Lab Grown Diamonds vs Mined Diamonds : 9 Major Differences

With the increasing popularity of lab grown diamonds in the jewelry market all over the world, there has been a constant discussion about what they really are and if they are worth investing your money in.

So let us make it loud and clear, lab grown diamonds are as “real” as they come!

Laboratory diamonds are the diamonds of the future.

If you are still in a state of confusion about their authenticity and are yet to accept them as a sustainable substitute for mined diamonds, here is a detailed comparison of lab grown diamonds Vs mined diamonds.

Let’s understand how similar or different they are.

What are lab grown diamonds?

The diamonds that are made by humans in a laboratory, with the help of science, knowledge, and technology, are called lab grown diamonds.

These man made diamonds are manufactured under a controlled environment and they are physically, chemically, and optically similar to mined diamonds. The only difference is, we do not have to dig miles under the ground to procure them.

What are mined diamonds?

Natural or mined diamonds are formed miles under the earth’s surface over billions of years.

The carbon present in the earth’s surface gets exposed to extremely high pressure and very high temperatures to bond together and form crystals over time.

These diamonds are then extracted from the earth’s surface by digging very deep which can disrupt the environment. A large number of human resources and very heavy machinery are involved in this process.

Lab Grown vs Mined Diamonds: In-depth Comparison

Diamonds grown in laboratories are the first choice for people who are environment-conscious and are looking for a sustainable option. We believe that, In no way they are inferior to mined mined ones, let’s understand how and why.

1) Origin and Production Process

Natural diamonds are formed under the earth’s mantle. They are then dug out in raw form, and after that, they are cut, polished, and shaped to make them sparkle and shine to their best potential.

Lab grown diamonds are formed in the lab using two methods. First is the high-pressure high-temperature method (HPHT) and the other is Chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

The HPHT process involves exposing a diamond seed to a high temperature and high pressure, mimicking what happens on the earth’s surface.

In the CVD process, a diamond seed is placed in a vacuum chamber with some other gasses to initiate crystallization.

Both these processes can produce high quality lab grown diamonds.

2) Environmental Impact

The process of extracting diamonds from the earth’s surface has many environmental issues associated with it.

It causes deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat disruption as mining requires extensive land clearance.

The process of manufacturing diamonds in the lab is comparatively sustainable and eco-friendly as it has a lower environmental impact.

You can make a conscious choice by opting for lab grown diamonds without compromising on gem. quality.

3) Ethical Consideration

There have been various ethical concerns associated with the natural diamond industry for a very long time. We all have heard of conflict or blood diamonds.

Labor abuse, human rights violations, and no transparency of the supply chain and origin of a diamond origin are major concerns faced by the industry.

Whereas, there are no such issues associated with lab grown diamonds. You know in which laboratory your diamond is made.

You can be confident of your diamond being conflict-free and not being part of any unethical practices.

4) Clarity and Cut

Both of these diamonds are procured in raw form and then cut and polished.

Big natural diamonds are rare and hence very expensive, but a big diamond can be easily manufactured in a laboratory.

The inclusion of impurities during diamond formation decides the clarity of a diamond.

As lab grown diamonds are made in a controlled environment, the inclusions are not absent, but limited.

So you can get a more clear and bigger diamond easily when buying laboratory diamonds, and that too for a lower price!

5) Cost

There is a major difference between the price of these diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are way cheaper than their natural counterparts, and this is a game changer.

You can get a bigger, better-quality laboratory diamond for the same price you will pay for a smaller natural one.

The price difference is due to supply. Natural diamond supply is limited, as they take thousands of years to form under the earth’s mantle, resulting in high prices.

On the other hand, with lab created diamonds there is no limitation of supply and low labor cost involved, resulting in lower prices.

6) Availability

Good quality natural diamonds are rare and are not easily available in the market.

The industry is quite saturated with only a few trusted brands.

While the lab grown diamond industry has been continuously growing since the last decade.

With the improvement in technology, the quality of diamonds is also improving every day and also the production capacity which makes them easily available.

There are not too many manufacturers currently, but we can expect huge growth in the future.

7) Supply consistency

We do not know how many diamonds are still left in mines and how much diamond we can still procure from the ground each month but we do know how much diamond can be produced in a laboratory each month and the capacity of each machine.

The supply of natural diamonds is not consistent as it fully depends on natural resources, which are extinguishable. On the other hand, a laboratory can produce and supply diamonds according to consumers’ demand.

8) Innovation and customization

There is no scope for innovation or customization in what type of diamonds you get from the mines.

However, there is some role for innovation and customization when it comes to cutting and polishing those diamonds

You can customize the cultured diamonds in the size and color of your choice. Colored diamonds like pink, blue, or green can also be made.

The future is even brighter with the continuous evolution of technology.

9) Production scalability

Natural resources are limited, so the lands are gonna dry out someday and then it will take millions more years for diamonds to get formed.

So there is no scope for production scalability when talking about natural diamonds.

With the increasing demand for laboratory diamonds, new manufacturers are entering the market every day.

The technology is also improving and working on increasing manufacturing capacity and producing better quality diamonds by using fewer resources.

So, the scope of scaling the production of diamonds in the laboratory is quite evident.

Mined Diamonds or Lab Created Diamonds: What should you choose?

This should not be a tough call, here are some broken down points, to help you make the right decision.

If appearance is the only factor you are taking into consideration, both look the same, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose. So why pay more for it?

If you want to make a conscious choice, lab grown diamonds are the best sustainable option. They are ethical, conflict-free, and eco-friendly.

If you want something affordable without compromising on the sparkle, technology has made it possible for everyone to dream of big diamonds with the innovation of laboratory diamonds.

Where to Buy Certified Lab Made Diamonds?

Stunning Jewelry sells certified, high quality lab grown diamonds and finely crafted, lab grown diamond jewelry.

If you are thinking of a conscious step forward, we are here to navigate you through your needs.

We believe that lab grown diamond jewelry is here to form a legacy of a future where we are conscious and we care!

Wrapping up

We can see that there are quite a lot of similarities between cultured and natural diamonds when it comes to their characteristics, but they are a lot different when sustainability, ethnicity, and affordability come into the picture.

While the price of natural diamonds is continuously increasing, the modern generation is widely accepting laboratory diamonds.

We believe that switching to jewelry made from lab grown diamonds is a smart choice to make lab grown diamonds the “next generation diamonds”!

FAQs

1) Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes, Undoubtedly. Lab Grown diamond comes in shape, size, cut, and clarity, exactly like natural diamonds. They both are even certified by the same labs.

2) Can lab-grown diamonds be certified like mined diamonds?

Yes, lab grown diamonds come with quality certificates. IGI( International Gemological Institute) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certify these diamonds based on the same four C’s of diamonds, cut, carat, clarity, and color.

3) Can lab-grown diamonds be distinguished from mined diamonds?

No one, there is no visible difference between the two. Not even professional gemologists can tell the difference between laboratory diamonds and natural diamonds without using special equipment.