What Does Lab Created Diamond Mean?

Like any industry, the diamond industry is always evolving. This year, manufacturers and consumers alike should be prepared for the changes that the industry will undergo, largely because millennials will be taking over the customer base. Not sure what's to come? Here's everything you need to know about diamond industry trends in this year.

Can diamonds be lab created?

In the last decade, technology has improved to the point that diamonds can be produced in the lab that are equal in quality to any mined diamond. Lab created diamonds are quite simply, natural diamonds that have been produced in a lab rather than those that occur naturally and are mined out of the ground there is no other difference in the chemical makeup. Both natural and man made diamonds are made of the same material nearly pure carbon, and the crystalline structure is very similar with differences only detectable using specialized instruments. In nature, diamonds are formed up to 200 kilometers below the earths surface.

They are created in conditions of intense heat and pressure and slowly, over millions or billions of years, they are carried to the surface by volcanic activity. In contrast, modern lab created diamonds are made in a laboratory by one of two methods either by HPHT or CVD. Synthetic diamonds created by either method, if well made, can be impossible to identify as lab created using the naked eye alone. They offer the beauty of a natural diamond, without the price tag and without the possibility that you have contributed to the social conflict associated with ‘blood diamonds’. Of course, jewelry is not the only application for created diamonds. Diamonds actually have a huge range of industrial, scientific and military applications and if it wasn’t for this need it is unlikely that created stones of such high quality would be on the market today!

Types of Lab created diamonds

As you know, diamond is the most durable of precious stones, nature spends at least several thousand years on its creation. Only in the 14th century, scientists and jewelers learned how to cut diamonds and the very concept of diamond appeared. Attempts to create an artificial diamond began in the 18th century. In total, at the moment there are several types of synthetic diamonds that are similar in appearance and structure to diamonds.

Moissanite - grown in laboratory conditions since the 20th century, in composition it is silicon carbide. The name of the mineral is in honor of its creator - the French scientist Henri Moissant. Further, the technologies were significantly developed and the methods developed by scientists and methods for producing moissanite are still applied. The value of moissonite in industry is very high. According to its technical characteristics, it can even surpass the natural diamond.

Swarovski crystals are a crystal with a changed composition. Swarovski is a world famous brand. Daniel Swarovski began his activities in the middle of the 19th century, then he invented his own formula, which allowed him to obtain crystals that were perfect in brilliance and beauty.

More about lab created diamond polish and symmetry

To polish natural diamonds, a craftsman needs to waste lots of time. In the lab conditions, to reach excellent polish is much easier. That is why naturally-grown gemstones are commonly achieving the mark 'very good' for polishing and lab-created ones are of 'excellent' mark.

The same thing is with the symmetry. To make facets of a diamond fully symmetric in natural conditions is a die-hard work due to the specifics of each stone mined. That is why lab-grown diamonds are achieving higher marks than naturally-grown.

And we cannot go on without comparing the price for diamonds. For natural diamonds cost per carat starts from $3.000 depending on other parameters. For lab-grown diamonds, price is 30% lower even if all 4Cs are on a higher level.

Identifying Lab Created diamonds

Good quality lab created diamonds can be hard to identify using normal jewelers equipment, although they can readily be identified in a lab using a device that shines ultraviolet light through the diamond. With ever improving technology, created diamonds are improving in quality as well as cost and are a very affordable alternative to the natural thing although a top quality created diamond is still not cheap! This article cites a range of prices, but the consensus is that you can save well over 30% depending on the size and color of the stone.

For many shoppers the idea of a lab created diamond is becoming more palatable, particularly in the current economic climate but even though you are saving money, lab diamonds shouldn’t be seen as ‘cheap’. It’s easy to become confused by the terminology used by some unscrupulous retailers, particularly online. Watch out for people advertising ‘simulated diamonds‘ as created diamonds a simulant is more likely to be a different type of created gem rather than a true created diamond.

The 4Cs of Lab Created Diamonds

Lab Diamonds are sent to a gem lab that specializes in grading diamonds. The majority of these labs grade using the 4c’s (cut, clarity, color, and carat — more on those later), however, a select few use their own criteria.

As lab created diamonds or lab grown diamonds shapes as they sometime are referred to continue to grow in popularity, diamond shoppers all over world continuing to switch from purchasing mine diamonds to lab created diamonds and in the process asking themselves this exact question, what is lab created diamonds.  But, the only way to truly answer that question, is to come and see the lab created diamonds in comparison with mine diamonds at the Sofia Lior Diamond showroom located in the World Trade Center in Dallas. By seeing, touching and learning about the product in the live environment and determine answer to this question for yourself.

4Cs lab created diamonds vs natural diamonds. Explained by real examples

To compare them, we'll take major features which must be taken into account when you want to buy a diamond. They are, of course, 3 parameters from 4 Cs (carat, color, clarity) and also they are polish, symmetry and price.

Let's start with the carat parameter. If you take 3 diamonds from 3 different shops, you can hardly define which one is 1 carat lab-grown diamond. But there is a tip. It will have more carats than naturally grown. For example, 1.55 carats of a lab diamond vs 1 carate of others.

Then, going to compare color of diamonds. Do you know, what colors of diamonds are the most expensive? The most evaluated are transparent ones. And there is a diamonds color and clarity scale from D to Z, where D is the clearest and transparent gem and Z is mostly yellow-colored. Of course, a naturally-grown diamond of D color is the rarest and for lab-grown, it is not a unique feature. As usual, color of lab-created diamonds is between D and H. For example, we are selling gems of J color and for natural gems, the color is generally from H to K.

