Diamonds have long been a favourite in the jewellery industry, for its hardness and longevity quality. The hardest substance on earth according to Moh's Hardness Scale, diamonds are an excellent investment and a true heirloom. In this blog post, we'll deep dive into lab grown diamonds vs. natural mined diamonds and which you should opt for.

What is a Lab Diamond?

Lab diamonds are real diamonds, grown in a laboratory environment, instead of growing in the Earth. The physical composition of a lab diamond is exactly the same as a natural diamond. They have the same colour, clarity, and can also come in a variety of shapes and sizes like a natural diamond.

How is a Lab Diamond different to Cubic Zirconia (CZ) and Moissanite?

CZ is a man made stone and is softer than a diamond, as such it is lower in value and longevity. Moissanite is a different material composite, made from silicon carbide. Moissanite is harder than CZ, but softer than Diamonds. Moissanites are generally known as an excellent alternative to Diamonds for its quality and value.

What are the differences between a Lab Diamond and Natural Diamond?

When it comes to the main differences between these two types of genuine diamonds, we consider a few factors.

The Look

There are no differences in appearance when comparing a high quality Lab Diamond and Natural Diamond. When we refer to the quality this is referring to the 4C's scale of a Diamond. Both come in a variety of Clarity, Cut, Colour and Carat. A lab diamond and natural diamond with similar specs are usually not able to be differentiated by the naked eye.

The Price

As you would expect, the price of a natural diamond is much higher than that of a lab diamond, due to the extensive energy and process required to mine natural diamonds. Generally, a similar spec lab diamond is 30-50% the price of a natural diamond.

Sustainability

One of the major factors in comparing a lab diamond and natural diamond is the process of obtaining/making them. Natural diamonds have to be dug from the earth, and industrial diamond mining processes are not only energy intensive (it takes around 100,000 tons of rock to find a single natural diamond crystal), the process is damaging to ecosystems, contributes to deforestation and soil erosion. A major issue with mined diamonds is blood diamonds where natural diamonds are mined in war zones to finance civil wars. Conflict-free natural diamonds do exist, however its sustainability is far inferior to lab grown diamonds.

In contrast, lab diamonds are grown from carbon atoms, and can take as short as a few weeks to grow and harvest. Lab grown diamonds use less energy (which can be from renewable sources), and have no political implications. Lab diamonds are more traceable, and can be much higher in quality as there is more control around how the diamond is grown compared to natural diamonds grown in the Earth.

Which diamond should I choose?

Due to the sustainability factors and the identical properties of lab diamonds, the only factor that would affect your decisions are (1) Price and (2) Value over time. Natural diamonds have consistently upheld its value, however lab diamonds are yet to have a firm standing due to the recency of its technology. As for price, lab diamonds are more affordable for the same if not better quality diamonds.

Can you help me choose the right Lab Diamond?

Of course! We're always here to help, & to discuss your custom lab diamond ring, contact us via the below form!