Natural versus Lab Grown Diamonds

Jessica Jewellery does not advocate for lab grown diamonds. Our finished jewellery available for sale online is all made using real, natural, earth-mined stones. 

 

What is a lab-grown diamond? What is a natural diamond? 

A lab grown diamond also goes by other names, including: manufactured diamonds, man-made diamonds, synthetic diamonds, etc. 

A diamond, according to its definition, is natural, meaning created from this earth. When a diamond is not labelled, we assume it is natural. Diamonds were formed on earth billions of years ago, from carbon, and it is the hardest known substance on earth. Every diamond is unique, and no two are alike.

A lab grown diamond is a product made in a laboratory, or factory, and it takes about 2-3 weeks to produce. Lab grown diamonds share the same chemical properties as a natural diamond but their origins are drastically different.  

Why do people purchase a lab grown diamond instead of a natural diamond?

In my experience, it is often due to the misconception that they are the same (they’re not), and to achieve a certain size at a more attractive price point. Most people want a big diamond, and lab grown stones can facilitate that, at much more cost-friendly prices.

Some people also believe that lab grown diamonds are more environmentally friendly, more ethically produced, and therefore more sustainable than natural diamonds.

Lab grown diamonds are often purchased for cost reasons. 

Do lab-grown diamonds differ in quality compared to natural diamonds?

Yes and no. As the name suggests, lab-grown diamonds are made in a lab. You can order whatever quality you want! Since the price is so low, many people opt for top-quality stones, since they can. Why wouldn’t they?!

Natural diamonds are each so unique. Different quality options are available, but we cannot create what we want, because this is how the stone is naturally made. Just like lab-grown diamonds, however, there are plenty of choices in terms of quality. 

How do the prices differ?

Just like other commodities, when something is rare, and of finite supply, the price goes up! When something is abundant, easy and inexpensive to produce, the cost is lower! 

Natural diamonds are billions of years old, and they retain their value from being so precious, literally. They are also more difficult to extract from this earth, unlike a lab-grown diamond which uses technology to produce within a couple of weeks. 

Lab grown diamonds are very inexpensive, and the prices are based on the cost of producing them. As technology continues to become more advanced and efficient, the costs to produce them continues to decline. As the production costs decline, so do the selling prices.

Natural diamonds, on the other hand, are limited in supply, and therefore have actually retained their value fairly well over the years. In fact, they do continue to get more expensive as the supply continues to shrink. 

 

Do lab grown diamonds have any resale value?

They do not.

 

Are lab-grown diamonds more ethical than natural diamonds?

There is the misconception that natural diamonds are extracted in an unethical way. While Hollywood did a great job creating the entertaining movie, Blood Diamond, it does not accurately depict the diamond industry as it is today. In 2003, The Kimberley Process was established and mandated to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain. 

 

Are lab-grown diamonds more environmentally friendly and sustainable than natural diamonds?

Today, leading natural diamond companies have done a great job at reducing CO2 and recycling water used in diamond recovery. 

While claiming to be more environmentally friendly, lab grown diamond manufacturers have to use an immense amount of electricity to recreate the conditions required for diamond production. 

Do lab grown diamonds look the same as natural diamonds?

Admittedly, yes, they do look very, very similar when looking at them under normal conditions (i.e. day to day).

However, when using specialized equipment, gemologists can detect the difference between a natural diamond and a lab grown diamond.

Are lab grown diamonds different from natural diamonds in terms of quality?

Yes and no. The quality of the diamond refers to the cut, clarity and colour. In other words, how clear, bright and shiny the diamond is. 

Manufacturers create lab grown diamonds, so they tend to create very high quality stones. Why wouldn’t they? The costs of production are the same, so why not create a top quality diamond?

Natural diamonds are formed in the earth. While many different quality combinations exist, we ultimately cannot create whatever we’re looking for, because it has to exist on this earth. 

The beauty of working with natural diamonds is that we can find these gems (no pun intended) which are beautifully cut, rare stones. Jessica Jewellery specializes in hand picking value-oriented diamonds. These are diamonds with beautiful everyday sparkle and shine, that often look better than their quality grading.

 

Can the diamonds break?

Everything can be damaged, lab grown or not. While natural diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, they too can be chipped or cracked under harsh conditions. The same goes for lab grown diamonds. 

 

What are lab grown diamonds made out of?

Lab grown diamonds are made from carbon, just like natural diamonds in terms of their physical and chemical properties. This is done in a factory in a matter of weeks, while natural diamonds are formed over billions of years. 

 

Do lab grown diamonds hold their value?

Absolutely not. 

The pricing of lab grown diamonds continues to decline year after year. As technology advances, the production process becomes more efficient, and the costs go down, as well as the prices. 

Why does Jessica Jewellery stay away from lab grown diamonds?

Jessica Jewellery is built on the principles of trust, exceptional service, and a pricing and quality guarantee. We feel that lab grown diamonds do not align with our values. 

We are skeptical of selling lab grown diamonds, in good faith, to a client, knowing that their pricing continues to decline year after year.

We feel that lab grown diamonds are truly not the same, and we have built a reputation for hand picking beautiful diamonds for our clients.