Most people should now be well aware that there are lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds. But does one have more value over the other? If lab grown diamonds are made artificially, then why do they still have such high value?
In order to understand why lab grown diamonds are still considered valuable, it is good to learn the processes on how they are first created, and understand the demand for lab grown diamonds. Understanding the brilliant science behind how lab grown diamonds are one of the reasons why people are having such a sudden appeal to them. Some folks claim that the processes behind creating synthetic diamonds is proof that mankind is truly amazing and is in a constant state of progression.
Lab grown diamonds are used for a wide variety of things not just including jewellery. They can be used for industrial purposes, audio equipment, medical environments and technology. But most importantly, the famous sparkle of these diamonds is best found on a ring of your beloved. Let’s take a closer look at lab grown diamonds.
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?
To put it simply, yes – lab grown diamonds are recognised as real diamonds.
It is pretty much impossible to be able to spot the difference between natural diamonds and man made diamonds. The chemical properties of a lab grown diamond are virtually identical to diamonds that are obtained from deep within the Earth.
There is one big difference between the two. Natural diamonds are diamonds that are formed organically underground in a process that can take millions or billions of years, with high amounts of pressure and heat. Volcanic activity then brings the natural diamonds to a higher surface, ready to be mined, cut and polished.
Although it may not have been the case from the start, people have fully accepted the value of lab grown diamonds and various organisations and grading systems acknowledge the power that these diamonds hold.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Created?
Lab grown diamonds are created in a few processes, but the most common is the HPHT method, and the CVD method.
The HPHT method involves using a tiny diamond “seed”. The seed gets placed onto a piece of carbon. The carbon then gets heated and pressured, which will then melt the carbon and form a diamond around the diamond seed. Afterwards, the lab grown diamond gets cooled down. This whole process can take a while and needs to be heavily monitored, but in comparison to natural forming diamonds – it is literally the smallest fraction of time!
The CVD method is newer, and also starts with an initial diamond seed. The seed is placed into a chamber and then heated with gases that are rich in carbon. Then, the gases get ionised into plasma using tactics that are similar to using lasers or microwaves (talk about rocket science). After a while, and to avoid an overly scientific explanation, pure carbon will start to stick onto the initial seed. Thus, this process has just created a new diamond. Other treatments may be used after this, to add some better effects.
What Are Lab Grown Diamonds For?
The most obvious reason lab grown diamonds are even created in the first place is that they can be used in creating things like solitaire engagement rings, and other forms of high-end jewellery. Compared to finding and mining diamonds naturally, creating diamonds in a lab takes a much shorter amount of time. In a lot of cases, lab grown diamonds are also cheaper in obtaining compared to natural diamonds.
Lab-grown diamonds, as mentioned earlier before, are not just for jewellery though. Diamonds can be used in all sorts of things like machinery and technology. This is because they are one of the hardest materials to ever exist, and are used for precision industrial-related things.
People also like lab grown diamonds because they are cheaper to purchase than organic diamonds. Obviously, this is due to the reduced labour costs, cutting and polishing, etc.
Lab grown diamonds have become more and more of a common occurrence in custom diamond engagement rings, because of their affordability.
What Makes Lab Grown Diamonds Valuable?
Lab grown diamonds are valuable because they are diamonds. One thing to note however is that lab grown diamonds are going to be cheaper than natural diamonds. This is because natural diamonds are more scarce than lab diamonds, obviously due to the limited supply of diamonds that are underground.
But again, after all, lab diamonds have the same physical properties of natural diamonds and it is impossible to spot the difference between the two with the naked eye.
Since these synthetic diamonds look and feel the same, you will find them used in the same types of jewellery. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, you name it – if natural diamonds were used then you can surely expect synthetic diamonds to be used.
One thing to note is that the resale value of a lab grown diamond is still going to exist, but in some circumstances, it may be less than the resale value of a natural diamond. Typically, you should probably avoid looking at lab grown diamonds as an “investment”.
Other Reasons People Like Lab Grown Diamonds
There is somewhat of a futuristic appeal that can explain why lab grown diamonds have seen such a spike in popularity.
Despite being around since the 1950s, lab grown diamonds have started to see a trend in popularity in recent years. This is mainly attributed to the fact that lab grown diamonds can be cheaper to produce and to purchase, as well as being a benefit to climate change.
Some people are not too fussed with whether or not a diamond is “real” or not. The concept of a diamond being created by machinery in a laboratory environment sounds high tech and is another reason why a large chunk of the younger generation seem to adore these diamonds.
Conclusion
So, to answer the question “How are lab grown diamonds valuable?” It is because they have the same physical properties and makeup of a regular diamond that can be found underground. If you were to give a natural diamond and a synthetic diamond to a jeweller, they would simply just not be able to distinguish the difference between the two with the naked eye.
Equipment is needed to closely inspect the precious little gemstone to find an inscription. Inscriptions can be found on lab created diamonds, which states that they have been synthetically made. Without this inscription, it would be very difficult in order to tell the two apart.
Although the processes involved in making lab-grown diamonds is very different to natural diamonds and only take a fraction of the time, various organisations agree that lab-grown diamonds are just as “real” as natural diamonds.
Engagement ring designers love using both natural and man made diamonds because they are just as easy to craft with. Since natural diamonds are like gold and have a limited supply, they will usually come at a higher price.
Lab grown diamonds are also useful for industrial purposes too, because they do not need to spend more money on miners and labourers to extract the stones from the earth.
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by Australian Diamond Brokers : August 22nd 2022 Come visit our store or browse our website to find out more.