There has been a lot more press coverage of lab-grown diamonds in recent years, with a host of celebrities seen wearing jewellery featuring these kinds of gems. But what are lab-grown diamonds? How do you make them? And are they the right choice for you?
What is a lab-grown diamond?
Let’s start with the basics: what is a lab-grown diamond? As its name suggests, these are precious stones produced in lab conditions, rather than ones that have formed naturally and been mined.
A rising number of jewellers have started producing and using lab-grown diamonds and we are no different – you will find a range of Ross diamonds that are lab grown in our jewellery collections.
Is a lab-grown diamond a real diamond?
This is perhaps one of the most common questions when it comes to lab-grown diamonds and the answer is an unequivocal yes. Chemically, a lab-grown diamond is 100 per cent carbon, just as a mined diamond is.
They have the same crystal structure that gives mined diamonds their sparkle and it is impossible to tell a lab-grown diamond from a natural diamond with the naked eye. So, if you choose a piece of jewellery that features lab-grown diamonds, you are certainly getting the real deal.
How are lab-grown diamonds made?
Lab-grown diamonds are made by simulating the conditions under which natural diamonds form in the Earth’s crust. Natural diamonds are formed under intense heat and pressure, which is replicated in a laboratory setting to produce their lab-grown equivalent.
There are two techniques used to make lab-grown diamonds:
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Chemical vapour deposition (CVD)
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High pressure high temperature (HPHT).
As a process, CVD is used for the manufacture of many items and it is a well-established technique that has been used for decades. When it comes to diamonds, the process uses a diamond seed onto which carbon-rich gases are vaporised and then deposited to “build” a gemstone.
Meanwhile, as its name suggests HPHT uses a high pressure and high temperature in a specialist pressing process to transform a diamond seed and pure carbon into a larger diamond.
How long does it take to make a lab-grown diamond?
The process of making a lab-grown diamond is considerably quicker than the natural process. In most cases, a lab-grown diamond can be produced in a matter of weeks, although this does of course depend on the size of the stone being created.
By contrast, natural diamonds have formed over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, not to mention the time it takes to mine them from the ground.
Why are more people buying lab-grown diamonds?
One of the biggest arguments in favour of lab-grown diamonds is their provenance. With mined diamonds, it can be difficult to know how ethically they were mined. When you buy a lab-grown diamond you have none of those worries as you know exactly where your gem has come from and how it was procured.
Another reason why many people are opting for lab-grown diamonds is sustainability. They are much quicker to produce than natural diamonds and the process doesn’t create any environmental degradation.
Many celebrities have actively chosen to wear and buy lab-grown diamonds, which has helped boost awareness of these types of stones and increased their popularity.
A-listers ranging from Emma Watson and Lady Gaga to Billy Porter and Meghan Markle have all been spotted wearing lab-grown diamond jewellery in recent years.
Are lab-grown diamonds cheaper than mined diamonds?
Yes, this is another benefit of exploring lab-grown diamonds for your jewellery. Because they can be produced more quickly and easily, they are often more affordable than their mined counterparts.
Given that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the two, there are a lot of benefits to opting for this kind of gemstone in your ring, earrings or necklace if you are looking for a new statement piece with plenty of sparkle.
Are lab-grown diamonds always perfect?
Despite being produced in a laboratory, lab-grown diamonds are not always perfect, just like their natural counterparts. They can also feature imperfections and slight variations in colour and clarity, just like natural diamonds can.
This only adds to their charm and highlights why it’s important to source your lab-grown diamonds from jewellers who take care to appraise and select the perfect diamonds for each piece of jewellery.
Here at Liam Ross Jewellery, we love the clarity, high-quality and radiance we see in lab-grown diamonds, which is why we offer a range of jewellery featuring these kinds of stones set in both gold and silver.