{"id":2627,"date":"2020-10-21T14:47:40","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T12:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/corporate.nevermined-diamonds.com\/the-lowdown-on-lab-grown-diamonds\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T17:05:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T15:05:32","slug":"the-lowdown-on-lab-grown-diamonds","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/corporate.nevermined-diamonds.com\/en\/the-lowdown-on-lab-grown-diamonds\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab-grown diamonds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The lowdown on lab-grown diamonds<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What are lab-grown diamonds and what are they made of?<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

While naturally grown diamonds are formed over millions of years from carbon under high pressure and high temperature inside the Earth, lab-grown diamonds (or LGD for short) are made by human hand in the laboratory. There, in a controlled environment, diamond seeds grow to the desired size within a few weeks using highly complex technologies. The diamonds cultivated from this process have the same chemical and physical properties as mined diamonds. They are also made of 100% carbon, achieve a hardness level of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale and often even surpass their natural models in the 4C quality criteria. Since they are in no way inferior to mined gemstones (and even have some benefits by comparison), laboratory diamonds receive the same certifications as their natural counterparts from recognised institutes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The right terminology<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Synthetic, lab-grown, artificial, cultivated, simulated… numerous terms circulate in the industry for the man-made version of diamonds. However, a distinction must be made here. \u2018Lab-grown\u2019 refers to a real diamond grown in a laboratory. A rarely used name that means the same thing is the \u2018cultivated\u2019 diamond.<\/p>\n

Other terms that do not focus on the manufacturing process but on the result are the \u2018synthetic\u2019 or \u2018artificial\u2019 diamond. Caution is advised with these descriptions. It can mean both the laboratory diamond, which has identical properties to the natural specimen, and stones that only almost match the properties. Widely used diamond imitations are, for instance, zirconia or synthetic moissanite. They also refract light, but their chemical structure is different. The term \u2018simulated\u2019 diamond almost always refers only to a diamond-like imitation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Yes. Lab-grown diamonds are visually, chemically and physically completely identical to mined diamonds. They are not imitations, but real diamonds. Nevermined diamonds are guaranteed to be exclusively lab-grown diamonds with characteristics 100% identical to naturally grown diamonds.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

How can you tell that a diamond is lab-grown?<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Whether a diamond has been grown naturally or in a laboratory is indistinguishable to the naked eye. Experts also need special tools for this. Cultivated gemstones can be identified using the unique laser engraving on the girdle, i.e. on the edge of the stone. The way the carbon was incorporated into the diamond lattice also indicates whether the stone was made in a laboratory or not. Diamonds produced in the HPHT process, for example, have a crystalline, cuboctahedral shape, while CVD diamonds are more like a disc due to the starting material. The rough diamonds extracted therefore differ in shape from natural rough diamonds. Nevermined diamonds from 0.5 carats upwards also always come with an official certificate of authenticity from one of the most recognised laboratories in the world, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or the IGI (International Gemological Institute).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>