What Exactly Are Lab Grown Diamonds?

A lab grown diamond will “test” diamond because they are real - not synthetic. What then, is the distinction between lab grown and natural ? It’s exactly that - one is grown in a lab and one is mined from the earth, and although the chemical composition is identical, the creation process is responsible for a vast difference in pricing. If you are creating diamonds “on demand” in a lab, those diamonds are- or should be- considerably less in price than waiting for Earth to manifest rare natural diamonds. Furthermore, manufacturers only produce top stones- all colorless (D,E,F) and VS2+ in clarity. When purchasing a lab diamond, you are able to obtain a higher quality for a fraction of the cost of a comparable natural stone. For example, a natural 2 Ct. Cushion Cut diamond of G Color And VS2 clarity is around 25,000 whereas a lab- grown 2.5 Ct. Cushion Cut diamond of F Color And VS1 clarity should currently run you 3,000!! As you can see, lab verse natural stones is not an “apples to apples” comparison.

Beware on “Online” Lab Pricing!

In recent years, more and more manufacturers have begun to produce lab diamonds. As a result, prices have fallen drastically. Over the past year, they have dropped 36.95% , which is great for the consumer. However, online sites have not adjusted their sell price to align with lowered wholesale costs. Since lab diamonds are much less expensive than their natural counterparts, unsuspecting consumers are still paying hugely inflated online pricing because, even at these high prices, consumers still feel they are getting a deal.

Lastly, diamonds that are lab created -or produced on demand- do not appreciate over time as natural diamonds do. Historically, natural diamonds appreciate an average of 3% each year.