When you’re looking into buying diamonds, whether that’s for yourself, a loved one, or for the perfect gem to celebrate your love as a couple for your big day, a common question you’ll see time and time again is whether you should go for natural diamonds or lab-created diamonds. Is there a difference? Is one better or worse than the other?
Of course, there are many critics and gemologists out there that would claim that lab-grown diamonds are fake and are nowhere near the real thing, so today we’re going to explore this and see how true to the mark this is. When it comes to choosing the best diamonds from the best sources, here’s what you need to know.
So, Are They Fake?
Okay, let’s cut right to the chase. No, lab-diamonds are not fake. They are simply produced differently. In nature, a diamond is formed about 80 to 120 miles deep under the Earth’s crust in extremely high temperatures, sometimes as much as 220˚F.
Through this intense heat and an overwhelming amount of pressure, diamonds are formed which can then be mined and processed into the gems we know them to be. Of course, there are plenty of complex processes that happen throughout this journey, but to cut a long story short, this is it.
On the other hand, a lab-grown diamond is formed under strict, highly-controlled conditions that simply exist to recreate the natural conditions of both pressure and temperatures. These conditions are, of course, created using human-made technology.
What’s the Difference?
Every single diamond in the world, regardless of whether it’s lab-grown or naturally formed, is different. In fact, from the outside and to someone untrained, diamonds will all look the same, but a trained eye, or one using magnification technology, will only then be able to tell the difference and see the flaws in the diamonds.
The main difference between the two types of diamonds is that lab-grown ones will have defects known as metallic inclusions. These are only visible through 10x magnification, and won’t be visible to the naked eye, and are formed because these diamonds are grown in a metallic solution, especially greenhouse-grown diamonds cut to incredible perfection.
Of course, naturally grown diamonds are not, which means they don’t have these inclusions, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. Instead, natural diamonds have defects like feathers, pinpoints, clouds in their clarity, and crystal areas. This is because natural pressures and conditions are never consistent, which means diamonds are all formed in different ways.
In both lab-grown and natural diamonds, you’ll rarely find a perfect, flawless diamond that’s free from defects and inclusions. These diamonds are then graded with a K to D grade depending on their colour, and this will determine the cost you will pay for them as a consumer, although diamonds can be treated to make them colourless.
The final difference, which may seem obvious, is that time span of creation. Lab-grown diamonds can be created relatively quickly, usually between 6 – 10 weeks. On the natural side, these diamonds can take millions of years to form, although they were probably formed around one to three billion years ago.
Summary
As you can see, there are several differences to be made aware of when it comes to buying diamonds that are lab-grown or naturally formed. While natural diamonds are worth more price-wise and by carat value, lab-grown are definitely not fake, and you can still include them in your search for the perfect gem.
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