I’m very happy that for some time now I can offer lab grown diamonds to interested customers.
Lab grown diamonds have the same aesthetic, chemical and physical qualities as natural diamonds. Yet they come without the subject of conflict and the harmful influence on the environment and the people working in it.
Lab grown diamonds are currently high in demand due to several reasons:
- sustainability for the environment
- guaranteed traceable origin
- 100% real diamonds
- 100% free of conflict
- low CO2 and water usage during the production
- fair prices in comparison to diamonds from mines
- nearly all colours and cuts are possible
Are lab grown diamonds real?
A question that is asked over and over again: the answer is definitely yes. They have the same chemical structure, the same fire and physical hardness, which makes them such a popular gemstone. They even upstage mined diamonds in hardness and clarity.
It doesn’t matter if you call them artificial diamonds, lab diamonds, synthetic diamonds or cultivated diamonds, they are 100% real and cannot be distinguished from the naturally grown counterparts in the chemical, physical or looks department.
What’s the difference between natural and lab grown Diamonds?
The difference lies solely in the origin. Natural diamonds develop in the depths of the earth under extreme geological conditions like high pressure and heat. Lab grown Diamonds are created by means of supervised high-tec processes in a laboratory.
The extraction of Diamonds from the earth, like in any mining industry, has a high demand in resources. Where rich mineral resources promise high profits, the price is paid by the environment, the animal world and the population. The mining of Diamonds receives a lot of criticism due to the destruction of habitat, threat to several animal species and the pollution of water.
That’s why the “Kimberly“-process was introduced; it enables traceability of the stone and ensures adequate working conditions. Naturally, it is of great concern to us to buy all our natural gemstones from qualified traders who operate in a conflict-free environment and work as resource-friendly as possible.
Creation of diamonds in a laboratory
Just like in nature, it also takes extreme measures to create a diamond in the laboratory; enormous pressure and very high temperatures are needed. This supervised and controlled procedure is undertaken in specialized labs to enable the natural development of a diamond. The two most common procedures go under the term HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition), also known as LPHT (low pressure, high temperature).
During the HPHT-procedure, the diamond crystals are cultivated through the simultaneous suspension to high pressure and high temperature, just as seen in nature. When going with the LPHT or CVD-procedure, the diamond comes to being in a vacuum chamber. Under high temperature, the separate carbon atoms accumulate to the stone sprout until the desired diamond size is achieved.
It takes several weeks to months to create a raw diamond, depending on the procedure. Just like the ones extracted from a mine, they will then come into the hands of experienced stone cutters to be artistically transformed into a sparkling gemstone.
Compared to the extraction of diamonds in the mining industry, only a fraction of the energy and resources are used during the highly specialized manufacturing process in a lab. There is also no risk of polluting the drinking water reservoir.
As is done with diamonds from the mines, the quality of the lab diamonds are categorized under the criteria of the 4C’s: carat (carat weight), colour, clarity and cut. For more info, check out the blog post “Diamonds-the 4 C’s and what they mean”.
Engagement rings with lab grown diamonds
As the rings are a symbol of love, many people abstain from luxury goods that come with a negatively afflicted history. Engagement rings with fair lab grown diamonds are a beautiful representation of the love shared between two people. We think it’s wonderful that we can enjoy the magical sparkle of a diamond or brilliant stone in a resource-friendly alternative to the ones extracted from the mines. We are happy to offer our customers an option that is sustainable and free of conflict. Thanks to the fair pricing structure of lab grown diamonds, you can choose a bigger stone with the same level of quality and clarity, so the fire of the stone can stand out even more.
We are passionate about creating your individual piece of jewelry with your desired diamond and would be happy to welcome you to an individual consultation in our studio at Spiegelgasse 25.