Lab-grown Diamonds vs. Naturally Mined Diamonds

As people become more aware of unethical and cruel mining practices, they are forced to move away from naturally mined diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds, consequently, are rising in popularity as an alternative to naturally mined diamonds. In this article, we’re going to help you understand what lab-grown diamonds are and how they compare to naturally mined ones.

What are lab-grown diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds not sourced from nature. Instead of being dug out of the ground, lab-grown diamonds are taken from laboratories. These laboratories carry out many processes, such as Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), to replicate the environment needed for diamond formation. This means that humans and not nature artificially make lab-grown diamonds. However, this does not make them fake.

Similarities

A discussion of the similarities between the two kinds of diamonds will help us understand why lab-grown diamonds cannot be classified as fakes.

First, the conditions under which both diamonds are created are identical, leading to similar molecular structures. This, in turn, means that lab-grown and naturally mined diamonds will share the same chemical and physical properties. Both will be equally hard, shiny, and beautiful.

Slight differences occur in the structure, but these can only be recognized through expert technologies. To the naked eye, there is no difference between the two.

Moreover, the same certification and grading steps are followed with respect to both lab-grown diamonds and naturally occurring ones. Both are sent to special facilities where they are rated upon the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, color, and carat. All lab-grown diamonds you buy from credible places will be certified and graded. If you live in the Madison area and are looking for high-grade lab-grown diamonds, go ahead and check out our wedding bands collection.

Differences

Of course, there are some differences between the two.

First, lab-grown diamonds are cheaper than naturally occurring ones. Customers are quick to assume this is because of a supposed inferior quality, but it is actually due to a simple game of supply and demand. Since lab-grown diamonds are not as popular, the demand for these is lower. Lower demand leads to lower prices; that’s simple economics!

Second, lab-grown diamonds happen to be more ethical than naturally occurring ones. Naturally occurring diamonds can often be hard to trace. You might not know where they were mined and whether those mines exploited child labour, murder, and horrendous violence. Engagement rings are supposed to signify love; why would you decorate them with something that the mining of which may have caused hundreds to die? Lab-grown diamonds and their laboratories are easy to track and check for any unethical practices.

Lastly, there is greater variety in lab-grown diamonds. You can customize the tint of the diamond, or you can have a diamond made in many different colors. Naturally occurring coloured diamonds may be rarer and thus more expensive.

No matter how many misconceptions about lab-grown diamonds spread, they are here to stay. As people see the global and personal benefits these diamonds bring, they are sure to grow in popularity. If you’re looking to get one for yourself and live in the Madison area, check out our Wedding bands collection of high-quality lab-grown diamonds.