Lab grown diamonds are disrupting the diamond sector at an alarming rate. While sales of natural diamonds are falling, sales of lab grown alternatives are soaring.
These manufactured gems are popular in engagement rings and even have a celebrity following, with the likes of Penelope Cruz, Meghan Markle and Lady Gaga jumping aboard the bandwagon. If you’re on the fence about lab grown diamonds, here are some reasons you might want to change your mind.
1. It’s more sustainable and ethical
The process of extracting diamonds from the earth uses large amounts of fossil fuels and is also linked to poor labour conditions. In some places, diamond mining helps to fund wars and is also linked to child labour. When you choose a lab grown diamond, you can be confident the origins are conflict free and the process is also far more sustainable.
2. It’s cheaper
Lab grown diamonds are cheaper than their mined counterparts. This is because the price of mined diamonds is linked to their rarity and unique qualities. So, bigger and more unique diamonds are more expensive than smaller and more common diamonds. However, the price of a lab-grown diamond is linked to the manufacturing process, so you’re paying for the size and cut of the product, not the rarity.
3. It’s more likely to be perfect
Mined diamonds were formed over billions of years, deep in the earth’s crust. Any impurities that were present during the formation will show up in the diamond in the form of inclusions and imperfections. When we make diamonds in a lab, we can control exactly what goes in, which results in more visually perfect diamonds. Lab grown diamonds typically have a better colour and clarity grading.
4. You can get more for your money
If you’re on a budget, you’ll be pleased to learn you can get more for your money when you choose a lab-grown diamond. Lab grown diamonds are typically 40-60% cheaper than mined alternatives.
This means you can either save money on a diamond of the same size, or increase your budget and buy a much larger diamond which would be out of your budget if you chose a mined equivalent. With simple tricks like choosing a halo setting, you can also make your diamond appear much larger.
You can also choose very unique and special lab grown diamonds, such as coloured diamonds. By changing the composition of the carbon we put in at the start, we can alter the resulting colour. By contrast, mined coloured diamonds are incredibly rare and expensive. This means you’ll have far more choice when you choose a lab grown diamond.
5. They are structurally identical
Lab-grown diamonds are just as strong, durable and sparkling as their mined equivalents. To the untrained eye, there is no way to tell them apart. And while a trained gemologist will be able to tell the difference using a special jeweller's loupe, this doesn’t make them any less special.
All lab-grown diamonds over a certain carat weight should come with an official certificate which classifies them in the exact same way as mined diamonds. Unlike cheaper stones like quartz or crystal, lab-grown diamonds are actually structurally identical to mined diamonds.
6. It’s growing in popularity
Lab grown diamonds are growing in popularity, particularly for use in engagement rings. If you want to jump aboard a fast growing trend, now is a perfect time to do so.
The stigma around lab grown diamonds is slowly eroding and being replaced with an almost ethical obligation to choose the most responsible option. We could soon see mined diamonds becoming the taboo choice, since the origins may be difficult to trace.
Conclusion
There are so many reasons to go down the more ethical and sustainable route and choose a lab grown diamond. As they become more popular, we could also see a decline in diamond mining, which will further increase the price. And as lab grown diamonds become more prevalent, this could help to drive down the price of manufacturing.
As a result, mined diamonds could become a taboo choice that is also incredibly expensive, while lab-grown diamonds will take the lead as the ethical, sustainable and affordable choice.
