Lab grown diamonds have gotten more and more popular in recent years. Most people don’t even know what they are, much less how to tell them apart from the real thing. While you might not be able to fool an expert with your lab-grown diamond, you certainly can fool your girlfriend! Here are the different types of lab grown diamonds and how to tell them apart from mined diamonds.
The Difference Between Lab Grown And Diamond Simulants.
Lab-grown and simulant diamonds both fall under a larger category called lab-created, or created, stones. Lab grown diamonds: This type of diamond is also known as manmade, cultured, or synthetic. Because these gems are technically real but made in a laboratory setting instead of being pulled from a natural mine, they tend to be cheaper than their mined counterparts. Lab growns can come in different colors—both naturally colored (white, yellow and pink) and colorless. These varieties all carry different price tags. CVD Diamonds: CVD stands for chemical vapor deposition.
Lab Grown Diamonds Vs. Mined/Natural Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds, also known as cultured, synthetic or CVD diamonds, are man-made gems that offer many advantages over mined natural stones. For one thing, they’re eco-friendly. Natural diamond mines produce millions of tons of waste. The extraction process also uses harmful chemicals and creates numerous environmental concerns. A more immediate reason to opt for lab diamonds costs; laboratory stones can be nearly 90 per cent less expensive than their mined counterparts, without compromising on quality or brilliance. Other types of cultivated (aka cultured) gems include opals and pearls—however, these don’t come in gem sizes above 6mm; by comparison, cultured diamond crystals up to 25mm exist.
Diamonds Are Made In A Laboratory As Opposed To Natural Ones
Though many think lab-grown diamond and synthetic diamond mean the same, they’re quite different. Lab-grown stones have all their elements grown together in one place, as opposed to having them precipitate together from natural processes. Another difference between CVD diamonds and lab-grown ones is that carbon atoms create a lattice structure inside CVD stones, but silicon creates structures inside lab-grown ones. Most people can’t see any distinction between synthetic and natural gems — it’s only experts who can tell by looking at things like thermal conductivity or laser inscription patterns — but there are still key differences when it comes to origin.
A Lab-Grown Vs. Real Diamond Comparison Table
Your best bet is buying a diamond is always to go to a jeweler. That way, you can see and feel before buying. And if it’s not what you expected, you can take it back. A CVD diamond is often hard to tell apart from a real diamond, but there are some differences: First and foremost, cost: Lab-grown stones start at about 1/20th of an equivalent real diamond’s price. Lab-grown stones also contain imperfections that sparkle—think of them as tiny flaws in nature’s jewelry.
CVD diamonds tend to be darker than their natural counterparts; they look more like colorless sapphires than shiny white diamonds. But don’t let that stop you! CVD stones are still stunningly beautiful, and they make excellent everyday pieces. Many customers choose these when they want something unique or special, but aren’t ready for a bigger investment just yet. While there are only two main kinds of lab grown diamonds on the market today (CVD and HPHT), more could hit stores soon: Lately, several companies have announced advances in growing gems using other methods (such as atomic vapor deposition). We could be seeing many new varieties in our future!
An Infographic Summarizing The Above Information
How Lab Grown Diamonds Are Made provides a simplified overview. And don’t forget to read our complete guide to lab grown diamonds here. CVD diamonds account for more than 80% of all diamond jewelry sales, but it’s important to know that they’re not actually real diamonds. While they have similar physical properties, CVD is essentially carbon that has been compressed and heated under high pressure (it’s not technically a crystal). It looks just like an earth-mined diamond, but its price tag will be significantly lower.
CVD can cost as little as 1/5th or 1/10th of what an earth-mined diamond costs! So if you’re looking for something unique or special at a low price point, then CVD is worth considering. That said, some people prefer traditional mined diamonds because they want an ethical stone with a rich history and with minimal environmental impact.
