What is a lab grown diamond
Are you on the lookout for the diamond ring or any other diamond jewellery and browsing for them? Chances are high that you might have come across the term called lab grown diamond. We all are aware about the natural diamonds. But, what is this lab grown diamond all about?
In fact, the concept of lab grown diamond has become quite common over the past few years. It has become a major category in the global jewellery market. Jewellery fans are confused on whether to choose a natural diamond or a lab grown diamond. In some cases, gullible buyers are even handed over fake diamonds in the name of a lab grown diamond.
That is exactly why we thought of this blog to help you understand what is a lab grown diamond and how to detect it.
What Is a Lab Grown Diamond?
A lab grown diamond is also called lab created, man made, or engineered diamond. It is not a synthetic diamond as many of you may tend to think. It is a real diamond that is grown in a controlled laboratory instead of being formed underground over billions of years.
The lab grown diamond is chemically, physically, and optically the same as the natural diamond. It has the same materials and components like a natural diamond. A lab grown diamond is almost pure carbon arranged in a cubic crystal structure.
The lab grown diamonds come with the same properties as a natural diamond. It offers you the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), brilliance, sparkle, and fire as mined diamonds. You can even cut them in different shapes just the same way – round, oval, cushion, princess, emerald and more. They are also graded using the same 4Cs: cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight.
The primary difference between the natural diamonds and lab grown diamonds are based on how they are formed and how they reach the market. The natural diamonds are created deeper in the earth under a high temperature and pressure. They need millions of years for formation. The lab grown diamonds are created by simulating those conditions in a lab. The formation of a lab grown diamond takes around two weeks or even less.
In India, reputable laboratories such as GIA, IGI, and others now issue grading reports for lab grown diamonds clearly identifying them as “laboratory-grown” while assessing the 4Cs just as they do for natural stones.
How Are Lab Diamonds Made?
Modern lab grown diamonds are manufactured using two high tech diamonds. The two methods include HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) and CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition). Either of the methos begin with a tiny piece of diamond known as a “seed” and then grow additional diamond crystal around it.
HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) Diamonds
It was the first method that was used for creating lab grown diamond. It dates back to the early 20th century. Today, improved HPHT technology is also used to grow gem‑quality diamonds for jewellery.
In HPHT growth, a diamond seed is placed in a press with a carbon source (often graphite) and subjected to extreme conditions. The temperatures reach up to 1300 degree C and pressure is applied to the tune of 5 to 6 GPa. Under these conditions, the carbon melts and then crystallises around the seed, layer by layer, forming a larger diamond crystal over several weeks.The method is used to create diamonds with fancy colors.
The diamonds grown using this method look exactly similar to the natural diamonds. However, they are distinguished using advanced spectroscopy and imaging.
CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) Diamonds
CVD is the newer method and has become especially popular for jewellery‑grade lab grown diamonds. The method offers a finer control over crystal growth and often produces very high clarity stones.
In this method, a thin diamond seed plate is placed in a vacuum chamber filled with a gas mixture rich in carbon, such as methane, along with hydrogen. The gas is energized using microwaves or another energy source, breaking it into a plasma where carbon atoms detach and settle onto the surface of the seed. These carbon atoms then bond in the same crystal structure as diamond, gradually building up a larger crystal in thin layers
The CVD technology lets you make colorless diamonds. These diamonds are given fine tuned color and clarity with post‑growth treatments if needed. Many of the lab grown diamonds marketed as “CVD diamonds” in India today are grown this way and then graded by international labs.
Certification and Transparency
The lab grown diamonds are rated and graded just the way they are done for the natural diamonds. In fact, they should always be accompanied by a grading certificate from a reputable gemmological laboratory.
The ratings and grades are typically based on the following factors –
- Whether the diamond is natural or laboratory grown
- The 4Cs (cut, colour, clarity, carat)
- Any treatments or processes used
- A laser‑inscribed report number on the girdle for identification in many cases
What Is the Difference Between Lab Grown Diamonds and Natural Diamonds?
