The Great Diamond Debate: Lab-Grown vs. Natural

Since lab-grown diamonds were developed in the 20th century, their very existence has split not only the fine jewellery industry, but also its worldwide customer base. Which to choose?

Diamonds have long been associated with luxury and sophistication, legacy, and even love; with diamonds most often chosen as the focal point for engagement rings worldwide. A growing awareness around responsible jewellery production and consumer behaviour has begun to change the market as the technology to produce near identical lab-grown diamonds has emerged.

In my designs, I work with both, and am led by the customers own preferences. But as requests for lab grown diamonds have increased over the years, I thought it would be interesting to delve deeper into the two options and explore what factors may impact a customers own decision. 

The Differences

To understand the basics of diamonds and how they are categorised in the jewellery industry you can read my post on the 4 C's of diamond grading. These assessment points apply no matter which variation of diamond you're choosing, so you can gain a clear sense of where your diamond sits in relation to others.

Lab grown diamonds are created under more controlled conditions than natural ones, so their quality is easier to control over their natural counterparts. Natural diamonds are led by geological processes over millennia that result in each and every one being distinctly unique.

Cost

DeBeers launched a highly successful ad campaign in the 1930s to set the expectation that a man should spend a month's worth of his salary on an engagement ring. Then over the decades this benchmark was pushed to two and then three months salary!

Since then times have changed as more women have entered the workforce and earn their own salaries, which has led to a change in these expectations. That being said the desirability of diamond engagement rings is still as popular as ever, and the existence of lab grown diamonds has enabled new generations of jewellery wearers to achieve the look they are after at a fraction of the price compared to natural diamonds.

Quality and Colour

Lab grown and natural diamonds are both available in coloured counterparts. Over the years lab grown colours have improved from their original more lurid colours.

Part of why buyers are even more keen on lab-grown diamonds nowadays is the improved quality of the lab-grown gemstones. Now, many are found to be near identical to natural stones, even to a refined jeweller's eye. The visual results of diamonds are determined more by their cut and finish which is handled by the professional cutters and polishers who cut from the rough.

Whilst not impossible, finding certain coloured lab-grown diamonds can feel like a needle in a haystack situation. However, I recently managed to procure the perfect pink lab-grown diamond pair for a customer's bespoke engagement ring and an accompanying pendant and I adore the final results! (read more about their customer story here) 

Larger diamonds, both natural and lab-grown will usually have a small laser inscription on its girdle which connects it to a report carried out by a registered diamond grading institution. This report will give you more details about the stone's clarity, cut, carat and colour - all its unique characteristics, so you can glean more about the stone you are looking at. Small diamonds are usually not graded, especially at the pavé size.

Which to choose?

And now for the more prominent question: which do you use for an engagement ring?

I believe this is down to personal preference, as both are chemically (and mostly) visually the same. So this decision will depend on a customers own considerations such as budget, sentimentality and often ethical considerations too (with natural diamonds being dependent on the mining industry, and lab grown diamonds requiring a lot of energy to produce.) 

This last topic regarding ethics divides public opinion and should be researched in full before making a considered choice.

Despite the societal expectations and financial reliance of women on men shifting over the past few decades, many still see an engagement ring as a form of financial investment, an heirloom-in-the-making asset that symbolises your commitment to your love. 

And due to the nature of diamonds as being very hard stones, no matter which variation of the stone you choose, if cared for your diamond pieces are going to shine and last a lifetime. 

I am always happy to discuss these factors with my customers during our bespoke consultations.