So you want to buy an engagement ring, but you don’t have $10,000 lying around to do it? If you want the look of diamonds without their high price tag, your best bet may be to consider lab grown diamonds, also known as man-made diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds that are created in labs by heating and pressurizing carbon atoms until they become crystallized, just like how mined diamonds are made today. However, lab grown diamonds cost around 20-30% less than mined diamonds, while still maintaining the same quality and appearance of mined diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds are made in exactly the same way as mined diamonds, except they grow underground rather than in the earth. The result is a diamond that shares all of the physical and chemical properties of a traditional diamond, except they are much more affordable to purchase and ethically sourced! Some people think that lab grown diamonds aren’t real, but this just isn’t true at all! In fact, lab grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to real mined diamonds, with the only difference being where they were formed!
After years of growing an lab grown diamond engagement rings, you’re finally going to pop the question. As you look down at the round-cut diamond and emerald cut diamond set in white gold, you hope that she’ll say yes. Before you place the ring on her finger, though, you have to ask yourself one important question: Is it worth it to spend more on a lab grown diamond engagement ring? Take this quiz to find out!
The History of Lab Diamonds
Ever since its inception in 1976, lab-grown diamonds have been around. The first stone was over 0.2 carats and contained multiple colors. Nowadays, scientists can control exactly what a diamond looks like, from color to size. But despite their newfound popularity—the global lab grown diamonds india industry is now worth an estimated $250 million—it’s still unclear if they are as valuable as mined diamonds. For example, many jewelers say there is no difference between synthetic and natural diamonds when it comes to value and pricing; however, others disagree. This brings us back to our question: Is it worth it to spend more on a lab-grown diamond engagement ring?
The Myths About Synthetic Stones
People often assume that synthetic diamonds are always cheaper than natural stones, but that’s not always true. The same type of stone and quality can cost less or more depending on whether it was grown in a lab or mined from deep within Earth. As for earrings, real gold is sold in karats (1 karat = 1/24 part gold). 14-karat gold is 58.3% pure gold, 18-karat gold is 75% pure, 24-karat gold is 91.7% pure and so forth.
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Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
The terms synthetic and lab-grown are used interchangeably in marketing, but they’re actually not the same thing. A synthetic diamond is created in a lab, which involves taking carbon atoms and fusing them together in an electric arc. A lab-grown diamond (also called an cultured or lab-created diamond) starts out as carbon dioxide—which can be found in industrial waste like coal plants—and grows into an actual diamond in a controlled environment that includes simulated pressure and temperature. Synthetic diamonds are not rare, while real diamonds are extremely limited.
What are lab grown diamonds made of?
To understand how lab grown diamonds compare to mined diamonds, it’s important to know what they’re made of. While it would be great if lab diamonds were made from ethically sourced materials and designed with sustainability in mind, it’s unlikely that we’ll see that anytime soon. For now, they’re manufactured using petroleum-based solvents under high heat and pressure in super-hot furnaces. (That’s where their carbon comes from.) Some labs will use natural gas, which sounds better but isn’t much more sustainable than petrochemicals; like oil, natural gas is a nonrenewable resource that’s also produced using similar techniques and equipment as synthetic diamond manufacturing facilities.
Why would someone choose lab grown diamonds over mined diamonds
For starters, lab-grown diamonds are significantly cheaper than mined ones. And while there’s debate about whether these gems can ever be considered real diamonds, they certainly do hold their own when it comes to quality. The stones are so transparent that they’re graded using a color scale rather than a clarity scale, and they come with all of those lovely diamond characteristics—the hardness, brilliance, and shine. Of course you could say none of these traits makes them real—what makes something real anyway?—but if you’re purchasing lab grown diamond earrings with an engagement ring in mind then it probably doesn’t matter either way.
Where can I buy lab grown diamonds online?
A new company called Stefeejewels is one of two websites we were able to find that sells lab grown diamonds. At Stefeejewels, you can choose from traditional three-stone ring settings or something more minimalist—there are also pairs of earrings available. However, if you want lab grown diamonds that come with an added dose of eco-friendliness and social consciousness, there’s plenty to be found at Le Vian, which markets its lab diamond pieces as ethically mined and conflict free. Prices start at $1,500 for stud earrings.
