Green Lab Grown Diamonds

Absolutely! Lab-created diamonds sit atop the list of hardest substances on earth, sharing the space with natural diamonds. In terms of strength, hardness, and durability, lab-grown diamonds are an equal match to natural diamonds.

You already know that the HPHT process uses a diamond wrapped inside a ball of carbon to create diamonds. However, what you don’t know is that an alloy of iron, nickel, or cobalt is usually used in the process too. If it’s the CVD method, hydrocarbon gases are used as carbon sources, and nothing else.

Contrary to popular misconception, cubic zirconia and moissanite are NOT lab-grown diamonds. Although many people confuse them as synthetic diamonds, they are not related to diamonds (natural or lab-grown) in any way. In fact, both cubic zirconia and moissanite have physical, chemical, and optical properties vastly different from diamonds. They are what’s known commercially as “imitation diamonds.” So, if anyone is advertising cubic zirconia or moissanite jewelry as lab-grown diamond rings, necklaces, earrings, and so on, then avoid them altogether.

Yes, they do. Like natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds often have subtle tints that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. A competent gemologist can differentiate between clear and colored lab-grown diamonds, although regular consumers may not be able to. Also, yes, their prices are closely related to their color. The crystal-clear lab-grown gems with no color tints command the highest price. In most cases, you’ll find a yellow or bluish tint, which indicates the presence of nitrogen and boron, respectively, in trace quantities. Also, CVD diamonds often have a brown tint to them. If you are looking for affordable colorless gems, then HPHT are the best lab grown diamonds for you. They are usually colorless but cost twice as much as CVD diamonds for the same reason.

Lab-created diamonds, also known as synthetic or cultured diamonds, have the same chemical composition and physical properties as natural diamonds. Therefore, their ability to sparkle and reflect light is essentially the same. The sparkle of a diamond is determined by its cut, clarity, and the way light interacts with its facets, regardless of whether it's lab-grown or mined from the earth. When it comes to sparkle, the most important factor is the diamond's cut. A well-cut diamond will reflect and refract light in a way that maximizes its brilliance and sparkle. Both natural and lab-grown diamonds can be cut to excellent standards, allowing them to exhibit exceptional sparkle. It's worth noting that the appearance of sparkle can also be influenced by other factors such as the quality of the cut, the presence of inclusions or flaws, and the overall design of the jewelry piece in which the diamond is set. These factors apply to both lab-created and natural diamonds.

No, a lab-grown diamond should not fail a diamond tester. Diamond testers are designed to determine whether a gemstone is a diamond based on its electrical and thermal conductivity properties. Both natural and lab-created diamonds have similar thermal conductivity, as they are composed of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal lattice structure. Therefore, a diamond tester should accurately identify a lab-grown diamond as a diamond. However, it's important to note that diamond testers are not foolproof and can sometimes give false positive or false negative results. Other gemstones or diamond simulants with similar thermal conductivity properties, such as moissanite, can sometimes yield positive results on a diamond tester. Therefore, it's recommended to use additional testing methods, such as visual inspection or professional gemological analysis, to confirm the identity of a gemstone.