Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Diamonds – What’s the Difference?

lab grown diamond necklaces

Lab grown diamonds, which are also called synthetic or cultured diamonds, are created in a lab using high pressure and temperature to transform carbon from a gas into an allotrope of diamond crystals. This is different from natural diamonds which form over millions of years deep inside Earth’s mantle beneath high heat and pressure. The process for making lab-grown diamonds involves taking small pieces of carbon and growing it in a big pressurized environment that enables it to crystallize as a diamond, rather than as graphite.

If you’re shopping for a diamond, you’ve probably noticed how expensive they can be. This makes lab grown diamond necklaces seem very luxurious, but it also makes them unaffordable to many shoppers. Some companies are now producing lab-grown diamonds, which look almost exactly like natural diamonds but cost only a fraction of the price. How do they compare to natural diamonds? Are they worth it? Here’s everything you need to know about lab-grown diamonds vs. natural diamonds before buying either one!

lab grown diamond earrings

Lab grown diamonds (also called lab-created, synthetic or cultivated) are made in a laboratory by replicating natural diamond growth with high pressure and temperature over a long period of time. While they have similar chemical and physical properties to mined diamonds, they do not carry their natural stigma, cost less and there is an increasing demand for them in today’s market. In contrast, mined diamonds have been around since nearly 700 million years ago; it is estimated that 90% of today’s total global production comes from countries like Botswana, Russia, South Africa and Australia where huge extraction costs result in value fluctuations within diamond supply chains that cannot be controlled by individual producers.

 lab grown diamond engagement rings

Different from diamonds that are mined, lab-grown diamonds aren’t actually fake; they’re made of natural carbon and their only difference is how they are produced. The end result is a diamond that looks just like its mined counterpart—but at a much more affordable price point (for now). But with so many lab-grown options out there, how do you know which one to pick? Let’s take a look at why mined diamonds will always be considered real over lab-grown ones, what to expect when shopping for an lab grown diamond engagement rings and why it’s important to understand these differences before you buy.

lab grown diamond jewelry

Lab grown diamonds were introduced in 1954, but it wasn’t until recently that man-made diamonds entered into mainstream jewelry markets. Instead of being dug out of mines, lab grown or cultured diamonds are made in a laboratory from a combination of carbon and other elements (such as hydrogen and nitrogen).

Some cultured diamond manufacturers have developed a process for adding trace amounts of metals to create color variations like pink, green, blue and orange—and even black diamonds! Lab grown diamonds typically cost about 50% less than their mined counterparts because they don’t require extensive mining practices or transportation processes. But here’s where things get complicated: Jewelers typically advertise lab-grown diamonds as real diamonds because many consumers assume they’re exactly like mined gems.

lab grown diamond rings

Because of their newness to the market, lab grown diamond rings have received a lot of negative attention in recent years. Unfortunately, there are some myths and misconceptions floating around out there that can be misleading when you’re trying to understand if these stones are worth it or not. One common myth is that lab-grown diamonds are forever one color; as we’ve learned, however, nothing could be further from reality! If you read about any brand new technology or product being sold to consumers for an exponentially high price (think Tesla cars), then chances are some of what you read will be incorrect simply because it is hard for people to conceptualize something so new and different from anything they have ever seen before.