Lab Grown vs. Natural Diamonds: The retail battlefield
Can Customers See the Difference Between Lab Grown Diamonds and Natural Diamonds
Lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds share nearly identical physical and chemical characteristics. To the naked eye, they are indistinguishable. However, their distinct formation and production processes mean they can be differentiated using specialized equipment or in specific conditions.
We will provide you with information about the differences between lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds. Also, we will offer tailored advice to help you choose the diamond that best suits their preferences.
Pic: The laser inscription on a lab-grown diamond’s girdle, with the text “LABGROWN”
Different Laser Codes On The Diamond’s Girdle
When diamond jewelers try to distinguish between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds, one of the first clues they can look for is the diamond’s laser inscription which acts as its identity card, and it can be found on the Girdle of the diamond.
To protect customers and provide them with transparent information about the diamond that they are buying, the lab grown diamonds are marked with 'LABGROWN' on their girdle next to the unique diamond identification number, which can only be seen clearly under magnification and does not affect the diamond’s appearance. Thus, their can be a clear way to differentiate between lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds while also protecting the value of the natural diamond industry.
As a professional diamond sellers, we at RAGAZZA all our diamonds both lab grown diamond and natural diamonds have laser inscription codes on the diamond girdle and our customers are provided with an international certification from GIA or IGI that matches the diamond that they buy in order to protect them and their investment.
Flaws When Creating a Lab Grown Diamond
Another difference noticeable difference under the magnifier between lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds is the difference between their inclusions. The formation of both lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds involves a certain degree of randomness. Therefore, most diamonds, contain impurities except for those very few diamonds which could be graded flawless,.
When comparing the flaws and inclusions of natural diamond with those of a lab-grown diamond you will notice that the inclusions in a lab grown diamond would look neater. For example, there would be perfectly round spots, tidy cracks, and evenly dispersed impurities. That is why, if you are looking for a diamond with a relatively low clarity (below SI1, for example), you could check if the inclusions are too neat, or have the diamond examined by our diamond professionals.
As for diamonds with clarity of or above VS1, since it only contains some trivial flaws, its appearance would be barely affected, regardless of whether it is a lab-grown or natural.
At RAGAZZA we offer you the ability to see a magnified view of Diamonds which you want to buy all you have to do is navigate to the Diamond Selector in the RAGAZZA website and choose a diamond then you will have the ability to have a 360 degrees zoomed view of the selected diamond.
Pic: H grade color HPHT lab-grown diamond with blue tone (IGI)
Pic: H grade color HPHT lab-grown diamond without blue tone (IGI)
Unnatural blue tone Color in Lab Grown Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds created through the HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) method may contain a slight blue color tone (also called blue tinge) because of the chemical boron that is used during production of lab grown diamonds. On the other hand, natural diamonds would usually contain a yellow tone because nitrogen is present during the formation of natural diamonds deep within the earth's mantle.
The blue tone of lab grown diamonds can be spotted with the naked eye; and since it is rare for natural diamonds to contain a blue color tone, this characteristic can be used to differentiate between natural and lab grown diamonds.
However, some customers prefer this blue color tone as it looks lighter than the yellow tone and the cold color hue seems to enhance the uniqueness of the diamond for them.
One thing to note though, is that the said blue tone only appears in a small amount of HPHT lab grown diamonds. As an example, if a diamond of color grade G or below has a blue color tone, the diamond certificate of this diamond would have a comment that mentions that that diamond has a “Blue nuance” or “Faint Blue”; but for diamonds of color grade F or above, no such indication would be shown on the certificate even if the blue color tone is present.
That is why we advise people who wish to buy lab grown diamonds and want to avoid diamonds with blue color tone, would be to avoid HPHT lab grown diamonds that are graded E to F on the color graded range (D color is completely colorless, so no blue tone could be seen), or to consult our diamond professionals before purchase.
Consult with RAGAZZA diamond experts or make a reservation to visit our store.
Fancy Colored Diamonds with Unnaturally Vivid Color
Lab grown diamonds come in different verities of color Other than white, and the term used in the diamond industry for colored diamonds is "fancy color diamonds". But when compared with natural fancy colored diamonds, the color of the fancy colored lab grown diamonds would be more vivid and more intense color.
So, if you are planning on buying fancy colored lab grown diamonds, we advise you to search online first for diamonds that have colors that are similar to the color of natural fancy colored diamonds. After that you can pick a fancy colored lab grown diamond that appears to be more like the natural diamonds. Because if the color is too intense the diamond may look unnatural when compared to natural colored diamonds.
At RAGAZZA we help you Compare natural colored diamonds and lab grown colored diamonds through RAGAZZA's Diamond Selector.
Pic: Fancy color lab-grown diamond with vivid color
Pic: Natural fancy color diamond
Low-quality jewellery production
Finally, to really see the beauty of a diamond depends largely on the craftsman’s knowledge and skill. Also, it depends on the quality, shine, and weight of the metal used to mount the diamond… All these factors could greatly affect whether the beauty and charm of a lab-grown diamond are properly shown.
In order to increase the value of natural diamonds, some foreign diamond brands would use metal of inferior quality for lab-grown diamond mount (such as pure silver plated with gold), or they may use complement lab-grown diamond with low-quality side stones. However, poor-quality metal could oxidize and turn dark as time passes, and this would lessen the overall beauty of the diamond.
The beauty and appeal of lab-grown diamonds competes easily to the beauty of natural diamonds provided that the material used with the diamond is made of quality materials. Thus, we recommend that customers purchase their jewelry from jewelry stores that specialize in yellow gold and platinum to ensure that they are getting the best value.
You can also view our jewelry styles that show the beauty of lab-grown diamonds when you navigate to our All Styles page that showcases all our beautiful diamond jewelry crafted by our skilled and passionate jewelers.