A gem-quality diamond costs a lot to produce in a lab. Even so, it is still much less expensive than diamond mining. Did you realize that nearly every one of the diamonds extracted from mines fall short of the requirements for gem quality?
They still possess diamond-like qualities, but they fall short of the requirements for usage in jewelry. As a result, lab-grown diamonds are not as expensive as diamonds that are mined. This is due to the fact that all of the jewels produced in labs are jewelry grade. There just isn’t the surplus and waste of mined gems.
In reality, diamonds are neither rare nor made in a lab. One of the most common fallacies regarding gemstones in general is the rarity of diamonds. Avoid purchasing a diamond altogether if you wish to get a rare stone. There are many rare jewels on the market, but diamonds aren’t one of them.
If you must, search for really large naturally fancy colored gemstones, such as sapphires or pinks, or exceedingly uncommon, and expensive, extracted jewels larger than 5 carats.
It is true that the second-hand market for diamonds mined from deposits is older, smaller, and hence more “liquid” than the market with lab-created diamonds. Selling a diamond grown in a laboratory might therefore be more difficult than marketing a mined diamond. If you’re not looking to buy and immediately resell your stone, though, does it matter?
However, diamonds from mining are also not a reliable way to store value. If you want to know if someone who ever attempted to sell a gem was satisfied with the selling price they received, ask them. Diamonds often have a relatively low markup; thus they are not ideal investments.
For a variety of reasons, you might want to rethink your decision if you plan to purchase a gemstone, whether it was mined or produced in a lab. In order to extract a single diamond, several tons from earth must be moved, fossil fuels must be used, etc.
From an environmental point of view, diamond mining can be as environmentally unfriendly as you could possibly conceive.
The Benefits of Buying Laboratory-Created Diamonds
In three key areas, Man Made Diamonds are superior to mined ones.
Price
A lab-grown diamond costs less than one that is mined. How much so will depend on the size range you have in mind. However, when examining stones of similar grades, you may anticipate a price decrease of at least 30%.
Cut
The cut is one of the most important factors in determining a diamond’s value and aesthetic appeal. Compared to mined diamonds, lab-created diamonds typically have better cuts. Natural rough that has been mined could have irregular forms or have faults and inclusions in the minerals.
This could limit what the faceter can cut profitably. Wasted material is any rough that cannot be carved into a diamond. The production of lab-grown diamond rough is typically cleaner and less expensive because it forms under a controlled environment.
Faceters can therefore maximize the production or diameter of the polished gem with less restrictions and concessions to the cut. By using lab-grown rough, fewer resources are wasted and higher-quality diamonds can be cut.
Due to superior cutting, the finished gems typically perform optically better than cut diamonds from mining of the same size.
Size
If you purchase a lab-created diamond rather than a mined diamond, you can receive a better and larger diamond at a particular price point.
Consider a 1.45 carat mined diamond with the characteristics G, VS1, and hue. You could own the same size stone for about a third of that cost if you select a gemstone that was manmade.
The same guidelines apply to lab-created and mined diamonds when it pertains to assessing, choosing, and purchasing them. Your choice will be based on the four Cs: color, lucidity, cut, and carat.
Tips for Purchasing Jewelry with Lab-Grown Jewels
Lab-created jewels are sold in a variety of stores, both online and offline. In either instance, you should enlist the help of the jeweler who will actually create the finished jewelry design when buying the stone rather than buying an unset stone and getting it set later.
Beyond the 4 Cs, the jeweler can assist you with many more considerations. For instance:
- Which type of stone cutting will best suit your jewelry design?
- What girdle thickness is ideal for your diamond’s setting? Click here to learn more about girdle thickness.
- What metal and gemstone color combinations suit you and your concept the best?
- Will the color you actually see through your jewelry be affected by the fluorescence of the diamonds?
Some well-known internet merchants have chosen to only sell jewels that were mined from the earth.
Do laboratory diamonds have any value?
Even while diamonds produced in laboratories are not as uncommon and costly as jewels that are mined, they are still very pricey. Lab-grown stones are more affordable but still expensive stones because they cost a minimum of 30% beneath mined gemstones.
Do lab stones costs vary?
As technology advances and more lab diamonds are produced, lab created stone costs are falling. Companies had been able to increase production and lower pricing as increasing numbers of gemstone purchasers show an interest in lab-grown diamonds due to their lower price and ethically sound production processes.
Lab-grown diamonds: how much less expensive?
When comparing jewels of equal carat weight (https://www.gemsociety.org/article/what-carat-diamond-should-i-choose/), diamonds grown in laboratories are a minimum of 30% less expensive. Even while the procedure needs expensive machinery and cutting-edge technology, it still costs much less than transporting tons of Earth around the globe to extract genuine jewels.
Do lab-created diamonds have a market price?
Unfortunately, neither mined stones nor lab-grown diamonds often have a high market value.
It is important to choose a gemstone that fits your tastes and financial situation rather than undertaking an investment purchase because the majority of mined colorless stones have a substantially lower resale value.
