Gemstone Evolution: The Growing Popularity of Lab-Grown Diamonds

MeenakshiAnanya_Sreen
12 Min Read

Lab-grown diamonds are prepared in laboratories, unlike naturally occurring diamonds. Both of these different categories of diamonds have almost the same properties.

Methods used in lab-created diamonds tend to mimic the natural process through cutting-edge technology. These diamonds are manufactured under excessive temperature and pressure.

Initially, people were skeptical of the authenticity of natural diamonds, but it has been proved that they are just like natural diamonds. They are called synthetic diamonds also.

A close-up of an isolated diamond in the dark background.
Source- Pixabay

1. About Human-Made Diamonds or Synthetic Diamonds

In the 1940s, the General Electric Research Laboratory in New York created the world’s first lab-created diamond. This could have been created earlier, but due to World War II, the process was postponed.

Today, it is the combined effort of researchers across the globe who have contributed to making the manufacturing process efficient. Technological innovation has done wonders, and lab-grown diamonds are one of them.

Initially, due to the low availability of labor with expertise in the subject, the price of these diamonds was high. Most jewelers were hesitant.

Gradually, the revolution exploded in the market, and suddenly, buying a diamond ring didn’t demand years of toiling and gathering money.

Lab diamonds cost more than 50 percent less than natural diamonds as they can be prepared in a lab and are real. Their mass availability helps in the market price decline as well.

Moreover, these magnificent beauties do not get cloudy. Lab diamonds tend to keep their appearance just like natural diamonds.

1.1. How Are They Made?

A scientist is looking into a microscope in a lab.
Source- Pexels

In the book, Synthetic Diamond by Fouad Sabry, it is told that there are two methods used in the lab-grown diamond production. The first is High Pressure and High Temperature (HPHT), and the other is Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

Methods to Prepare Lab Diamonds

  • In HTPT, a seed is exposed to high temperatures, around 1500 degrees Celsius, and high pressure.
  • In the CVD method, a seed is heated at 800 degrees Celsius and kept in a sealed container with carbon-rich gas. This gas is then attracted to the seed. Slowly, the diamond is formed.

Both methods require synthesis in the lab. This is the reason for calling them synthetic diamonds or lab-created diamonds.

1.2. Lab-Grown Diamonds Do Not Disturb Nature

Clearing an area for mining and then digging up the ground to remove the precious stone has an environmental impact.

They are called natural, but their extraction disturbs nature. Extracting them includes moving tons of soil and rocks from the earth. 

Using renewable energy sources like solar, tidal, and wind to manufacture the lab diamonds makes them environmentally friendly.

Diamond Foundry Lab is one such example. There are minimal carbon emissions this way. They don’t require any form of excavation or mining.

Plus, lab-grown diamonds use less water per carat when compared to natural stone than to mined ones.

So environment conscious people will enjoy not only the luxury but also the contentment that nature isn’t disturbed when making the jewelry they are adorned with.

1.3. Can a Diamond Tester Detect Lab-Created Diamonds?

A close-up of a small diamond picked by a tool.
Source- Unsplash

Jewelers can easily differentiate between diamonds and other similar-looking stones, but lab-grown diamonds are usually indistinguishable from natural ones.

Price and ethicality are the only two things that create the difference between these gems. The rest is the same for both.

Both have a dispersion of 10, a cubic crystal structure, and a density of 3.52, and both are authentic diamonds. Only improved laboratory equipment can differentiate between the two.

2. Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Cheaper and Considered Cost-Effective?

Initially, expensive lab-created diamonds have seen a downfall in price. Production and demand are both increasing, and technology has been upgraded. So, they can cost between thirty and forty percent less than natural diamonds.

Moreover, the price of natural diamonds depends on their cut, color, and sparkle. In labs, these properties are customizable.

You can even tell the jeweler what shape you are looking for in your engagement ring, and they will start preparing it from scratch, unlike natural diamonds, which would have taken billions of years to come into existence.

The Production Cost of Natural Diamonds Is Higher Than That of Lab-Grown Diamonds

Natural Diamonds Vs Lab Grown Diamonds: Which One Is Better? (Wholesale Prices & More)

South America and Africa are where most diamond deposits occur, and countries like India then play the role of polishing and cutting. Then, these diamonds have to travel the world separately to reach their owners.

This increases natural diamonds’ cost. Skilled laborers have to be paid a handsome amount of money, too.

The chain begins with the miners, then moves to the rough diamond wholesaler, then to the diamond wholesaler, which supplies the diamonds to retailers, and finally, it reaches the customer.

The processes involved in making them happen are time-consuming, and the value of mined diamonds is thus higher. Even if they have the same quality, they are expensive.

With lab diamonds, we cut the mining part. By doing so, we can initiate from anywhere, in any part of the world. This will also decrease customs duties, heavy taxes, and other costs, making lab diamonds significantly cheaper.

