Lab-grown diamonds are gems created in labs by people. They are formed through the same high-pressure, high-heat, and chemical conditions as those in the ground. The use of high-tech equipment recreates the same environment that forms a diamond beneath the Earth’s surface.
What Makes Them Different From a Mined Diamond?
While lab-grown diamonds are essentially the same chemically as their natural counterparts, they are also visually indistinguishable from mined diamonds with the naked eye. However, you can use modern technology to tell the two apart, but you need to be explicitly trained to do so.
Diamonds are graded on a value called the “4 Cs“: carat, color, cut, and clarity. Each of these characteristics is highly important and influences the price.
The result, of course, is a stone that has the same chemical and physical properties as a natural diamond but has the benefit of being grown in a lab with rigorous quality control and without the environmental impact of mining. There’s no need to dig up an entire field of land, nor is there any need to ship all that mined material to the U.S. or overseas to be cut and polished.
How Are They Different From Natural Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically the same as their mined counterparts. They are molecularly identical, meaning they contain the same carbon atoms arranged in the same way. Of course, they are also colorless, clarity enhanced, and more affordable.
Like mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds are available in nearly every clarity grade. Some even have a clarity grade higher than their mined counterparts.
Do They Appear the Same as Mined Diamonds?
Mined diamonds tend to exhibit very obvious inclusions, while lab-grown diamonds are crystal clear. No visible inclusions mean no cloudiness, no light interruptions, and a more dazzling appearance.
Lab-grown diamonds are sustainable, conflict-free, and environmentally friendly. Because lab-grown diamonds are not mined, the supply chain is smaller, eliminating the use of some fossil fuels.
How Are They Created?
Lab-grown diamonds are created via a process called chemical vapor deposition. How are they made?
Lab-grown diamonds are created through a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which uses a gas phase reaction to produce a diamond crystal.
Except for inclusions, the only difference between a lab-grown stone and a natural diamond is its history. Inclusions in a typical gem are natural occurrences that occurred at the formation of the diamonds.
Where Are the Lab Diamonds Grown?
The lab diamonds are grown from a natural carbon source. They are produced in a controlled environment and do not require open-pit mines. A lab to make diamonds can be constructed just about anywhere.
Lab-Grown Diamonds: A History
The diamond is the hardest substance known to man in the natural world. A diamond can cut through glass, steel, and all other types of natural stone with ease and is exceptionally durable. As a result, diamonds are coveted and valued at thousands, even millions, of dollars.
Lab-grown diamonds are a relatively new term in the history of diamonds. Growing diamonds in laboratories was first introduced in the 1950s by General Electric Research Laboratories in New York. However, humans did not master the process until the 1960s.
In the 1970s, Dr. Karl Strittmatter, an Austrian chemical engineer, patented the method of growing diamonds. Read on to discover how mines and labs produce diamonds.
To the uninformed, diamonds don’t just grow in the ground. They are a gift from heaven. Not quite.
Lab-Grown Diamonds and Mined Diamonds Compared
Lab-grown diamonds are created in a lab under extreme conditions, in a process that replicates in a few months the natural one that takes place over billions of years. Mined diamonds are found on the Earth and extracted in a process that harms environments and causes pollution.
In addition to their origin, lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds are also very different in price.
Lab-Grown vs. Mined Diamonds: The Basics
So, what exactly is the difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds? As the name implies, mined diamonds are natural diamonds resulting from a natural process obtained from mining operations.
These diamonds start their lives deep within the Earth, forming under heat and pressure over millions of years. Mines are dug deep into the Earth to extract these deep-seated diamonds.
Final words
Lab-grown diamonds are entirely natural, chemically, and physically. Lab-grown diamonds are produced globally today. The US, Russia, China, and India are the top producers at the moment. You can get the diamond you always dreamed of at a fraction of the cost when buying lab-grown diamonds.
