Lab-grown diamonds are the new version of modern luxury that is bold and technological. As individuals learn more about lab grown diamonds, their popularity soars and the realization sets in that they are an excellent alternatives to natural mined diamonds. "The two can co-exist, we can design and develop beautiful jewelry with both lab and natural diamonds. I am partial to natural mined diamonds and tend to move towards them, but over the past two years I have become a huge fan of lab grown diamonds. But there is a difference in the quality of lab grown diamonds that you need to be careful of," says or founder, Sherri.
There is a difference in quality of lab grown diamonds. We have found the diamonds grown in our partner labs in India have a much higher quality and value than those grown in labs from China. You will see some very low pricing on internet searches when it comes to lab grown diamonds. Our research teams have found those diamonds to be from China based factories with very low quality and their appearance does not have any where near the vibrance and luster of the diamonds grown in our partner labs in India.
When choosing a lab grown diamond, you must make sure that you are getting the color, cut, clarity, and quality that you are looking for in your diamond. You should always see a 360 degree video of the diamond so that you can examine it from every angle. For example, an emerald cut diamond that is E color, VS1 clarity, and ideal cut--when seen, can let too much light through and actually not be an attractive stone at all. Is this the case for natural diamonds too? Of course, because the dramatic increase in demand has caused overproduction of the diamonds, but we are seeing this more and more, especially in the China sourced lab grown diamonds.
Even in Paris, companies in the heart of Place Vendôme are gradually opening their arms to the new category of lab grown diamonds. We have seen our sales of lab grown diamond jewelry, not just engagement rings, dramatically increase within the last eight months.
While lab-grown engagement rings continue to gain popularity, non-bridal jewelry is experiencing the most growth within the last six months to a year. Customers want uniquely designed pieces and many times they will opt for the less expensive lab grown diamond in the uncertain economic culture we are facing.
The lab-grown industry is constantly evolving, thanks to ongoing research and development. Manufacturers, polishers and jewelry designers are investing in experimental technology to meet the growing demand. This has led to larger and more visually appealing synthetic diamonds, including cuts that come from a single diamond block, and precision control over polycrystalline growth.
One notable development is the ability to create unconventional shapes, sizes, cuts and color variations. Until now, the high cost of natural diamonds made the idea of unconventional cuts, shapes, and sizes virtually impossible. But with the reasonable cost of lab grown diamonds, we can create unique and different designs at affordable prices.
Additionally, advancements in technology, particularly in cutting techniques, have catapulted lab grown diamonds onto a level playing field with their natural mined counterparts. There has been a definite shift of diamond cutters from the natural mined diamonds to lab grown diamonds, which is representative of the current times and demand for an affordable alternative to natural mined diamonds.
The lab grown diamond technology will continue evolving, and more manufacturers will shift to using exclusively renewable energy. Companies are incorporating energy sources such as solar power into their manufacturing processes in hopes of having zero emissions. The argument is correct, there is a great amount of electricity used in growing the lab diamond, but innovative techniques and technology will change that in the near future.