Furthermore, diamond mining involves a lot of machinery, which you will counter by saying that machines are involved in lab diamonds. However, people’s inclination towards lab-grown diamonds has resulted in a hike in the production of such machines and in diamond labs, too.

Governments are even funding and allocating budgets for their production. The rapidly changing fashion bandwagon inspires subtle designs that are best suited to diamonds that are easily customizable; lab-grown diamonds are the best choice for synthetic use.

A considerable capital investment is required to mine a natural diamond. Large areas are leased for mining purposes, unlike lab diamonds that can be grown in a small lab.

A close-up of a diamond necklace with a green gem in the centre.
Source- Pexels

3. Why are Diamonds Rare and Carried More Value among People?

Like all other resources on Earth, diamonds are also finite, and extensive mining only makes them more and more; mined diamonds are rare.

Nature isn’t continuously cooking diamonds for you; the volcanic activity through which they were formed ended billions of years ago. They are older than our existence and are nature’s valuable gift.

To be formed, diamonds require unique climatic and geomorphological processes at a depth of almost 125–200 km; this rare beauty breathes. Natural Diamonds undergo a rigorous selection process to reach your ring.

Traditional transparent or colorless diamonds are not the only ones to be called diamonds. Many are naturally yellow and red. They are so rare that only a few of them are believed to exist in the world.

Just like colored diamonds, large-sized diamonds are also scarce. Kohinoor, as we are all aware, is one such example. However, the most giant diamond that has ever been found now is Cullinan.

Finally, they are just carbon, which requires a great deal of temperature and pressure to form, and that is how the idea of lab-grown diamonds came about. Using the same idea and similar artificially created conditions is how we obtain lab-grown diamonds.

Lab diamonds aren’t rare. Their production has seen a significant hike in the last two decades. Their popularity is gaining ground and eople are choosing them over natural ones as they are more affordable.

Inside India’s lab-grown diamond industry - BBC News

Yes, nobody is going to criticize you for wearing lab diamonds. Famous personalities have gifted them. We have seen India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, presenting a lab-grown 7.5-carat diamond ring to America’s First Lady, Jill Biden, in Washington during one of his visits to the USA.

And don’t worry; your girlfriend or fiancé won’t complain that you got lab-created diamond jewelry for her. It is the emotion and deliberate attempt at gifting that makes them precious.

Plus, various options in lab diamonds allow people to have a larger pool of selections. This makes people choose the best stone that will match their requirements.

Finally, lab-created diamonds are ethical and a good option for today’s generation, and there is no doubt about their authenticity and quality.

Wrapping Up – Understanding The Future of Diamonds

Being the ultimate of nature’s gifts, gems have always been a matter of value, ethnicity, and grace. They represent beauty and are alliterate with pride and exquisiteness.

Our enhanced technological advancement has resulted in the creation of diamonds in laboratories that are cost-effective, making them gain ground. The middle class can now also turn their dream of buying diamonds into reality, an earlier reality for just a few.

Their low cost is due to their easy production, reduced supply chain, lower cost of labor, increased production and demand, and less capital investment.

The future market value of lab-grown diamonds can’t be precisely predicted, but their reduced cost surely makes them a popular choice for customers and jewelers. The whole diamond market now is also preferring lab-grown diamonds over natural ones.

Price Difference Between Natural & Lab is SHOCKING! 🤯

FAQs

1. Is it okay to buy lab-created diamonds?

Yes. It is okay; their authenticity is credible.

2. Are lab-created diamonds natural?

Lab diamond is as natural as a mined diamond. It is just that they are prepared in similar conditions to mined diamonds but in labs.

3. Can I get a good resale value on lab-created diamonds?

If you are buying diamonds to make a profit, sorry, diamonds are not very good investments.

4. Are lab diamonds big?

At present, manufacturing a big lab diamond is quite difficult but maybe in the future it will happen.

5. Can we prepare a lab diamond at home?

The high pressure and temperature conditions are attained in the laboratories through various processes and highly technological machines. This makes it quite impossible to prepare a lab diamond at home.

Last Updated on by Ananya_Sreen

Stay Connected

Share This Article
Follow:
Meenakshi Goswami is a writer. She recently came up with her third book. Known for making melodies out of world's mesmerising waves of emotions she can be easily spotted writing under the trees. Apart from writing she like to travel, play badminton and maintains her interest in geopolitics. Being an avid reader and writer her inclination towards learning and sharing knowledge is deciphered through her words.

Ananya, with a background in commerce, is a passionate writer and has written numerous articles covering a wide range of topics such as travel, food, health, etc. She also works as an editor, guiding fellow writers and helping provide the audience with content that is useful to them.

Education BCom(Hons.) - University of Delhi
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *