Through human ingenuity, we’ve learned to do a lot in labs, from fertilizing embryos to processing diamonds. Diamonds made in labs are no less ‘real’ than the ‘real’ children who are conceived through IVF. This example is extreme but it’s worth mentioning because it puts some unexplained bias into perspective.
At Leonardo Fernandez Jewellery we work with both lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds. Our focus is design, and as always, we want our customers to be happy and get the most out of their investment. We won’t tell you what to choose when it comes to diamonds - but get a notepad ready because we’ll give you the sparkly lowdown.
Make an informed decision about your forever carbon.
Are lab-grown diamonds fake?
Lab-grown diamonds are not fake diamonds - they are made up of the same carbon crystals and have the exact same chemical properties as diamonds formed in the Earth. There are no obvious differences between natural or lab-grown diamonds. Only special, technical gemological tests can determine the difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds.
What are the differences between natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds?
When we look at diamond quality, consider the 4 C’s: cut, colour, clarity, and carat. These four categories present a sliding scale of quality and price. Some C’s are more expensive than others the more technically ‘perfect’ they reach on the scale. Depending on which C’s are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ can affect the price significantly.
A good diamond purchase is about finding which spots on the 4 C scale provides the most value for money. Lab-grown diamonds are a lot less expensive, about 50-30% the price of a natural diamond, but you get a lot of value for money with lab-grown diamonds for a certain price point, and you’ll get a lot more size for your money too.
So why would someone choose a mined diamond over a lab-grown diamond?
Some people appreciate the romance involved in fossicking for gemstones within the Earth. They love the idea that though technically imperfect, their mined diamonds come from nature. It’s just that they are willing to pay a premium for that romance.
It comes down to preference, not pressure (sorry, one last pun).
In the end, the decision to use lab-grown or mined diamonds is a personal one. You can spend more on a technically imperfect gem, or if size and the 4 C’s are important to you, you can pay less and spend that extra money on an experience -or on the proposal itself!
In our work we want you to understand that lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, that they are not inferior to mined diamonds (in fact- technically the opposite) and that they are a valid option that you could consider.