Everything You Must Know About Lab Grown Diamonds

Diamonds are considered to be one of the most precious gems on earth and of course it is. They are astonishingly beautiful and their sparkling beauty is what attracts people the most. Diamonds requires the exact right environment for millions of years to be formed, this is what differs diamond from rest of the expensive gems and stones. 

Some thinks that it is the rarity of the diamond what makes diamond rings, earrings and other jewelries so special than any other gems or stones, but they might not know that there’s an alternative of diamonds are growing in popularity in recent years that is lab-grown or lab-created diamonds. 

But, what’s actually a lab-grown diamond? Is there any difference in between lab-grown and natural diamonds? We’ll discuss everything about lab-grown diamonds in this article including how they are made. Also, we will help you to decide if buying a lab-created diamond is the right choice for you or not?

What are lab grown diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds are man-made diamonds generated in labs which requires a certain environment for their growth. The main feature of these diamonds are that they are available in all seasons as they are generated in labs. These are also named as Lab-Created, Man-Made and Synthetic Diamonds. Though they are created in a lab, but are more ethical, gorgeous and affordable than earth-mined diamonds. 

Are lab-grown diamonds real?

Many people considered it as fake or artificial diamond, but Lab-grown diamonds are real even though they are created or grown by the scientists in a controlled lab-environment. In fact, it is certified by one of the most sophisticated gem laboratories. So, yes they are real just like the natural diamonds but the difference in between these diamonds are is their origin. Instead of being mined from the earth, these diamonds are grown in the lab under the same heat and pressure like the crust of the mother earth.  

But, how can the lab-created diamonds be real when they are created in labs?

One of the most common thing that bothers most of the diamond jewelry buyers about lab-grown diamonds is about their originality. They think that when the diamonds are created in the labs by the scientists then how they can be real. So, you should think in the way that test-tube babies are also made in the lab but they are real. Similarly these diamonds are grown from a single carbon see and have the same features just as the mined diamonds. 

Are these available in all colors and clarity?

This is the best part of the lab-grown diamonds that they are available in all colors and clarity just same as the earth-mined diamonds. But there are many makers who use only EF Color and VVS-VS Clarity with excellent cut as it looks the best. 

Now, when you know almost everything about synthetic diamonds or man-made diamonds let’s know how they are made. 

How are lab grown diamonds made?

You must be wondering to know how the lab-grown diamonds are made but before digging into it we must know how natural diamonds are made, because only then we can know the major difference in between the two. 

So, let’s know how natural diamonds are made and then compare the two to know more about lab-created diamonds. 

There are three major components that go into creating a diamond – Heat, Pressure and Time. High temperatures and pressures are required for the formation of natural diamonds, which occurs in limited zones of the earth about 10 km below the surface. And this process may take millions of years. For the formation of the diamond the temperature requires at least 2000 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degree Celsius).

You may not believe this, but the diamonds that are mined today have been growing for many years. In fact, the oldest diamond currently known to exists over 3 billion years old. These diamonds found and mined when they are brought closer to the surface through the volcanic eruptions. 

Now, comes to main topic on how the lab-grown diamonds are made. As there are three main components are needed for the formation of natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds have two main ways to be formed. The first one is high pressure or high temperature, the same way the diamonds are made in nature. The process starts with a diamond “seed”, this could either be a natural diamond or a lab-grown one. Then an environment of hydraulic pressure and proprietary of iron, cobalt flux and nickel is created so that the seed will start to grow. 

The second method of making lab-grown or synthetic diamond is called Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In this process the diamond seed is placed in a sealed and extreme heated chamber. After placing the seed the chamber is filled with a carbon-rich hydrogen and methane gas. The carbon slowly builds into a crystal layer by layer and then it grows into a diamond within 14 days. This is how lab-created diamond are made. 

Should you buy a lab-grown diamond?

You must be thinking whether you should buy lab-grown diamond jewelries or not. Well, buying this actually have many benefits and important ones are – cost and characteristics. Lab-grown diamond rings and earrings are cheaper than the natural diamonds. In fact, some jewelers can’t tell the difference at first glance. But, whether you should buy it or not depends on your personal choice as there are many people who put great value on natural diamond over lab-grown diamonds. While as other buyers do not mind in buying lab-created diamonds. No matter which type of diamond jewelry you are buying just make sure to buy it from a jeweler you can trust on.