Should You Buy A Lab Grown Diamond?
Is it worth buying a lab-grown diamond? That's the million-dollar question. Well, it depends. If you're looking for a diamond that is much cheaper or a diamond that is going to hold its value.
So if you're unsure about whether or not lab-grown diamonds are worth considering as part of your engagement ring selection process or as an addition to an existing collection of jewelry pieces, then read through this guide to better understand what exactly these stones are made from and how they differ from their natural counterparts.
Are Lab Grown Diamonds Real?
Lab-grown diamonds are natural. They are diamonds, just like mined diamonds. The only difference is that they're made by machines in a lab instead of forming naturally deep in the Earth.
Lab-grown diamonds are the same as natural ones and have all of the same properties as mined (natural) diamonds:
- They sparkle with brilliance, fire, and luster
- They're hard enough to cut glass (10 on the Mohs hardness scale)
- Lab-grown diamonds have no treatment history
How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
Lab-grown diamonds are created in a laboratory environment by replicating the exact conditions that exist in the Earth’s mantle. This environment is called a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) chamber and is capable of creating diamonds in much less time than the millions of years that natural diamonds take to form.
To begin, a diamond seed is placed in the HPHT chamber and then subjected to intense heat and pressure. This environment mimics the conditions found in the Earth’s mantle, which is the source of natural diamonds.
The seed then begins to form a diamond lattice, which is the basic structure of a diamond. Once the lattice is formed, the diamond is then cut and polished to achieve the desired shape and size.
The same diamond tools used to shape and polish natural diamonds are also used to shape and polish lab-grown diamonds. The end result is a lab diamond with the exact same chemical and optical properties as a natural diamond.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Cost Less?
A lab-grown diamond is likely to cost less than a mined diamond. The price difference is due to the cost of mining and labor, which are both expensive in the case of mined diamonds.
Labor and materials are cheaper for lab-grown diamonds because miners do not need to extract them from the Earth.
Lab-grown diamonds are a great option if you want to buy a diamond but don't have a large budget. This is because they are almost the same natural diamonds and cost less than mined diamonds so you can get more carats for your money. But the major downside is that they will not hold their value over time like natural diamonds will.
Conclusion
While lab-grown diamonds are an excellent option for people who want to buy an engagement ring, they also make sense for people who need an affordable diamond for any other purpose. If you're looking for a big diamond and your budget is limited, consider lab-grown diamonds. Furthermore if you want to learn more about lab grown diamonds, contact us today or visit our website Fuller's Jewelry.