Understanding the Difference: Natural Diamonds vs Lab Grown

The Science Behind Lab-Grown Diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds, also referred to as man-made diamonds, are created in a factory setting by means of  two very dissimilar processes. One called HPHT or 'high pressure high temperature' is a known industrial process for many decades now and mimics the natural processes that take place deep in the Earth's mantle albeit at a faster pace. The other known as CVD or 'chemical vapour deposition' is an innovative modern day process invented less than thirty years ago using gaseous plasma and microwave technology. 

These methods involve growing diamonds in a factory setting by replicating the natural conditions in which diamonds are formed deep within the Earth's mantle. The HPHT process starts with a thin slice of diamond seed subjected to extreme pressure and heat in a soup of molten metal and graphite within a sealed capsule. The CVD method exposes an equally small sliver of diamond seed to carbon-rich gases in a chamber exposed to high intensity microwaves.  In both cases, carbon atoms attach to the seed in layers and form a crystal lattice, resulting in a lab-grown diamond.

The claimed benefit of lab-grown diamonds is that they are produced with a much reduced environmental impact and are free from the ethical concerns associated with natural diamond mining.

Many of  these claims have not been validated by independent studies and remain questionable. One cannot deny though that they provide a cost-effective alternative to natural diamonds, allowing a broader audience to fulfill their desire to own 'diamond' jewelry.

Source and Formation of Natural Diamonds

Natural diamonds, on the other hand, are formed in a slow process stretching over billions of years, when free carbon atoms are subjected to intense pressure and heat deep within the earth mantle causing them to crystallize and form unique structures we call 'diamonds'. Little is known about the slow alchemy that takes place 200 kilometers below the Earth's surface. These precious crystals are brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions, and then extracted for critical industrial use and the better formed crystals polished into gems for use in jewelry.

The sourcing of natural diamonds involves mining operations, both pan (alluvial) and open cast (mechanised), which does have environmental impacts. There have also been concerns regarding ethical practices in the diamond industry, such as labor exploitation and conflict diamonds. This was true maybe 20 or 25 years ago and since then, the industry has come together and introduced rigid controls and  implemented ethical mining practices. Today 99.5 % of natural diamonds are mined in non-conflict zones and strict environmental and labour regulations are in place. The movement of the remaining 0.5% has been effectively blocked and kept out of the supply chain. These measures have greatly contributed to the responsible and ethical sourcing of natural diamonds.

Physical and Optical Properties: A Comparison

Price and Availability: An Ever Widening Gap

A key advantages of lab-grown diamonds is their affordability. The technology and efficiency of producing lab-grown diamonds keeps improving so their downward price spiral has gathered momentum in the past twelve to eighteen months. The price gap between lab-grown and natural has widened considerably and continues to widen such that they are no longer considered a precious gemstone.

The prices of natural diamonds have appreciated over time and increase exponentially with size, maintaining their value even during the most volatile economic periods. On the other hand, prices of lab-grown are heading towards a linear model with little or no variation in price per carat. As an illustration, if a one carat lab-grown diamond at retail prices today is $500, a two carat would go for $1,000 and a three carat will sell at $1,500. An equivalent three carat natural diamond at retail starts at $75,000.

It is quite evident why mined natural diamonds are significantly more expensive than a mass-produced man-made product, owing to their rarity and the unimaginably long time required for their formation, besides the cost involved in prospecting, mining and processing them. We haven't even considered the value attributed to the emotional connections and rich historical significance they often hold.

Natural diamonds are a gift from the Earth and their price can vary significantly depending on factors such as quality, size and rarity of the rough crystal recovered. 

In terms of availability, lab-grown diamonds offer an infinitely cloneable and theoretically limitless supply compared to natural diamonds. As production efficiency improves and costs decrease, their prices will only decline further. All varieties of man-made gemstones created so far, such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires (all were popular when first hitting the market but interest has since faded away) have reached a theoretical minimum in terms of labor and material costs, and synthetic diamonds appear to be quickly approaching this threshold as well.

 Natural diamonds originate from finite resources that are rapidly diminishing (no new mines have been discovered in the last 25 or so years) and their availability is dependent on an increasingly regulated mining protocol that comes with higher costs.

Ethical and Environmental Considerations: The More Sustainable Option?

A Case For Natural

Let’s start calling lab grown as 'synthetics' because in reality that’s what they are – synthetic diamonds. And then everything I say in the next few paragraphs starts to make sense.

Talking about a synthetic diamond’s much lower price points gives customers access to larger diamonds, for a lot less. The customer should also be aware that their synthetic..... a.k.a. lab-grown diamond will not keep its monetary value into the future. Recent ongoing sharp declines in prices serve as evidence of this.

The proposal or wedding ring will one day be passed on as an heirloom, but the diamond set in it will have lost a large part of its value and may be worth very little. In comparison, a natural diamond has traditionally held its value and is likely to continue doing so in the future.

We expect lab grown diamonds would be produced in limitless quantities mainly to satisfy industrial needs, while natural diamonds, forged by the intense and never to be repeated conditions on Earth one to three billion years ago, will remain inherently scarce.

This is probably the most important consideration to be highlighted in comparing a lab-grown diamond with a natural diamond.

If the feeling of having a piece of jewellery that is valuable matters to you as much or more than simply having a larger diamond, then a natural diamond is a better option. If you think of your ring or jewellery piece as a fashion accessory, something that looks great but has little long-term monetary value, then perhaps a synthetic or lab grown diamond is the right option for you.