A lab grown diamond is a diamond that has been grown in a lab. They have the same chemical composition and crystal structure as a natural earth mined diamond. Due to its identical nature, lab created diamonds have the same hardness and light refraction as a natural diamond. Lab created diamonds are referred to as synthetic because they are chemically and physically the same as a natural diamond but are man made.
There are two main technologies used to create lab grown diamonds. High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
There are two main technologies used to grow diamonds. High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
CVD uses a lower pressure and creates an environment very different to what a natural diamond would experience. A diamond seed is placed inside the chamber
Lab grown diamonds are graded using the same ‘4C's’ that natural
diamonds are graded by.
Carat is the unit use to measure a diamond's weight. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. However, it's important to note that carat weight alone does not determine a diamond's size or value.
Diamond color grading starts on the alphabet as a D,E,F being colourless, G,H,I is near colourless and as you continue down the alphabet the diamonds gradually become warmer with a yellowish colour.
Clarifty refers to what kind and how many inclusions are part of the diamond. Every diamond is unique like snowflakes or fingerprints and having inclusions is a natural part of diamonds.
Cut refers to how well the its been cut into the desired shape. The better the cut the more sparkle and beauty you will see in your diamond. At Vena Nova, our diamonds are minimum a Very Good cut rating.
The growth patterns and some inclusions in both HPHT and CVD diamonds are different compared to natural diamonds which help to identify them as man made lab created diamonds. All our lab grown diamonds are laser inscribed to clearly identify its origin.
Visually and physically speaking, lab grown diamonds are virtually identical to their mined counterparts.
Lab grown diamonds are anywhere from 50-70% less expensive than natural diamonds.
The technology for lab grown diamonds keeps improving and as it becomes more efficient a higher quantity and quality of Lab grown diamonds are produced. Having lab created diamonds readily available makes them less rare and helps keep them more affordable compared to natural diamonds which are a finite resource and are more expensive to mine.
We cannot guarantee that as the technology keeps improving, lab created diamonds should become more affordable. However, we believe prices have stabilized without major influx of supply or technological advancement.
No. Moissanite and C.Z. have different crystal structures. They are lower on the moh’s scale of hardness and produce different light refraction.
Learn MoreYes, our in house graduate gemologist (G.G. GIA) can provide an appraisal upon request.
