Sustainable Lab Diamond Guide

Buying Guide

How to assess a lab grown diamond’s quality and value?

Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds, created in a way that replicates nature. Therefore, gemmological experts grade them exactly in the same way as mined diamonds. This is done by evaluating the “Four Cs” – cut, colour, clarity and carat weight.

COLOUR

For mined and lab diamonds alike, the less yellow colour your diamonds exhibits, the better its colour-quality. In other words, you want your diamond to be as “sparkling white” and transparent as possible.

To determine this, gem experts give diamonds colour grades using letters from D to Z. Take a look at the diagram below to see how this scale works.

D is the best colour grade, while Z is the poorest. If you are shopping for diamond jewellery, then any colour grade from E to H is a great option.

CLARITY

All diamonds have some imperfections. Gemmologists call these tiny markings “inclusions”. The less inclusions your diamond has, the better its clarity.

Remember, lab diamonds are grown in a way that imitates Mother Nature. Therefore, they are not free from natural imperfections.

FL (flawless) diamonds have the best clarity. Diamonds graded I (visible inclusions) are the poorest. Most people seek diamonds in between the two extremes: VVS (very, very slight inclusions), VS (very slight inclusions) or the most popular grade, SI (some inclusions).

Luckily, lab diamonds are created in a laboratory. Therefore, it is reasonably cost-effective to select the clearest diamonds from each batch that is grown. What does this mean for the consumer? It means that you can expect to buy a much higher-clarity lab grown diamond for your budget, than if you were shopping for an equivalent-sized mined diamond.

CUT

When we speak about a diamond’s “cut”, many people think about its decorative shape. For example, you might imagine a classic round cut diamond or a square princess cut diamond.

However, in reality, when we talk about “cut quality”, it refers to how well the diamond plays with light.

A good diamond cut should make your diamond sparkle beautifully. We offer a minimum of Good/Very Good cut in all our over-0.50 carat lab and mined diamonds that have H/Si quality or higher.

CARAT

“Carat” refers to a diamond’s weight. In other words, it tells us how big the diamond is. You’ll often see carat weight abbreviated to “CT”. For example, 1.00CT means one carat and 0.50CT means half a carat.

A diamond’s price is not necessarily determined by its carat size. Remember, all Four C’s must be taken into account. However, the good news is that lab diamonds are around 50-60% more affordable per carat than mined diamonds.

Therefore, you’ll usually be able to purchase a much larger lab diamond for your budget than if you were buying a mined diamond of the equivalent quality.

Are lab diamonds real diamonds?

Yes, lab diamonds are real diamonds. Gemmological experts classify lab grown diamonds simply as, diamonds. This is because they posses the exact same physical and chemical composition as the diamonds we mine from the earth.

It’s vital to understand that lab diamonds are NOT synthetic diamond “substitutes”. They are not like cubic zirconia, moissanite or other simulants, which are manufactured from materials that have nothing to do with diamonds.

Since lab grown diamonds look exactly the same as mined diamonds, for consumer transparency they all carry a microscopic laser mark. This way, jewellers can tell them apart with specialist magnifying equipment.

Can lab diamonds be certified?

Yes. Same as mined diamonds, lab diamonds can be certified to prove their Four Cs and origin.

However, note that not all lab or mined diamonds are certified. Why? Diamond certification is an expensive process. Adding this cost to, for example, a small diamond under 0.25 carat would make it unnecessarily and disproportinately expensive.

Who certifies lab grown diamonds? They are certified by exactly the same independent gemmological laboratories that certify mined diamonds. For example, GIA or IGI laboratories.

Read more about diamond certification here

Cleaning and Care

All diamonds should be stored and cleaned with care. Whilst they are the most durable and strong material on Earth, they’re precious, rare gems.

The safest way to clean diamond jewellery is in a bowl of water using a drop of soap and an old toothbrush. Give your diamond jewellery a gentle scrub, then rinse and pat dry.

Never wash your jewellery over a sink. Use a bowl instead. Should a diamond come loose, this way it cannot disappear down the drain.

Famous Lab Grown Diamonds

The very definition of diamonds is changing thanks to state of the art technology and the value we put on sustainability. This is also true for celebrities and fashion lovers.

Lady Gaga, Penelope Cruz, Meghan Markle, Emma Watson and Zoe Kravitz are just a few of the big stars who habitually flaunt sustainable lab grown diamonds on red carpets.

In June 2022, the International Gemological Institute certified the world’s largest lab grown diamond. Named the “Pride of India”, the stunning emerald cut gem weighs a breathtaking 30.18 carats.

Value and Pricing

Lab grown diamonds are a luxury. As such, they are by no means inexpensive. The perception of their value is simply different because lab diamonds grow withing a few weeks, as opposed to mined diamonds which take billions of years to form.

Just the same as with mined diamonds, the price of lab diamonds varies according to the Four Cs – colour, clarity, cut and carat weight.

The good news for consumers is that if you compare a mined and a lab diamond of the same quality, with lab grown diamonds, you’ll generally get up to 50–60% more carats for your budget.

Finally, adding unmeasurable value to lab diamonds is their sustainability. If you are concerned about the carbon footprint of diamond mining, then lab diamonds that nurture our Earth for future generations are the perfect choice for you.