What is a lab-grown diamond?
WHAT IS A LAB GROWN DIAMOND?
A diamond is fascinating, mysterious, dazzling, eternal. The utmost precious stone of all.
Recently a new diamond made its appearance, the lab grown diamond. Since its creation, the lab grown diamond has disrupted the world of jewelry. Several key opinion leaders and personalities took a stand and associated themselves with this revolution.
Lab grown diamonds raise many questions: Is lab grown diamond a real diamond? Do lab grown diamonds and mined diamonds have the same value? What is the difference between a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond?
Let’s uncover all the secrets this precious stone holds.
1. First things first, what is a diamond?
A diamond is a precious stone, the only gem made of a single element: carbon.
This carbon structure is formed under specific high temperature and pressure conditions. These conditions are naturally found deep underground, 150-250 km under the surface of the earth.
Diamond is the most brilliant gem, thanks to its optical properties. It is also the hardest known natural material. That explains why the name diamond takes its root from ancient Greek, meaning “untameable”.
The most renowned precious stone in jewellery, a diamond can be the symbol of your endless love for your partner, or the mirror of your personality. At Loyal.e, we decided to imagine our creations using exclusively this magnificent gem. Mindful of traceability, ethical and environmental practices, we chose to offer only lab grown diamonds. Here is why.
2. What is a lab grown diamond?
A lab grown diamond (also referred to as cultured diamond) is a diamond that was grown in a laboratory.
A lab grown diamond is simply a diamond.
Nowadays thanks to cutting-edge technology, diamond laboratories can reproduce the specific conditions needed to grow a majestic diamond employing the most advanced technology and responsible manufacturing practices. Labs build innovative machinery to create an environment of extremely high pressure and temperature conducive to diamond formation.
Thanks to this revolutionary innovation, a lab grown diamond holds the same optical, physical and chemical properties as a mined diamond.
Due to the undoubtful fact that lab grown diamonds are chemically identical to mined diamonds, the Federal Trade Commission changed the official definition of a diamond in July 2018 and withdrew the term “natural”, to include both lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds.
Lab-grown but no less unpredictable, there can never be two identical diamonds. Diamonds, lab grown and mined, are certified and graded using the same process. Evaluated using the traditional 4Cs, a flawless lab grown diamond is as scarce as a mined diamond. Diamonds, lab-grown and mined, are both officially certified by the globally recognized certification bodies such as IGI (International Gemological Institute) or GIA (Gemological Institute of America).
According to Stephen Morisseau, spokesman for the GIA, “From our perspective, lab grown diamonds are diamonds. They’re not fakes. They’re not cubic zirconias. They have all the same physical and chemical properties of a mined diamond.”
3. What is the difference between a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond?
If a lab grown diamond holds the same properties as a mined diamond, then what is the difference between a lab grown and a mined diamond?
Their origin. Their ethics. Their environmental impact. Their traceability. Their price.
Their origin
Mined diamonds form deep beneath the surface. Their extraction requires mining and digging holes in the Earth or in the oceans. Lab grown diamonds are grown in laboratories above the ground.
Their human impact
The mined diamond industry came under scrutiny recently, unveiling several unethical practices, beyond what we call blood or conflict diamonds.
Their environmental impact
Mining involves a highly polluting extraction process and is one of the major causes of deforestation. A lab grown diamond requires seven times less water and produces twenty times less CO2 than a mined diamond of the same quality. Some laboratories go the extra-mile on sustainability. At Loyal.e, all our diamonds are directly sourced and certified climate neutral.
Their traceability
A mined diamond goes through 10 to 15 middlemen from its extraction to your hands, inflating its final price and making complete traceability very difficult. Lab grown diamond sourcing can be direct from the laboratory and can therefore guarantee full traceability.
Their price
By cutting all the middlemen in the supply chain, the final price of a lab grown diamond is 40% less expensive than a mined diamond of the same quality. At Loyal.e, we directly source our stones from diamond laboratories certified climate-neutral and employing the most advanced technology and responsible manufacturing practices, securing the finest quality of diamonds at the best price.
4. What is the quality of a lab grown diamond?
The quality of a diamond directly impacts its value.
Diamond quality is rigorously measured by the universal grading system also known as the 4Cs: Carat, Colour, Clarity and Cut.
Each diamond – whether it is mined or lab-grown – is assessed according to the 4Cs universal grading system.
Discover our Diamond Guide to learn more about the 4Cs and make an informed choice when choosing your diamond.
5. Why would you choose a lab grown diamond?
When choosing a Loyal.e lab grown diamond, you are assured to get the finest quality of diamonds, grown ethically and sustainably, with full traceability. Your diamond shines without any compromise.
Mysterious, dazzling, eternal, each stone is unique and rare, inspiring and fascinating those who look upon it.
Our designs enhance the splendour and fire of our diamonds, so that each stone is unforgettably yours.
