You’ve surely heard the slogan, “Diamonds are forever”. This isn’t just a catch phrase to sell diamonds — it refers not just to a diamond’s timeless beauty, but also its durability. Loose diamond stones are known to be one of the strongest substances in the world, thanks to the formation process they undergo to crystallize. And because the durability comes from the formation, lab-grown diamonds are just as durable and sturdy and chip-resistant as mined diamonds. We’ll break it down for you in this blog.
What are Durable Diamonds?
To answer this question, you need to know how both durabilities is defined and what properties make up a diamond. The most important thing to realize is that mined and lab-grown diamonds share the exact same chemical composition and structure. They are both carbon atoms arranged in a cubic crystal formation, which means their physical properties (and thus, durability) are the same. In order to test for durable diamonds, a gemologist analyzes the hardness, toughness, and stability.
Hardness
According to the Geo Gems Mineral Club, “the meaning of hardness is ‘resistance to scratch’. When any gem is scratched with force by anything which is more harder than it, the appearance of no scratch indicates that the gem is harder.” Measured on Moh’s Scale of Hardness, a diamond ranks as the strongest mineral. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Note that this is a destructive test, so it’s not usually performed in the lab.
Toughness
The next measure of durable diamonds is the toughness of the stone. “Any stone, including a diamond, will break if it’s hit hard enough in the right place. Toughness is a measure of how well a gem can survive an impact and resist breaking, chipping, or cracking. Diamonds are tougher in the directions where the atoms are bonded tightly together, less tough where they’re not so tightly bonded.” (Source) So while it’s unlikely because most diamonds are sturdy and chip resistant, your diamond can technically break if it’s hit hard enough, even after it’s set. This is true for both mined and lab-grown diamonds because, again, they undergo the exact same formation process which means they have the same physical properties.
Stability
Stability defines how well a diamond withstands temperature changes and chemical reactions. Durable lab-grown diamonds are as stable as mined diamonds. They are most vulnerable to high heat and will burn at 690º C to 840º C. These temperatures can be reached while they’re being cut, as well as in a house fire, and both mined and lab-grown diamonds are susceptible due to sharing the same physical properties.
From our loose diamond stones through to our diamonds that have been set in rings, pendants, and earrings, you can be sure that you’re getting a durable diamond when you shop with us. We ensure the quality of our every single one of our diamonds through an independent certification process via two different laboratories (IGI and IGL). Therefore, you can rest easy knowing that our durable lab-grown diamonds are just as sturdy and chip-resistant as a mined one. Go ahead — start shopping for your perfect diamond now!
