Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically and optically equivalent to naturally mined ones.
Natural diamonds are formed under pressure and heat from Earth’s mantle, while lab grown diamonds are created inside an automated machine.
Color
When searching for diamonds, it’s essential to keep in mind that color does not always correlate with clarity. That is due to their imperfect atomic structures containing trace elements such as nitrogen or boron that contribute to their unique color (neither are completely colorless).
Lab-grown diamonds can sometimes resemble mined ones in terms of being completely colorless; however, they may contain yellowish or brownish tones due to boron being added during their creation process.
Lab-grown diamonds typically come in light yellow, orange and even bluish tones, depending on the production method used. To further increase these tones, intense heat exposure, additional elements or heating up after cutting can all help enhance its hues.
These enhanced diamonds come in various shapes and sizes to meet your budget needs! Many can even be purchased at more reasonable prices!
Lab grown diamonds come in an assortment of fancy colors such as pink, blue and green – although these tend to be considerably more costly than the classic D-Z range of colorless lab diamonds.
Apart from color, fluorescence should also be carefully considered when purchasing a lab grown diamond. When exposed to intense light sources, fluorescence can make the diamond appear milky or cloudy and decrease both its beauty and value.
Fluorescence can also be used to create the opposite effect and add shine and make diamonds appear brighter; this technique works particularly well when dealing with fancy-colored diamonds that need to stand out among their jewelry peers.
An excellent way to determine the color of a lab-grown diamond is to consult a jeweler with expertise in grading them. He or she can tell you how the stone looks in various lighting conditions and quickly identify its hue.
Clarity
Clarity of lab grown diamonds is often one of the most significant considerations when buying one, as this will determine whether a jeweler will be able to craft you something stunning.
Clarity in diamonds is determined by inclusions and blemishes, like fingerprints on a stone. While inclusions usually exist on the outermost layers of crystal structure, blemishes often develop inside its core region. Size, number and position of inclusions all play an integral part in determining its clarity grade.
Lab-grown diamonds may contain inclusions ranging from minute to large in terms of cracks, bubbles and cavities that could compromise their aesthetic but do not have an adverse impact on value.
These imperfections may be invisible to the naked eye, yet are easily detectable using magnification. Lab-grown diamonds with Flawless (F) clarity rating are considered perfect; internally Flawless (IF), Very Very Slightly Included (VVS), and Very Slightly Included (VS) grades follow suit.
If you’re interested in purchasing a lab grown diamond, be sure to inquire with your jeweler regarding its clarity grading process in order to select one that is most suited to you and your budget. This process will help guide your decision.
Clarity grades of laboratory grown diamonds generally increase as they improve in quality; an example would be Flawless diamonds being more costly than VVS2 as they contain no inclusions that can be seen with naked eyes.
However, when purchasing lower clarity grade lab grown diamonds it is still best to consult an independent gemological laboratory in order to find your ideal gemstone. They will assist you in choosing an exceptional gem to complete your custom Engagement Ring, Wedding Band or Fine Jewelry piece.
When shopping for diamond clarity, always visit reputable jewelers that use accredited gemological labs. These laboratories will examine your stone under a powerful microscope before using their expertise to ascertain its clarity – this way you can rest assured you are purchasing an entirely natural gem!
Carat Weight
As with natural mined diamonds, lab grown diamonds come in an assortment of sizes. A 1 carat (200 mg) diamond weighs 0.2 grams (200 mg), while 2 carat diamonds (0.4 grams (400mg).
A carat is the unit of measurement used to assess diamonds, and often referred to as such instead of simply “diamonds.” Initially coined for comparison purposes between lab created and natural diamonds of equal weight; prior to modern techniques lab grown diamonds could only be weighted with much greater accuracy than previously.
gemological testing can also help distinguish lab grown from natural diamonds, although this usually has less of an impact due to lab grown diamonds having lower resale values than natural ones.
However, lab-grown diamonds are becoming more widely recognized as more ethical alternatives to natural diamonds, helping consumers reduce environmental and human toll associated with mining operations. This trend could prove advantageous to consumers seeking less impactful diamond products on the market.
Chemical Vapor Deposition, or CVD, is the primary way of producing diamonds. This fast and environmentally friendly method takes only days for most sizes of stones.
Lab-grown diamonds differ from natural ones in that they do not suffer from flaws such as inclusions or weak strain patterns, making them suitable for cutting and polishing to achieve visual perfection just like natural diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds offer many color, clarity and carat weight options that can meet almost every desired style imaginable. A lab grown diamond can even match natural mined stones in terms of clarity; in terms of hue, any hue from light to deep shades are possible!
Lab-grown diamonds can be found online at various retailers. James Allen offers an outstanding selection of loose lab-grown diamonds at extremely reasonable prices.
Blue Nile stands out by providing customizable rings featuring high-quality lab-grown diamond center stones at lower prices than other online retailers and with unrivaled quality.
Cut
Cut is an integral aspect of purchasing lab grown diamonds, as its brilliance and “sparkle” will influence your buying decision.
Lab-grown diamonds, like natural diamonds, are grown under controlled laboratory conditions to replicate how earth forms its diamonds – including high pressure and temperature conditions that cause carbon to form into crystalline structures and bond to their diamond seeds.
After their formation, diamond crystals undergo a polishing process to remove any extra material and ensure a brightly shining lab grown diamond.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) are two primary processes used to synthesize lab-grown diamonds. CVD is a faster method that produces smaller and less durable diamonds compared with those created via HPHT.
CVD may lead to certain defects and imperfections that detract from the overall quality of lab-grown diamonds, known as inclusions, that may compromise its appearance and quality. These imperfections are known as fluorite defects.
Lack of inclusions can make diamonds less durable and prone to scratches, as well as diminish their ability to reflect light, making the stone appear dull or discolored.
Lab-grown diamonds are graded by independent grading agencies and gemological laboratories to ensure they are of the highest possible quality, as a way of guaranteeing they meet four key criteria for quality (cut, color, clarity and carat weight).