The next question is what color and clarity of diamonds mean? Clarity of diamonds is a parameter that shows the absence of inner defects or inclusions. And there is also a scale of clarity from IF (the clearest gem) to I1-I3 that shows imperfect gemstones. For naturally-grown gems is usual a different clarity of diamonds and the most perfect ones marked as IF are very rare. Commonly are traded diamonds of VVS2 clarity that means, they have very small inclusions. Both natural and lab-created diamonds are of VVS2 clarity.

And now it's time to talk about two parameters that are included in the fourth C – Cut. They are diamond polish and symmetry.

Comparison of Lab Created Diamonds Vs Mined Diamonds

The simplest way to compare lab created diamonds vs mine diamonds is to compare “Ice” that comes from a Glacier vs. Freezer, both are ice.

Let's compare 1 carate princess cut diamonds to be sure that 1 carate lab-created diamonds are no less valuable than mined ones.

What benefits do you get when you buying Lab Created diamonds online?

There is also often a much wider inventory selection available, as online can be virtually listed versus having everything physically in person. Sofia Lior jewelry company offer a live chat option for best communication, which is an easy way to get in touch with a salesperson without the hassle of leaving please where you live. When online shopping, make sure that you pay closer attention to policies regarding returns, repairs, and warranties. Sofia Lior lab Grown jewelry company is a company who will be your advocate to find the highest quality lab-grown diamond with the best price! You can either shop online at your own leisure, any time of any day, or you can visit us at our retail store located in Dallas, Texas either by appointment.

Diamond Quality Guide

Even the size of a diamond fades into the background when it comes to quality. In this case, this is purity, that is, the number of impurities and how many defects are present in a particular stone. It is on these parameters that you need to pay close attention when you choosing lab grown diamond.

Diamond Color Guide

The mass consciousness retained the notion that a diamond is only colorless but these minerals have different colors. These colors are impurities that change the refractive properties of stones but because of them, the stone does not become cheaper, on the contrary, it acquires a much higher price. In the event that this color is pronounced and unusual, and such stones are a rarity, almost more than a crystal clear diamond. The usual and most common color are shades of brown and yellow. And rare, beautiful pink, green, blue shades are called fantasy. Black diamonds are considered especially valuable and popular. But before, they were not considered precious at all, due to the greater amount of graphite impurity.

Diamond Clarity Guide

There is a special marking for a diamond's clarity. As usual, jewelers set a code for each jewelry masterpiece in which, you can find information about clarity. Diamonds of the highest quality are marked with the number 1, they are very expensive. Such stones are called a pure water diamond because placing it in clean water, you will not be able to see the diamond, it will not be distinguishable from water. Each diamond from 0.3 carats is given a special certificate with all the data about its weight, clarity, cut and color. Put maximum attention to the information in the certificate before you buy a diamond.

Choosing the best lab created diamonds

Buying lab diamonds can be a perilous affair if you aren’t familiar with the terminology. Look out for words like ‘simulated’, ‘synthetic’, ‘simulant’ or similar. If you hear this language, be very clear about what you are getting. Is it a real, lab grown diamond, made out of carbon? Or is it another material manufactured to look like a diamond? One of the best ways to tell is the price. Genuine lab diamonds, while cheaper than natural gems, are still very expensive. You might pay several thousand dollars to buy a high quality one carat lab created diamonds gem. In contrast, good quality diamond simulants sell for closer to $100 per carat. Not that these can’t be lovely gems – but be clear that you are getting what you want.

How hard are lab created diamonds? Because lab diamonds are chemically identical to natural diamonds, they are extremely hard. Lab diamonds can scratch glass just like a natural diamond.

Do created diamonds have flaws? Yes! This is a common misconception. Lab diamonds are just as likely to have flaws in the stone as a natural one. These are called inclusions and a good gem cutter will be able to minimize the visibility of these. The greater the clarity of a created diamond the greater the rarity and higher the price, just like a natural diamond.

Could Lab created diamonds be an alternative to the diamonds market?

Lab created diamonds can be less expensive than natural diamonds. There is a leap in the technology for producing artificial diamonds, and the price of synthetic diamonds is declining rapidly due to market demand.

For jewelry purposes, the market for synthetic diamonds is formed. Due to the crisis and high prices for natural diamonds, the buyer is ready to find an alternative in artificial diamonds. The crisis and the problem of the virus showed that lab grown diamonds that are several times cheaper are a good substitute for expensive natural diamonds.

All lab grown diamonds that are used for jewelry purposes, as a rule, are promoted under their own brand and consumers are not trying to mislead. So there will be no problems in buying laboratory diamonds for both the buyer and the seller.

Other Lab Created Stones

It is very important to understand the difference between lab created diamonds, other created gems and their imitation counterparts. Let's look at other lab created diamonds and their types.

Let’s take a look at true lab sapphire. This is made of corundum as is the naturally occurring stone. In fact, it is created from a powder of natural sapphire, so that is about as close as you’re ever going to get to the real thing. The good thing, of course, is that this will cost you much less than the real thing. If not for that, I suppose there would be no market for lab grown shapes. Lab created corundum with various added trace elements is sometimes sold as synthetic alexandrite.

Now, lab created ruby can also be very beautiful. Like its predecessor it is made out of corundum. Those who love the passionate color red will have to take a second look at this first-rate creation, as it looks and feels essentially just like a natural ruby. It is very stunning, and as always you can save a lot of money going this route. (Not that anyone ahs to know that!)

Finally we come to emerald. This is a member of the beryl family as all lovers of the color green will likely already know. One great feature of lab created emeralds diamonds is that they typically have a higher degree of perfection than is normally found out in the wild. This is really one of the unsung reasons to choose synthetic other than the price. Of course, you will find that it is made of the same materials composed in the same way too.