What exactly is a Lab-Grown Diamond?

To keep things simple, Lab-grown diamonds are lab-created or man-made diamonds and are grown in a controlled lab environment rather than mined from the earth. Lab grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and visually identical to their mined counterparts. They aren’t diamond alternatives or simulants like cubic zirconia or moissanite. As lab grown diamonds have the same dazzling fire, brilliance, and durability as mined diamonds, so without a special tool, no one can tell the difference between lab grown and mined diamonds.

So let’s establish a fact “Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds in every sense”.

How are Lab-Grown diamonds made?

Think of lab-grown diamonds as identical twins to mined diamonds! They’re made of pure carbon, arranged in a crystal structure that gives diamonds their incredible hardness and radiance. A diamond starts with the process with a tiny diamond called a “seed”.

Lab grown diamonds are created using these 2 methods.
1. High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT): Extreme heat (over 1,300 degrees Celsius) and pressure (about 58,000 atmospheres) are applied inside a machine to the seed. It replicates the environment within the Earth, where natural diamonds form. Carbon atoms bond together around the seed, slowly growing a diamond.
2. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): In this process, in a machine a vacuum chamber is created filled with carbon-rich gases. With the diamond seed already placed inside the vacuum chamber, carbon atoms are released when the gasses are heated. These carbon atoms then layer onto the seed. This process can be compared to 3D printing, where the carbon atoms are layered gradually on the diamond seed to build a diamond.

With a fraction of the environmental impact, both these methods produce stunning, real diamonds—some in a matter of weeks rather than millions of years!

Lab grown diamonds are created with minimal impact on the environment when compared to mined diamonds. So, let’s talk about the environmental impact of lab diamonds vs mined diamond and how we are helping the planet.

  • Reduced Land Disruption:
    Mining natural diamonds requires digging up entire landscapes, and moving tons of soil and rock. This disrupts ecosystems and can lead to deforestation and destroying natural habitats. All just for a few carats of mined diamonds.
    In contrast, Lab diamonds are created in a machine that utilizes a small space in a factory.

  • Reduced Water Usage:
    Diamond mining requires a massive amount of water, almost to an extent of 480 liters per carat compared to 70 liters per carat for lab grown diamonds. Thus lab grown diamonds help in conserving the precious natural resource. More over mines can pollute local water resources by releasing chemicals and heavy metals into the local water body.
  • Lower Emissions:
    Large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contribute to climate change.
    Lab-grown diamonds are created using energy-intensive processes but comparatively create a tiny carbon footprint.
  • “Blood Diamonds”:
    No one wants to get associated with a diamond that is mined in conflict zones, funds are used in war and violence. Lab-grown diamonds have no ties to human suffering and are ethically produced.

  • Energy Usage: A massive amount of energy is required to dig deep into the earth to move tons of soil and rock. This is all done to extract tiny diamond crystals.

Lab grown diamonds are created using electricity. Many companies have started using renewable energy sources to power their labs, making lab created diamonds a sustainable choice.

Lab-Grown Diamond is the rising star of the Jewelry industry

  • Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds.
  • Available in all shapes and sizes.
  • Offer the same sparkle as that of a natural diamond.
  • They look and feel just like mined diamonds but come without the guilt.
  • Lab-grown diamonds represent a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative.