Creating a diamond requires intense heat and pressure. Lab grown diamonds are made with the same crystal structure and carbon atoms as natural diamonds, but produced by humans in a regulated lab as opposed to deep within Earth’s core.
If you’re shopping for a diamond engagement ring or other piece of diamond jewelry, you’re probably doing a lot of research: How do I get the best diamond for a great price? What type of band should I buy? Should I buy online or from a store?
These are all great, important questions! Chances are, if you’ve landed here, you also have this question on your mind: What is a lab grown diamond (also known as a man-made diamond, lab created diamond, or synthetic diamond), and how does it compare to a natural diamond? Join us in exploring lab grown diamonds vs. natural diamonds: What they are, where to find them, and how to best protect your investment.
How Do Natural Diamonds Form?
Deep within Earth’s mantle—about 100 miles or so below the surface—is where diamonds are formed. Creating a diamond requires intense heat and pressure. This part of the Earth meets both of these requirements, creating ideal conditions to facilitate a diamond’s formation. Nobody really knows a natural diamond’s exact origin story, but it’s thought that carbon dioxide trapped deep inside the Earth is responsible for the initial creation of the natural diamonds that are mined today.
We don’t have the tools to drill this deep into the Earth, so the diamonds that are naturally sourced are thought to have been pushed up to the surface of the Earth by a series of intense volcanic eruptions many, many years ago.
So What Makes a Lab Grown Diamond Different?
The only difference between a lab grown diamond and a natural diamond is where the diamond is created. A man-made diamond is created in a regulated lab rather than within the Earth’s surface, using technology that mimics how natural diamonds are formed. Many people wonder whether lab grown diamonds are real diamonds, and the answer is YES! Man-made diamonds have the same chemical, physical, and visual properties as diamonds found in nature.
Is One Diamond Better than the Other?
When it comes to lab grown diamonds vs. natural diamonds, a lot of people wonder which option is better. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of lab created diamonds (LBG).
Pros of LBG
- Lab grown diamonds are generally 20-30% less expensive than natural diamonds, in part because creating a diamond in a lab takes fewer people than mining it. By purchasing a diamond grown in a lab, you’re essentially cutting out the middleman that comes with the diamond mining process.
- Lab made diamonds are just as beautiful as natural diamonds.
- Lab grown diamonds are eco-friendly: Diamond mining creates an incredible amount of mineral waste and disturbs nearly 100 square feet of land to mine just ONE diamond.
- Lab-created diamonds are ethically sourced: The mining of natural diamonds has a complicated history. Purchasing a lab grown diamond guarantees that your diamond is conflict-free and ethically sourced. (We recommend purchasing natural diamonds from companies that guarantee conflict-free natural diamonds.)
- Lab-grown diamonds are graded with the 4 C’s – cut, color, clarity, and carat – just like natural diamonds.
Cons of LBG
A lab grown diamond may not hold its resale value like natural diamonds, and could depreciate over time. Because natural diamonds are becoming more difficult to mine, their value continues to appreciate—they’re also more than 3.3 billion years old, making them incredibly special and one-of-a-kind! In the end, neither of these diamonds is better than the other—it just depends on what works best for you and your budget and lifestyle.
Where Can I Buy a Lab Grown Diamond?
There are an increasing number of jewelers selling lab created diamond engagement rings, loose lab grown diamonds, and other man-made diamond jewelry products. In fact, many of our retailer partners are experts in this area, especially Clean Origin and Rogers & Hollands. A quick search online will lead you to these retailers, plus you’ll benefit from immediate protection with engagement ring insurance through Zillion.
At Zillion, we offer outstanding jewelry insurance policies for both lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds. Our fast and easy quote process, comprehensive diamond engagement ring insurance coverage, and concierge claims service ensure that your engagement and wedding rings are always protected, no matter where in the world you may roam.
Get your free Zillion quote today and discover the difference engagement ring insurance with better coverage, transparency, and ease makes. When you protect your engagement ring with a Zillion insurance policy, you don’t just wear your jewelry—you wear it with confidence!
