Lab-grown versus natural Diamonds
Sustainable, fair and affordable diamonds in beautiful quality - sounds good? Then lab diamonds are just the thing for you!
There are also some aspects that can speak in favor of natural diamonds.
As sustainability plays an important role at Pukka Berlin, lab-grown diamonds are a sustainable alternative to natural diamonds. The topic is becoming more and more present in the jewelry industry due to its innovative strength. This is because lab-grown diamonds in modern manufacturing processes are indistinguishable from natural diamonds to the naked eye.
Here we answer all the important questions about origin, characteristics and the differences between rennet and natural diamonds.
1. what are lab-grown diamonds?
At Lab Diamonds, various methods are used in an attempt to grow a real diamond. In the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process, which we use, a rough diamond is grown in 4-6 weeks based on a natural diamond seed. This diamond has a type 2a structure, the same structure as the majority of diamonds used in the jewelry industry. The diamonds are then cut, graded and certified in the same way as natural diamonds.
They have the same properties, shine just as brightly, look just as good and feel just as real as naturally mined diamonds. Your diamond tester will not show anything different. What's more, lab-grown diamonds look even better on average than natural diamonds. This is because their growth and formation are monitored in a controlled environment. For example, the natural diamonds we use as standard are of a quality of H+ | SI | VG, whereas our lab-grown diamonds are at least of a quality of F+ | VS | EX.
2. origin of the diamonds
Natural diamonds are formed in the earth over billions of years by extremely high temperatures, which generate pressure below the earth's surface at a depth of around 150 kilometers and thus create diamonds. The heat and depth reaches a point where the conditions inside the earth are such that atoms bond together to form crystal lattices. These crystals become solid and robust and form a rough diamond. In other words, the carbon creates the diamond.
As a result, natural diamonds are unique individual pieces that have grown over millions of years. Many people like this romantic idea of origin, which is why they prefer natural diamonds to lab diamonds.
Lab diamonds, on the other hand, imitate the natural growth process of a diamond in the laboratory. Various processes can be used for this. As described above, we use the CVD process. Theoretically, this allows the entire diamond production supply chain to be presented transparently, making lab diamonds a fair alternative to natural diamonds.
Lab diamonds are also more sustainable due to their controlled growth. In practical terms, however, there are a few things to consider. There are even studies (sponsored by mining companies) that state that lab diamonds are not more sustainable. It depends very much on the origin of the diamonds, as there are now more manufacturers who produce in a partially opaque and unsustainable manner. Accordingly, our lab diamonds are CO2 neutral and transparent.
So always pay attention to the origin of the stones, and not just the quality, when buying lab and natural diamonds.
3. differences between rennet and natural diamonds
There are some differences between lab and natural diamonds.
Traceability
Lab diamonds are easier to trace due to the significantly shorter supply chain, also because they come with a nano-marking through a tiny engraving in the diamond.
Note: However, make sure you choose the right manufacturer to source sustainable and fair stones.
Tracking natural diamonds is already more difficult. However, there are also a few options for completely traceable stones.
Value
Lab-grown diamonds tend to be cheaper than natural diamonds. This is because lab-grown diamonds can be significantly cheaper, especially with a larger number of carats and in the best quality, in some cases up to 40% with the corresponding quality.
One advantage of natural diamonds is their price stability. While we know that natural diamonds have a fairly stable price (above a certain size and quality) due to their rarity and the way they are mined, it is not yet possible to predict the price development of lab diamonds.
Sustainability
The claim that diamonds cultivated in the laboratory are 100% sustainable is not entirely accurate. Carbon dioxide is also released as a by-product during the production of these diamonds. Some studies, partly funded by mining companies, even claim that their manufacturing process releases more CO2.
However, our Lab Diamonds at Pukka Berlin are carbon neutral. Our goal is to be 100% sustainable by 2024.
