Lab-grown diamonds are a hotly debated subject. Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamond Cost. You can understand why the price of a naturally sourced diamond is far more than that of its substitute, lab-grown diamonds, in the modern period where technology has entirely taken over. There has been a lot of buzz about lab-grown diamonds, both good and evil, in recent years. When looking for a diamond, you should at the very least think about whether to get a lab-created or a natural stone.
Diamonds grown in a laboratory have an allure all their own. After all, some 2.15ct diamond like this one costs around $7,000, making it an excellent value. The only question is whether or not it will hold up to the test of time like a natural 2ct diamond from few online shops.
In contrast to naturally occurring diamonds, lab-created diamonds, such as this 1.02ct princess cut from Clean Origin, are manufactured in a laboratory rather than mined like ordinary diamonds.
Herein lies the fundamental distinction. Natural-looking and natural-feeling lab diamonds are interchangeable. A lab diamond looks just like a natural diamond. Thus it’s difficult to tell the two apart unless you had them side by side. They’re so similar chemically that it’s fantastic.
Despite their similarities, lab-created and natural diamonds are increasingly separated in price, resale value, and general desirability.
Natural diamonds are the consequence of billions of years of tremendous heat and pressure in nature.
Lab-grown vs natural diamond
Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that have been generated in a laboratory over a short period. Natural diamonds include a minimal amount of nitrogen, but manufactured diamonds do not. This is the only chemical difference between the two. Even the US Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, classifies artificial diamonds as “genuine” diamonds owing to the gem’s carbon-based chemical composition, which is the only significant distinction.
In other words, how can you tell the difference between an artificial diamond and a genuine natural diamond?
There’s no telling which one is which. Gemologists use sophisticated technology to identify whether stones are genuine from fakes. Professionals can see minor differences in the inclusions between lab-grown and mined diamonds with magnification.
Checking the diamond’s certification is the best method to identify the difference. As long as you purchase at a trustworthy retailer, you will always know whether a diamond is naturally produced or synthetically enhanced. You should pay close attention to this information since it will affect your diamond’s price and resale value.
There are several reasons why lab-grown diamonds are more expensive than naturally occurring diamonds:
Let’s look at it more.
When looking to purchase a diamond, the most crucial consideration is the price. Despite this, the price of lab-grown diamonds is constantly fluctuating. We discovered lab diamonds to be 23-25 percent more expensive than natural diamonds only three or four years ago. In today’s market, lab-grown diamonds are far less expensive than natural ones—50-60% less expensive, and in certain circumstances, even more affordable.
Take two diamonds from a store to illustrate the current pricing disparity between naturally occurring and lab-grown gemstones. To begin, there’s the $6,440 natural 1.01-carat G VS1 round diamond. In comparison, a 1.00-carat G VS1 round lab-created diamond costs $1,920. Despite having virtually equal clarity and cut grades, the lab-created diamond costs 30 percent less than the natural one.
The supply-demand discrepancy is to blame for the price disparity. Because diamonds take billions of years to form, there is a finite supply of natural diamonds. The supply of synthetic diamonds, on the other hand, is unbounded. Therefore the price falls steadily as the supply rises.
As the price of lab-grown diamonds continues to plummet, there is no indication that this trend will halt or reverse. If you buy a lab diamond today for $1,000, it may only be worth a quarter of that in one or two years. Keep that in mind when you buy.
If lab-grown diamonds are so different from naturally occurring diamonds, why is that?
Here are a few grounds for your consideration:
Value
Natural diamonds have a higher resale value than synthetic diamonds because of this. On the other hand, Lab-created diamonds can only be resold for cents on the dollar since they have lost half their actual worth. When you buy something, you immediately lose a significant portion of your money.
The price difference between natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds must also be taken into account. Even before factoring in the difference in resale value, your synthetic diamond will most likely be worth less than a natural diamond of the same quality because the price of lab-created diamonds has dropped. In contrast, the value of genuine diamonds has traditionally risen.
Sustainability
Natural diamond mining techniques have raised ethical and environmental questions for some people.
Natural diamonds aren’t always immoral, of course. However, it comes to reason that diamonds created artificially have a longer lifespan than diamonds found in nature.
This is a contentious subject. Even the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cautioned jewelers against making unfounded claims regarding their jewelry’s environmental friendliness or sustainability.
There is evidence to suggest that natural diamonds are better for the environment than lab-grown diamonds, according to the Diamond Producers Association.
Overall, it appears that there is still disagreement about whether lab-grown diamonds are a more environmentally friendly choice.
Look
As far as the eye can tell, lab-grown diamonds and naturally occurring diamonds are the same. Unless you tell them, no one will know you bought a ring with a lab-created diamond in it.
When it comes to lab diamonds, there may be a few highly minute inclusions that aren’t seen in natural diamonds. Unless you’re using magnification equipment, these inclusions are virtually impossible to see.
The brightness and sparkle of a lab diamond will almost always be the same as those of a natural diamond. Thus lab diamonds can be an affordable alternative if you’re searching for a diamond solely for its aesthetic value.
Grading And Certification
For the most part, gem laboratories grade natural diamonds from D to Z, with a range of clarity grades from FL to I3. However, several gem laboratories have various grading standards for Lab Diamonds. A GIA-certified diamond, as we mentioned in our piece on diamond certification, has the highest grading standards. Do Amore also recommends GCAL and IGI for your Lab Diamond because GIA has only recently graded lab diamonds and does not grade them as regularly as GIA. Natural and lab diamonds are graded using the same D-Z color and FL-I3 clarity scales by GCAL and IGI. The grading policy at GCAL is “zero tolerance,” and the lab follows it strictly. As the first laboratory to grade lab diamonds, we can attest to IGI’s dedication to the work. While they may not be as exacting, they are more well-known and have a more significant amount of expertise in grading lab-created gemstones. Couples looking for a more rigorous grading system can look at getting a GIA or GCAL Certificate instead of a GCAL. IGI is a good option for newlyweds who want their names out there.
