Lab Grown Diamonds

[LaMarschallin]

A poster has started a thread about whether or not to buy a diamond ring.
The diamonds are lab grown and a few people have said things like "That's a lot for a fake diamond" (my italics).
Didn't want to derail that thread with my question, but I want to get some diamond stud earrings and have been considering lab grown - basically because I'd get more bang for my buck (or carat for my cash, if you will).
I appreciate they aren't exactly the same as mined diamonds, but thought that they'd at least be superior in appearance to, say, CZ.
What are people's thoughts/experiences with lab grown stones?
I noted that they had been talked about as better for the environment than mined diamonds which I liked the idea of, but must admit that my main reason for considering them was price rather than ethics

Lab grown diamonds are not 'fake'. They are still diamonds - they're simply not comparable to CZ or another gemstone being passed off as a diamond, in exactly the same way as mined ones aren't.

They have exactly the same carbon structure as mined diamonds, and they cannot be differentiated by the naked eye unlike other gemstones. The only real difference in terms of structure is that mined diamonds generally have small deposits of nitrogen (ie defects) which can be seen with a microscope, which lab grown won't develop. You, and everyone that sees your earrings, could not tell whether they are lab grown or mined.

For the price, you get a bigger diamond, with better colour and clarity, that you can confidently say has not been sourced unethically...but people would rather pay more for a inferior product with a potentially extremely questionable ethical background just because it came out of the ground and is therefore 'special'? More fool them.

Get the lab grown diamonds and if you're embarrassed, just don't specific my they're lab grown. No one will know unless you tell them.

*specify

I love my mined diamond engagement ring, because it's my engagement ring and is special. However if I could go back five years - I would probably have advised DH to go for lab grown, they look identical to the naked eye and are really cost effective.

I'm currently looking for a tennis bracelet, going lab grown 100%! Looks great, costs aren't as wild and it's more ethical. If I can make a choice that's cheaper, good for people and looks identical it makes sense to me.

Honestly I thought lab grown was just a nicer way of saying CZ but after reading PP I'm absolutely sold. Why pay more for ethically dodgy, potentially less perfect diamonds just because some poor bugger had to mine them?

BreastedBoobilyToTheStairs
Thank you! What you've said is exactly what I've understood from looking into them online. Just started to doubt this when I read about "fake" diamonds on the other thread.
I'd like earrings with a combined weight of 0.5 to 1 carat and, realistically, they would have to be lab grown to fit my budget.
In a fantasy life, it would be lovely to go to Tiffany's and get them because, you know: Tiffany's! But (to answer Queen): this is the real life, this isn't just fantasy...
Am also delighted to have an opportunity to "speak" to you as I've often noticed, and appreciated, your username.

dietcokelime
A tennis bracelet! Now, there's an idea too. I had coffee with a friend yesterday who was wearing one and it did look really nice.

Swiftbushome

Honestly I thought lab grown was just a nicer way of saying CZ

Yes - I had wondered if that's what posters on the other thread thought and I thought that perhaps I'd misunderstood, but it seems not.

They are the same structurally only they haven't used poorly paid people to mine in dangerous conditions. They are ethically superior. It's a mindset to regard them as fake or inferior.

They’re real diamonds. There is some weird snobbery about lab grown.
Like a PP I have a mined diamond engagement ring - but would definitely consider lab grown if I was getting one now. They weren’t really a thing when I got my engagement ring.

I think they are ethically far superior, and much more environmentally sustainable. What it costs the natural environment to dig up diamonds is horrifying. They are also impossible to tell apart from mined diamonds with the naked eye. If I was buying diamonds (sadly not in my price range at the moment, but a girl can dream), I would absolutely be buying lab grown.

A genuine question, will the lab diamonds be made faster and have more output than the mined ones? Is it not the rarity that defines the value and not the structure? I probably sound a right old daft head.

@LaMarschallin that's very kind of you to say! Hello!

I absolutely know what you mean (it just shows how good their flipping marketing is!), but I couldn't be more thrilled with my definitely non-Tiffany's, lab-grown engagement ring, which I still get fairly regular, lovely compliments about. I just don't mention it's lab-grown to people I know will be snobby about it, and no-one has asked.

I hope you do buy your earrings and thoroughly enjoy them with a completely guilt free conscience (both in terms of ethics and spend!)

Now, off to look for a lab-grown tennis bracelet to gaze at longingly...

Honestly I thought lab grown was just a nicer way of saying CZ

I think a lot of people do still think that because we've had so many years of CZ, glass, moissanite and other clear gems being marketed as 'affordable diamond equivalents' rather than just as the gems they are, so it's a natural assumption. I certainly thought the same.

They all absolutely have their place and are lovely as they are, but some of them (looking at you, CZ...) don't even have carbon in their structure, so they're nothing like actual diamonds. They're just clear and sparkly, but they sparkle differently if you know what you're looking for.

