Diamonds are the quintessential expression of love; they offer a timeless symbol of joy that simply can’t be matched in other gifts. As such, those who are buying diamonds invest in finding the perfect stone, one that truly commemorates the feelings between the giver and the recipient. It makes perfect sense, then, that you may be skeptical toward lab-grown diamonds, which go against the status quo of the basic premise of diamonds being precious gemstones mined in a country far away (which carries a whole suite of ethical and environmental problems that many don’t know about).
What are “real diamonds” anyway?
Contrary to popular belief, diamonds rarely come from coal. They are made from carbon, and “organic” diamonds (which people normally consider “real” diamonds) are found underneath the Earth’s crust, in the upper mantle. They formed in the Earth billions of years ago and have been carried to the crust via volcanic eruptions. The science can get a bit complex on this, but if you’re interested in learning more about the methods that form diamonds, read this article. The key takeaway is that the formation of organic diamonds requires four main ingredients: carbon, pressure, heat, and time.
What are lab-grown diamonds?
Just like a diamond found in the Earth, lab-grown diamonds are made of carbon and created through a process that requires pressure, heat, and time. As such, they have the same chemical and physical properties as mined diamonds — as well as the same shine and durability! Because the creation conditions are perfectly replicated in a lab, the main difference is simply the setting in which the diamond is produced. Again, the science gets very technical on this topic, but if you want to delve into the exact process used.
There you have it — there shouldn’t be a debate on whether lab-grown diamonds are real. When it comes down to it, the only added-value of a mined diamond is its rarity — which we firmly believe is worth trading off for more ethical, sustainable practices of lab-grown diamonds. It’s true that no two diamonds found in nature are just alike — but then again, no two diamonds grown in a lab are just alike, either. Unless they’re a geologist, no one will never know that your beautiful, unique diamond started its transformation from carbon to diamond within a lab setting. See for yourself — check out all of our beautiful diamonds here.
