Lab Grown Diamond Education
Lab-Grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds
One of the most popular discussions within the world of jewelry today is the difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds.
The main two differences are their origin and rarity..
Lab grown diamonds are made in a laboratory and the supply is infinite making them an affordable alternative. When we first started selling lab diamonds in 2016 they took about a year to grow and cost 25% less than their natural counterpart. With advances in technology, they have reduced the grow time to one week and now cost 80% less. Early growers made claims of being better for the environment, but many studies have shown the amount of electricity used and emissions produced is roughly equal to that of natural diamond mining.
Natural diamonds take millions of years to grow deep inside of the earth. The supply of large, gem quality diamonds is finite, making them rare and valuable.
Both are beautiful options, and choosing between them is simply a personal choice.
Did You Know?
Lab-grown diamonds are optically, chemically and physically identical to the naked eye.
Both are the same in so many ways:
- One-of-a-kind with unique internal characteristics
- Cut and faceted from rough diamond material
- Identical in scintillation (sparkle) and fire with a 2.42 refractive index and dispersion of .044
- Available in a range of qualities and fancy colors
- Made of pure carbon with a hardness rating of 10
- Graded using the same universal standards of carat, cut, color and clarity.
They differ in their origin and cost
Lab-Grown Diamonds
- Grown in 1 week in laboratories overseas (China, Singapore etc.)
- Supply available on demand (not rare)
- Production cost extremely low and lowering each month
- Uncertain Future Value (Not Eligible for Trade Up Program)
Natural Diamonds
- Created over millions to billions of years within the earth
- Finite Supply (rare)
- Valuable material, stable/increasing prices
- Holds Value (Lifetime Trade Up Program)
How can you tell the difference between them?
Since lab-grown diamonds are optically, chemically, and physically identical to natural diamonds, you can’t tell the difference between them with your naked eye.
There are lab grown testers available to differentiate a diamonds origin. Also, a trained gemologist can differentiate natural vs synthetic characteristic inclusions.
How are Lab-Grown Diamonds made?
Two different methods are used, sometimes together, to create lab-grown diamonds.
- High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)
This process mimics mother nature by applying high pressure and high heat inside specialized equipment to a diamond seed, accelerating the growth of crystalized diamond. - Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
This process uses a chemical vapor-based method to stimulate growth of crystalized diamond from a diamond seed.
Transparency
All of our in stock jewelry is made with natural diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are available by special order only.
All JF Jones Lab Grown Diamonds come with a lab report and are laser inscribed “lab grown” with the corresponding serial number.
We also have a lab grown disclosure form that all buyers must sign understanding what it is they are purchasing and that they are not eligible for our trade up program.
Shop Online
Lab grown diamonds are available by special order. Here is a sampling of what is available to order.