many lab created diamonds, especially those with low color, high clarity, and fancy shapes can be produced for a fraction of what mined diamonds cost to make. However, even lab created diamonds are more expensive than their man-made counterparts (like cubic zirconia) due to costs associated with running a lab. This is because there aren’t many companies out there growing diamonds in laboratories and until someone invents an artificial sun that could grow diamonds cheaper than any other method, companies will continue to have production costs.
The good news is that as more labs grow diamonds prices should become competitive with mined gems but it will likely never be cheaper. Even if it does get cheaper, mined diamonds will always have sentimental value. A lab grown diamond won’t ever mean you took down a T-Rex or traveled through time as a stone from Earth would. That being said, labs could potentially help improve people’s lives by offering more affordable engagement rings to those who might not otherwise be able to afford one. While not all lab grown diamonds are certified by third parties at present time, so make sure you do your research before purchasing one yourself!
Consumer Skepticism
Diamonds have long been a sign of romance and forever, but it seems some buyers have become sceptical of lab-grown diamonds, preferring to stick with mined diamonds. The scepticism isn’t surprising; until recently most diamond-created jewels weren’t advertised as such, but now that they’re becoming more prevalent, buyers are more aware. As more people search for mined diamonds and created diamonds take up a bigger slice of jewelers’ revenue (30% in 2017), there may be growing concerns over both cost and quality. Will shoppers accept lab created diamonds or will it all blow over?
Only time will tell. For now, consumers can expect to see lab created diamonds making their way into high-end jewelry shops around the world. They might not be so easy to spot on store shelves yet, but soon enough you won’t need a geologist or jeweler’s loupe to tell them apart from their mined counterparts. After all, if lab created diamonds can keep pace with demand while cutting down on supply chains and overall costs then why wouldn’t customers opt for these gems instead? If anything is certain about lab created diamonds it’s that they’re here to stay—and already starting to grow.
Identification
There’s a lot of debate as to whether or not lab-grown diamonds are diamonds—and that’s understandable since they didn’t form naturally and don’t share many of their characteristics with traditional diamonds. For starters, lab-grown diamonds aren’t created, they’re simply grown. In addition to being technically incorrect, calling them lab created could also be perceived as misleading. One study showed that 53% of consumers believed lab-grown diamonds were either synthetic or treated. Lab grown diamond growers know better than anyone else: Their products come from real materials and have been through a natural process! Lab-grown product companies need to fight for a simple term: lab-grown.
Lab Supplies
Lab created diamonds may look exactly like mined diamonds, but they don’t come from a mine. And because they aren’t mined, they require lab supplies to create them. The two most important lab supplies for creating jewelry are carbon and heat; you need both to create diamonds in a lab. Lab grown diamond growers also use a variety of other lab supplies to create their products including ethylene glycol, methane gas, silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen. However, many of these ingredients can be sourced locally (i.e., methane gas is released into the atmosphere by cows). Others must be ordered online or purchased through distributors (silicon tetrachloride is used in fire extinguishers). Some lab supplies are considered hazardous materials by some shipping companies—this means labs often have to buy local if possible or ship smaller quantities at a time until they can be deemed safe for larger shipments. Lab created diamonds can take anywhere from three months to several years to grow depending on size—that means it takes significant amounts of lab supplies during each phase of growth.