I have lab grown diamond earrings. They are so sparkly, much much more sparkly than any diamond I could afford. I prefer lab grown diamonds.

They are grown in the same way as diamonds, you take carbon and squeeze. The process is just speeded up by a million or so years.

I've told DP if we he ever wants to buy me diamonds, or if I buy them myself, I'm going lab grown all the way. Can't see why you wouldn't and you get way more for your money and quite frankly I'm all about the bling.

I have mined stones in my engagement and wedding rings.

On the hunt for an eternity ring and absolutely thrilled about the sparkle I can get for similar budget if I go lab grown (I don't think DH has secretly decided to up his planned spend).

Wouldn't think twice about going lab grown now.

Absolutely, same here.

A genuine question, will the lab diamonds be made faster and have more output than the mined ones? Is it not the rarity that defines the value and not the structure? I probably sound a right old daft head.

I am also wondering this!

Current diamond value is based on the market that's been owned / influenced by De Beers and similar for years! Like Rolex / Hermes, they control the flow of diamonds to the market and therefore control the prices and availability.

Value is partly based on that, also they use the four Cs to manipulate price based on the quality too! It also costs money to run mines, export and finish diamonds too, which is all built into the price.

I think lab grown diamonds are will end up being way more readily available, and becoming the norm - especially as it's taken the millions of years part out of the natural diamond process!

My jeweller said she thinks lab grown will grow in popularity and lessen in price as they flood the market, naturally grown diamonds will hold value as long as they're good ones (in terms of clarity / cut / colour / carat) but people will buy them less (perhaps similar to Rolex, people who want the brand name and have the cash buy them, people who don't buy less expensive versions from other brands).

Not daft at all!

It's the marketing that defines the value, not the rarity. Diamonds aren't exactly super rare at the sizes being used for ordinary jewellery - rubies and sapphires (I'm fairly sure) are rarer than diamonds, but are cheaper. Diamonds have just had an exceptional and prolonged marketing campaign which has inflated their worth because people associate bigger diamond with more love/value in their relationship.

The reason we talk about structure is to be clear that they aren't 'fake' diamonds. They're real, just with a different origin.

In terms of value now, yes, as lab-production means they can be mass produced, lab-grown are cheaper and don't tend to hold resale value as well, which is pushed by jewellers as a reason to buy mined, but if you're buying it to wear, not as an investment you intend to sell, then that shouldn't make a difference. As the years go on and lab-grown become more widely spread, we'll see how they disrupt the diamond market overall. If it means diamonds become no more 'special' than other gems, so be it.

It’s a bit like deciding that a farmed salmon isn’t actually salmon. Or a farmed carrot isn’t really a carrot.

There may still be environmental issues with the manufacturing process for lab grown diamonds. Or with the labour conditions. It’s an energy intensive process and any employment sector can find ways to be exploitative. But mining is likely to be worse in both environmental and social terms.

It is possibly worth looking into where the diamond came from and how it was produced regardless. Just saying ‘it’s a fake diamond’ is definitely not going to be the issue.

Tbh, mined diamonds don’t hold much bloody resale value either. Anyone who
has tried to sell an engagement ring knows that people are much less keen on second-hand engagement rings.

That’s all about that incredibly effective marketing campaign too. If a big, shiny diamond is a symbol of how perfect your love is, then second hand knew must be ‘tainted’ with divorce and failure.

I'm waiting for my lab-grown diamond solitaire necklace to be made and delivered, I was going to get my 1.25 real diamond engagement ring stone re-set, (I don't wear it and its 30 years old) however I'm fairly certain I would lose it on a necklace, so have gone for a 1.16 lab-grown. I've used a company called 'Compare the Diamond'

I'll let you know how it goes if you like?

@BreastedBoobilyToTheStairs is that definitely true regarding internal flaws? I always thought the same but when researching buying one it seems they use the same grading as mined diamond for clarity which wouldn’t make sense if all lab diamonds are internally flawless.

Also interested to hear whether anyone has compared whether there is any difference in the sparkle between lab/mined diamonds in real life? From videos I’ve looked it lab diamonds do see to refract light differently (less sparkly, although I never clean my ring anyway so maybe it doesn’t make a difference).

Any recommendations for a jeweller selling lab grown diamonds - am looking for a wedding and eternity ring?

We upgraded my engagement ring and I chose lab grown. I love it very sparkly and more ethical.

I’ve got both and nobody can tell the difference. If I’m going out for a drink/festival/holiday I take my “fake” jewellery. I won’t care if it gets lost.

Earrings I always lose anyway, so I would never pay a fortune for them. I get them from QVC the Diamonique range. Mostly wear a basic stud.

@Hrf1503 the cut is probably going to make the biggest difference to sparkle.