Why A Lab-Grown Diamond May Be The Perfect Choice For Your Engagement Ring
Picking out jewelry can be a daunting task. Between the various jewels, karats, sizes, and prices, there can sometimes be too many options. Whether you are picking out an engagement ring or jewelry piece, there are a few factors you need to consider before making your final decision. Regardless of your style, diamonds remain one of the best options for jewelry. A classic and timeless choice, diamonds will always be a safe option if you're looking to buy something chic that remains on-trend for years to come.
Because diamonds are an iconic and popular choice, you need to decide whether you are looking to invest in natural or lab-grown diamonds. Deciding between lab-grown or natural diamonds is likely the biggest decision you need to make before purchasing a diamond. While the visual difference between these two diamonds might be minimal, there are plenty of differences between diamonds created in a lab and natural diamonds. These differences can affect their price, supply, and sustainability, all of which are factors to consider. If you're looking to buy any diamond piece soon, the difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds might play a factor in which piece you purchase.
The difference between natural and lab-grown diamonds
Visually, there's nothing that can differentiate lab-grown diamonds from natural diamonds. Unless you inspect up close, both of these jewels will look identical. Nathan Alan Jewelers explains that the difference between these two rocks is that natural diamonds contain a small percentage of nitrogen in them, while lab-grown diamonds do not contain any nitrogen. In addition, natural diamonds are mined and have taken millions of years to develop under the high pressure of the earth's crust. Lab-grown diamonds go through this exact same process, but in a lab setting over the course of a few months. In terms of hardness, clarity, and durability, both natural and lab-grown diamonds have identical reports and will last around the same amount of time.
The conditions in which these diamonds are created are one the most controversial aspects of natural diamonds. Part of what makes lab-grown diamonds popular is the fact that they aren't mined in deplorable conditions and they don't use as many natural resources to create. Brandon Cook, director of marketing for Clean Origin, tells Brides, "It only takes one Google image search of the Orapa diamond mine to understand the amount of ecological destruction and outright pollution that can stem from diamond mining. This goes hand-in-hand with the historically murky ethics of diamond mining." Although the lab-grown diamond industry also has a way to go with sustainability, it remains a much cleaner choice than natural diamonds.
How to choose between natural or lab-grown diamonds
While there's a lot of back-and-forth between the quality of lab-grown diamonds versus natural diamonds, your choice between the two will have to depend on various factors.
If you are into rare jewels and are looking to invest in something for generations to come, natural diamonds are the best way to go. Diamond Mansion explains that the rarity of natural diamonds elevates their price over lab-grown diamonds, and natural gems still hold a certain prestige over their alternative. If you ever sell your diamond piece down the road, odds are that a natural diamond will resell at a higher value than a lab-grown diamond, despite their similarity in appearance.
However, many do not support or struggle with the unethical aspects of mining natural diamonds. For that reason, many are choosing the lab-grown alternative instead. If you aren't someone who gives importance to the rarity of natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds are the perfect fit. With Clarity explains that these diamond alternatives are 30% cheaper than natural diamonds but will still last the same amount of time. While some will definitely prefer the simple pleasure of having an earth-sourced diamond, the size and quality of lab-grown diamonds make it very difficult to pass on the lower price tag.