A Lab Grown Diamond Ring Guide: What Are the Advantages?

In your search for the perfect diamond ring for that special someone in your life, whether it’s for a proposal or otherwise, you have likely come across the difference between natural and lab-grown diamond rings.

Beautiful, timeless, and valuable, diamonds are forever, as they say, but you may be wondering if it’s worth buying a natural diamond, or if there are any legitimate reasons to purchase a lab-grown diamond ring instead of going the traditional route with a natural diamond.

The fact of the matter is that, while it’s not necessarily black and white, lab-grown diamonds hold their allure. There are indelible advantages and selling points of both natural and lab grown diamonds (sometimes referred to as LGDs). This short post will take a closer look at some of the relative advantages of the latter.

First Off, What Is a Lab Grown Diamond?

Before we dive into the relative advantages and appeal of lab grown diamond rings, first we need to explore what is meant by the term in the first place.

Natural diamonds are produced (as the name suggests) naturally, deep inside the earth, under enormous pressure and heat. It also takes a long time for natural diamonds to form. In the earth’s crust, it can take billions of years to form, and most natural diamonds are between 1 and 3 billion years old, making them among the oldest minerals on earth.

Lab-grown diamonds, by contrast, are produced in a laboratory under conditions simulating those which form natural diamonds. Special equipment is used to exert high heat and pressure on carbon atoms so that they form the same physical structure as natural diamonds.

There are two main processes used to form lab-grown diamonds, which are the HPHT, or “high pressure high temperature” process, and a separate one known as CVD, or “chemical vapor deposition.” Both are much faster than natural processes and can form a lab-grown diamond in 3 to 4 weeks.

Though they are produced synthetically, lab-grown diamonds are physically and chemically indistinguishable from “real” diamonds, with real in quotes because as a matter of mineralogy, lab-grown diamonds are still diamonds. They are just manmade rather than naturally occurring.

There are also some significant potential advantages that make lab-grown diamond jewelry appealing to certain buyers, which we will now explore.

Why Some Consider Lab Grown Diamond Rings Better

1. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds

As mentioned, lab grown diamonds are real, chemically and physically, they simply aren’t produced naturally in the earth. This fact alone makes lab-grown diamond rings particularly attractive to some buyers.

2. They’re effectively indistinguishable to the naked eye

Even were it not for the fact that lab-grown diamonds are technically real diamonds, there is the fact to consider that it is effectively impossible to tell a lab-grown diamond apart from its naturally occurring counterpart.

A trained jeweler with a loupe will be likely to spot the difference between a naturally-occurring diamond and one that was produced in a lab, but here the irony only intensifies. The only significant material difference between natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds is that the latter are more perfect.

Literally, that is. The main difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds is that the latter have small imperfections in their crystal structure, which are called inclusions.

Ironically, lab-grown diamonds are actually more perfect than those that occur naturally.

3. They’re effectively flawless

The fire of a natural diamond is utterly a thing of beauty, and nothing can match it, except perhaps the beauty of a lab grown diamond. Remember, lab-grown diamonds are effectively without imperfection, and as a result, they produce the same fire as natural diamonds.

Moreover, since they are produced synthetically, you can get exactly the color and clarity that you want.

4. Lab grown diamond rings are available in all the same cuts and settings as “traditional” rings

Even though the round brilliant cut is one of the most popular styles for engagement rings, since lab-grown diamonds are produced according to desired specifications, they are available in all of the same sizes, cuts, and clarities as natural diamonds.

For you, that means no matter what you’re looking for, you can find it in a collection of lab-grown diamond rings like ours. We carry rings set with round-cut diamonds, as well as emerald, princess, pear, oval and cushion-cut diamonds.

5. Ethical appeal and potential sustainability impacts

There are also some potential ethical and environmental concerns associated with diamond mining. Depending on where they are sourced, the mining of diamonds may involve deforestation and considerable damage to local habitats. On top of that, diamond mining involves the removal of substantial quantities of soil and rock from the surrounding area, which may further disrupt the local ecosystem. In addition, local waterways may become polluted through mining activity.

The ethical concerns largely surround the use of labor and the conditions under which the miners work. Miners may face long hours in unsafe conditions for very low pay, and in addition, there are concerns of child labor abuses in the diamond mining industry.

For these reasons, the diamonds we use are JVC-compliant. That said, lab-grown diamonds are a viable alternative since they are not mined.

6. The impact on cost

At the end of the day, one of the biggest reasons that some buyers are attracted to lab-grown diamond rings as opposed to natural diamonds is that they are more affordable. Though they don’t generally appreciate in value like natural diamonds, they are usually associated with lower purchase costs, which is another considerable benefit of investing in lab-grown options.

Discover Lab Grown Diamond Rings in Our Collection

Whether you’re interested in natural or lab-grown diamond rings and other jewelry, Mikado Diamonds offers a stunning variety of options in terms of cut, color, clarity and size, along with beautiful moissanite jewelry in unique settings, in platinum as well as in yellow, white and rose gold.

Immerse yourself in a world of exquisite and peerless jewelry; there’s a real gem waiting for you to discover it here for that special someone in your life.