Difference Between Lab and Natural Diamonds | Rings of Australia

Difference between Lab and Natural Diamond

Natural diamonds and lab-created diamonds are the two primary market segments in the diamond industry. Although they are both incredibly beautiful and brilliant, there are some significant distinctions between them that buyers should be aware of. Let’s explore the differences between lab-created and real diamonds so you can choose the ideal gemstone with expertise.

How They’re Created

Most naturally-occurring diamonds on the market today were formed far beneath the earth’s surface, in the planet’s mantle layer. Billions of years of intense heat and pressure caused the element carbon to rearrange on an atomic level, and thus take on the solid form of a diamond. In areas of the globe where the conditions and temperatures have been ripe to create these precious rocks, deep-source volcanic eruptions sent the stones closer to the Earth's surface via kimberlite pipes1. "Diamonds are shattered in the process, producing more small pieces than big," Doulton explains. These massive, deep-reaching craters are then mined for the precious stones.

Development

Lab-grown diamonds, on the other hand, are just that: diamonds grown in a lab. CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and HPHT (high-pressure high temperature) are the two methods used to create these types of stones; both involve using pure carbon, intense pressure, and high heat to develop the crystalline structure of the diamond. But here's the most important part: Since a diamond created in a lab isstillpure carbon, it is, chemically speaking, the exact same as a natural diamond.

Price

Part of the reason natural diamonds are so pricey is because of their rarity. "They depend on complex and expensive mining operations, and there are no guarantees about what is going to come out of the earth," says Doulton. Other aspects that contribute to their cost are the labor and energy that goes into mining and polishing the stones, and, of course, the strategic and somewhat dubious origins of, control of, and advertising behind the diamond market itself.2

Price Difference

Alternatively, lab diamonds are going to be less expensive than natural diamonds—sometimes up to 50 percent less than a natural stone of similar grade—because they aren’t controlled by the same supply chains.

Value

Here, it’s important to understand that the monetary “value” of a stone is assigned by the market and what a customer is willing to pay for it. No stone, no matter how rare or flawless, has an inherent value of its own. If a lab-grown diamond is documented and known to be lab-grown, it will be valued less than a natural diamond of similar gradation, just as the initial purchase cost of that stone would have been less. Meaning: It’s important to purchase your diamond engagement ring not because it can be used for capital, but because it’s a symbol of love and commitment to your partner. But, no, an appraiser will not dock the value of your stone just because it is lab-grown. They will instead just grade it on a different value scale.

Value Difference

The technology of lab-grown diamonds is also still evolving, which could lead to changes in their value. If they become easier to produce and cost less to make, their price will likely go down, which will drive down their value. Also, if future generations continue to deprioritize the diamond as a symbol of love and marriage, the value of both lab and natural diamonds may go down as there is less of a demand for them.

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