An engagement is an exciting time and looking for your perfect ring can be exciting… and sometimes daunting. When looking at the various types of rings, you may quickly get overwhelmed by the choices in metal type, diamond shape, clarity of the stone, and many other features. One of the biggest choices you will face is whether to purchase a natural diamond or a lab-grown diamond. Finding a great jeweler can help relieve a lot of the stress that comes with ring shopping.
Lab-Grown Diamond vs. Natural: What’s the Difference?
When choosing between a lab-grown vs. a natural diamond, you may wonder if there is really that much difference. The main difference is that lab-grown diamonds are sustainable, other than that, they have the same physical properties as natural diamonds. So, let’s break that down to better understand. There are five main points people look at when buying diamonds: how they are created, price, durability, clarity, and color.
How They’re Created
Natural diamonds are those stones that were created in nature under certain conditions. Natural diamonds formed deep in the earth’s mantle and must be mined to be used. Lab-grown diamonds are just that: diamonds created in a lab. Using a tiny sliver of a natural or previously lab-grown diamond (or what’s called a diamond “seed”) a chemist uses a process known as chemical vapor deposition to “grow” a diamond.
Price
Lab-grown diamonds are typically less expensive than natural diamonds. This is because mining diamonds can be an expensive (and sometimes dangerous) process, the costs associated with diamond mining are added to the price of the stone itself. Natural diamonds are also much more expensive because they are rare and require excavation.
Durability
Because lab-grown diamonds are made of carbon just like natural diamonds, they are just as durable and hard to break or chip as natural diamonds. There is little to no difference in durability between the two.
Clarity
Lab-grown and natural diamonds are graded using the same scales for determining the clarity of the stone. So, you don’t have to worry if one is graded easier than the other.
Color
As with clarity, color is graded on the same scales whether the diamond is natural or lab-grown. The more “colorless” the diamond, the more expensive.
Lab-Grown Diamond Vs. Natural: Get Help from a Jeweler
Lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds have the same physical properties. There is one big difference though. Since lab-grown diamonds don’t need to be mined, they are sustainable, and they are grown right here in the United States. So, if being
environmentally friendly is important to you, you may want to go with a lab-grown diamond. Finding the right diamond doesn’t have to be daunting. The professionals at St. John’s Jewelers can help you find the perfect engagement ring and help you learn more about lab-grown diamonds vs. natural diamonds.
