Lab vs. Natural Diamonds: What You Need to Know
A New Era of Diamonds: Sustainable, Affordable, and Stunning
When searching for that next piece of diamond brilliance in your life, or for that special someone, one of the first things you may encounter is the choice between naturally occurring diamonds, or lab-grown ones. Making the decision about which is best for you, is not an easy task however we are here to help guide you through what you need to know.
Diamonds have long been favoured for their brilliance, durability, and status as a symbol of love and luxury. However, traditional diamond mining has raised concerns about environmental impact, ethical sourcing, and high costs. In response, lab-grown diamonds have emerged as an innovative and more affordable alternative, offering the same dazzling appeal without the associated drawbacks. With technological advancements making them more accessible and affordable, lab-grown diamonds are gaining traction as a sustainable and responsible choice for modern jewellery shoppers.
So what exactly is a lab-grown diamond?
While lab-grown and natural diamonds share the same physical and chemical properties, they differ in origin and formation time. Natural diamonds take millions to billions of years to form under extreme geological conditions, whereas lab-grown diamonds can be produced within just a few weeks.
If you want to get technical, there are two main methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
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HPHT method mimics the intense heat and pressure found deep within the Earth's mantle, transforming carbon into a crystalline diamond structure.
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CVD process, involves placing a diamond seed in a chamber filled with carbon-rich gases. When heated, these gases break down, allowing carbon atoms to accumulate layer by layer, forming a diamond.
The bottom line is, both methods produce diamonds that are chemically, physically, and visually identical to their naturally-occurring counterparts.
Why are lab-grown diamonds cheaper?
As we just learnt, lab-grown diamonds are compositionally identical to the ones that come out of the ground and as an added bonus, in some cases up to 40 per-cent cheaper.
It might sound obvious but the reason is simple, and primarily due to the more efficient and scalable production process. Traditional diamond mining involves extensive exploration, extraction, and labor-intensive operations, all of which contribute to the higher costs for consumers. In contrast, lab-grown diamonds are produced in controlled environments, eliminating the need for costly infrastructure and big supply chains.
Can lab-grown diamonds come in different varieties?
Just like natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds come in a variety of cuts, colours, and sizes including classic white, fancy yellow, blue and pink, depending on the elements introduced during the growing process. With technological advancements, lab-grown diamonds are becoming increasingly diverse, offering consumers a broad spectrum of choices to suit their style and budget.
How can we help?
There’s so much more to the beauty of lab-grown diamonds, and here at Paddington Jeweller we have you covered.
Here’s just some examples of beautiful pieces we have available:
Check this show-stopper out. Seriously beautiful, this classic emerald-cut ring would convince anyone to say yes. Set in 18kt white gold with a 1ct lab grown diamond, colour F, clarity SI1.
Pretty in pink! The Kris features a vibrant 2.07 carat pink lab-grown diamond on a modern European cocktail ring with minimalist, secure 3-claw setting. Center stone in rose gold, white diamonds in white gold for striking contrast.
Sparkle head-to-toe and complete your diamond jewellery collection with these magnificent lab-grown diamond claw set earrings. Exquisitely embellished with a 1.00ct diamond, they radiate style. Crafted from 18kt white and yellow gold, these timeless studs are an ideal accent to any fashion-forward ensemble.
The Paddington Jeweller Difference
With over 40 years of fine jewellery experience in our DNA, Paddington Jeweller was created to offer bespoke jewellery pieces. Our strength of our business is custom making jewellery, especially meeting all the customers requirements, quality, design, personalisation and budget.
Each one of our collections have been lovingly designed by our team right in the heart of Sydney’s famous Paddington Oxford Street. We have a passion for restoring and transforming pieces that you hold dear, and if you want to start from scratch we have you covered from gem-sourcing through to final delivery.
Want to find out more? Pop by the store or enquire online and hopefully we can help you on your next bespoke adventure!
