8 Reasons Why You Should Not Buy Lab Grown Diamonds
The media is full of buzz regarding what is considered a real and a fake diamond. A genuine or knock off… well we are here to discuss the ins and outs of why you should or should not choose a lab grown diamond.
The truth might surprise you! Because at the end of the day, while we give you an honest review of the pros and cons, we personally love all diamonds lab grown and natural!
Let’s dive right in.
1. Lab Grown Diamonds are not Real!
I’m going to present you with a scenario. You are walking in a field and come across a tomato plant. Growing bright red, juicy tomatoes. They are real tomatoes. You can eat them… As real as a tomato can be.
Now you are at home in your garden where last spring you planted a little seed in the ground, and you are standing admiring your very own tomato plant. Growing happily in the sun, full of bright red, juicy tomatoes. You grew these tomatoes at home in your own garden. Does it make them any less real? Absolutely not!
The same applies for lab grown diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds are physically, optically and atomically identical to natural diamonds created by mother earth.
If you are still worried, don’t just take our word for it.
The FTC’s statement made in 2018 should settle all your concern
“A diamond is a diamond no matter whether it is grown in a lab or comes out of the ground.”
2. Lab Grown Diamonds Are Not Worth The Investment
Lab grown diamond prices have changed since the first lab grown diamond was created. The price has become more affordable and the process has become more refined. This is a normal progression when new technology improves. So we can say that yes the price of lab grown diamonds has become more affordable and there are more competitors as more companies start to create lab grown diamonds, but along with advancing technology came more variety, more beauty and more availability.
The price of a lab grown diamond is roughly 50-70% less than that of a natural diamond. It is expected that this price difference will soon stabilize. For the same beauty as an earth made diamond you can show your love and bling your hands for half the cost!
Now if you want to discuss value, investment or worth we need to decide if we are talking about your declaration of love or your diamond as an item of stock.
The truth is that unless you are purchasing investment-grade fancy coloured diamond, no diamond, earth made or lab grown, is an investment.
3. It’s Not Possible to Appraise Lab Grown Diamonds
Of course it is possible to appraise lab grown diamonds. Many grading labs now offer certification for lab grown diamonds and jewellery appraisers will also appraise them.
Yes, your certificate will say “lab grown” and it won’t reflect the value of your diamond but rather the value of replacement inline with the current market value. Because appraisals are ….well ….for insurance!
YES! You should definitely insure your beautiful diamond! There are no words to describe the hurt of losing or damaging your symbol of love and not being insured or able to replace it.
4. Lab Grown Diamonds Are Bad For The Environment
The earth buzz, as it should be, is all about our carbon footprint and everyone needing to do their bit for the environment to reduce that carbon footprint! So here are the numbers and you can decide for yourself…
Lab Grown diamonds are made using electricity (some labs are even solar powered now). Yes electricity is bad for the environment, however, per carat a lab grown diamond will use 250 million joules while a mined diamond uses 538 million joules!
Now let's talk about water. A mined diamond per carat uses 477 liters of water. A lab grown diamond uses 68 liters per carat.
That is not even comparable.
So if you believe in reducing your carbon footprint then the choice is a pretty obvious one. Lab grown for the win!
5. Lab Grown Diamonds Cost Too Much
We discussed above how lab grown diamonds are as real earth grown diamonds (tomato vs tomato!) so if we compare the cost of a lab grown diamond against the cost of an earth grown diamond along with the reduction of the carbon footprint against the earth…it is easy to see that you are saving not only money in your wallet but also impact on the earth. Choosing a lab grown diamond, paying almost half the price, means you can spend more on your dream wedding or that adventurous honeymoon!
6. Lab Grown Diamonds Are Only Available In Small Sizes
Not anymore! Yes, it was true at one stage, but that all changed in 2017 when the team at Ausburg University managed to grow a 155 carat lab grown diamond with a diameter of 92mm!
Soon labs all over the world will be growing larger bling so you can flaunt it loud and proud!
7. Lab Grown Diamonds Are All The Same
We are back to thinking about tomatoes….yes they are all tomatoes but no…they definitely don’t all look the same. Lab grown diamonds are not made in an identical mold and as with all things grown from a seed they have a mind of their own and will form in unique and beautiful ways.
Some will be perfectly perfect and some will have flaws!
There are two methods for creating lab grown diamonds. The CVC method and the HPHT method.
Both process begin with a seed and the characteristics of that seed will be passed onto the quality of the diamond.
The price of your lab grown diamond will differ depending on the quality in the same way a mined diamonds price will differ.
Pay attention when buying a lab grown diamond in the same way you would when buying a mined diamond!
Pay attention when buying a lab grown diamond in the same way you would when buying a mined diamond!
8. Blood Diamond
We've seen the movie right? Telling the tale of the horrors of how some diamonds are mined, the dark side of natural diamond mining and the risks and traumas that can come from the mining process.
When you choose Lab Grown you can know with confidence and peace exactly where your diamond comes from and that the history of your diamond is one of love only!