Diamond Comparison

COMPARISON OF LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS AND NATURAL DIAMONDS

THEIR HISTORY

Since the late 1800s, scientists all over the world have been trying to reproduce diamonds in laboratories. This was only possible in 1955 when Generals Motors succeeded. However, these diamonds were of poor quality and small. The advanced technology that produces diamonds with the quality of natural diamonds was developed only a few years ago.

To grow a diamond in a lab, heat and pressure are applied in the same way as when mining a diamond to create a compressed gem. Nature does this naturally over a much longer period of time.

COMPARISONS

Both mined and lab-grown diamonds are real; they share the exact same chemical composition, molecular structure, physical and optical properties. They are not considered to be diamond-like or imitations. Diamonds are solid forms of pure carbon. Solid carbon can form in different shapes depending on the types of chemical bonds. These are known as isoquants. Diamonds are isoquants, where the atoms are arranged in a crystalline form. Diamonds are single stones made up of a single element and are usually 99.95% carbon. The other 0.05% may contain trace elements, other atoms that are not integral to the basic chemistry of a diamond. These trace elements (boron, nitrogen) and other naturally occurring elements such as radiation exposure can affect the shape or color of a diamond. This applies to both mined and lab-grown diamonds.

PRICING

And here’s the big difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds: Lab-grown diamonds are about 75% cheaper than mined diamonds. And it’s not because of quality. The price difference is because of the rational competition in lab-grown diamonds and the corrupt monopolies in mined diamonds. So, while the stone is of the same quality, the cost difference for the consumer is huge. For example, let’s put it bluntly: if a mined diamond costs $10,000, a lab-grown diamond with the same characteristics will cost $3,000.

REAL SOURCE

Here’s a difference worth remembering: a lab-grown diamond can always be traced back to the lab where it was created, while the harsh reality of a mined diamond is the exact opposite. There’s always a diamond company that claims to be “clean sourced” or “bloodless * We often hear people use reassuring terms like “diamond”. Unfortunately, the true origins of a mined diamond can never be known with any degree of certainty. In fact, these terms are nothing more than deliberate marketing terms, as it is estimated that a mined diamond changes hands approximately 30-40 times (from the moment it is mined to its final sale).

RATING PROCESS

Both lab-grown and mined diamonds are graded using the exact same grading system. This is commonly known as RBKK – Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat. This grading system was first created by Robert M. Shipley, founder of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This process is the universal grading system used for all diamonds, regardless of whether they are lab-grown or mined.

CERTIFICATION

When it comes to certification, there is no difference between a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond. Both can be graded and certified by any laboratory. The certification for a lab-created diamond will include an indication such as “lab-grown” or “lab-created” to distinguish it from mined diamonds.

ETHICAL and UNETHICAL

In our opinion, this is the debate that comes down to the most fundamental and important difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds: Ethical vs. Unethical. This is the main reason why we stay away from mined diamonds and focus entirely on lab-grown diamonds.

Unfortunately, the damage that the diamond mining industry does to humans and the environment is clear as daylight. Countless lives are lost in the process of extracting a blood diamond from the ground. This affects not only the people involved in mining, but also their children, families and the wider community. Whether stained with blood or not, an incredible amount of earth needs to be moved to bring any mined stone to the surface. Want a rough idea of ​​how much that amounts to? How does that sound, 250 tons per carat diamond? It’s literally moving mountains for just one tiny stone.

* (A blood diamond (CONFLICT DIAMOND), as defined by the United Nations (UN), is any diamond mined in territory controlled by forces opposed to the legitimate, internationally recognized government of a country and sold to finance military action against that government.)

This disastrous process of blowing up the entire world means that the soil being moved per ore is very high, and that it also means that there is a reckless and massive release of carbon emissions. This means a huge irresponsibility towards the atmosphere and our delicate ecosystem (lakes, ocean life, air pollution, etc.). And it is leading to irreversible contamination of drinking water sources in some of the most vulnerable places in the world. Therefore, we take our rightful stance very seriously when it comes to the debate between Ethical and Unethical.

FROM ORE TO SALE

There is no difference between a diamond grown in a lab and a diamond mined in terms of the process from the ore to the sale! The term 'Ore to Sale' is used to describe the process from the first moment a diamond is produced as a rough stone, whether it is mined OR a lab, to the moment it is released to the market and sold to the consumer. This process and all the associated costs are exactly the same for both types of diamonds. Rough diamonds of both origins (Lab grown or mined) are Classified, Cut, Polished, Grade and Certification is achieved in exactly the same way.

However, it is worth noting that man-made diamonds are generally more ideally/perfectly produced than mined diamonds in terms of cut grade. This is because mined diamonds are generally shaped/cut to show off their weight as much as possible. Furthermore, a lab-grown diamond will only be cut to the most ideal cut since it has already grown naturally in a more ideal shape for cutting, resulting in high quality cut stones.