If you are a buyer, there is not much of a difference between a natural diamond and lab grown diamond. They differ in origin, rarity, environmental and ethical profile, perception, and price.
Let us check out how these diamonds differ based on multiple parameters –
Origin and Rarity
- Natural diamonds: Formed naturally in the earth’s mantle under extreme pressure and temperature over millions to billions of years. Then, they are brought close to the surface by volcanic activity and mined.
- Lab grown diamonds: Created inside advanced factories and labs using HPHT or CVD technology over weeks rather than millennia.
Natural diamonds are available in finite quantity. They also depend on geological processes and mining discoveries. On the other hand, lab grown diamonds can be manufactured based on the demand.
Appearance and Performance
In terms of looks and appearance, natural diamonds and lab grown diamonds are quite similar to the naked eye. Both of them come with same white brilliance, colourful fire, and scintillation when they are well cut.
On the Mohr scale, both of them have the same hardness of 10. That would make them suitable for any jewellery that includes rings, bracelets, and bangles. Under ideal conditions, it is not possible to differentiate between natural and lab grown diamonds.
Environmental and Ethical Considerations
One of the strongest arguments in favour of lab grown diamonds lies in their lower impact on environment and social realm. Natural diamonds need large‑scale mining. Moreover, lab grown diamond are easy on energy – especially when producers use renewable energy.
Natural diamond mining involves significant land disturbance, water use, and carbon emissions. ab grown diamonds avoid open‑pit mining and can be produced closer to where they are cut and sold. Today, both mined and lab grown diamonds sold through reputable jewellers today generally comply with standards such as the Kimberley Process and internal company sourcing policies.
Resale Value and Perception
This should be the biggest difference between the natural diamonds and lab grown diamonds.
- Natural diamonds have an established secondary market through jewellery stores, auction houses, and resellers, though consumers typically receive significantly less than retail price when selling.
- Lab grown diamonds, on the other hand, generally have lower or more uncertain resale value today, with many jewellers offering little to no buyback compared with natural stones of similar grade.
Price Comparison: Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds
The price can be a differentiating factor between a natural diamond and lab grown diamond. For the same quality, grading and rating, a lb grown diamond is much affordable than a natural diamond. The exact difference in price can vary with the carat size, cut, colour, clarity, and brand.
Check the table below for an idea on how the prices between a lab grown diamond and a natural diamond would differ –
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Are Lab Grown Diamonds the Right Choice Today?
That should be a question that depends on your priorities, budget, and how you feel about origin and long‑term value.
Lab grown diamonds offer the following advantages –
- Better size or quality for the price: The biggest attraction is value for money. You can often get a larger carat size or higher quality
- Real diamond, not imitation: Lab grown diamonds are genuine diamonds, unlike simulants such as cubic zirconia or moissanite.
- Environmental and ethical benefits: No large-scale mining is involved, and when grown using cleaner energy, lab diamonds can offer a lower environmental footprint.
- Great for fashion and trend‑driven pieces: For statement jewellery, larger cocktail rings, tennis bracelets, or daily‑wear solitaires, lab grown diamonds allow more experimental designs without stretching the budget too far.
However, it does come with a few disadvantages in terms of the long term value, perception in a traditional setting and the resale value.
Conclusion
A proper understanding of what is a lab grown diamond should help you get a clear picture about what you are getting. It is important to understand that Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds created with advanced technology and not fake imitations.
For many couples and jewelry fans, a lab grown diamond offers a balance between size, quality, and affordability. However, the source of the lab grown diamond may be equally essential to consider. We at Dew Diamonds offer you the genuine lab grown diamonds that stand every test. We help you explore natural, lab grown, or even mixed options, and explain grading reports in simple language.
Take the right call today and go with a lab grown diamond. In addition to buying the best, you will also save money and care for the nature.
