Natural vs Lab Created Diamonds

For centuries, diamonds have been symbolic for an everlasting love to be bound by marriage. The name “diamond” stems from the Greek word adamas, meaning unbreakable. Finding the perfect love usually leads to searching for the perfect diamond ring. The ‘General Rule’ when purchasing an engagement ring is to spend at least 2 month’s salary on the ring, a small price to pay for a lifetime commitment of love. There are so many options available today for creating and selecting gorgeous engagement rings…beginning with the type of diamond.

With so much buzz about “lab-grown” diamonds, and December being the most popular time for couples to get engaged, we spoke with husband and wife team Joseph & Tina Tavella, owners of Argyle Jewelers in Babylon Village, to get an expert’s perspective on labgrown vs. mined natural diamonds.

“Originally I was very skeptical about lab-grown diamonds until I really looked into them and started comparing,” commented Joseph, “When I saw the first one, I was so impressed… I felt that this was going to be a great part of our future at Argyle Jewelers. Because they are so affordable, it gives customers more options for purchasing larger stones with better color and clarity for a lot less money.”

Lab-created diamonds, also known as lab-grown or man-made, are real, manufactured diamonds that can be produced to order in any desired size. The difference between a lab-created and a natural diamond is its origin. Natural diamonds take billions of years to form down in the earth and are retrieved via mining operations. A lab-created diamond is “grown” over the course of several weeks inside a lab using cutting-edge technology that utilizes hightemperature carbon growing and compression procedures which replicate the natural diamond growing process. The result is a manmade diamond that is chemically, physically, and visually the same as one created beneath the earth’s surface. Lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds of the same quality look the same, even to a trained eye. Traditional jewelers' tools, such as microscopes or loupes, cannot detect the difference between a lab-grown and a natural, mined diamond. Joseph confirmed, “For the most part, you cannot tell the difference between an earth-mined and lab-grown diamond. They both have imperfections and various colors and are graded exactly the same by IGI (International Gemological Institute) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America). To distinguish the 2 diamonds apart, they have a laser inscription indicating the lab-grown status.”

Lab-grown diamonds have all the same physical and chemical properties of a mined natural diamond. Diamonds grown in a lab are atomically identical to the ones born in the ground.

Natural diamonds are a rare and precious gift from Mother Nature. A finite resource, they require extensive mining to unearth and locate where she has hid them. For years, the dark side of mining these brilliant gemstones was concealed by the diamond industry; however, the industry has worked hard at making change and most natural diamonds are now certifiably produced in non-conflict regions. Yet, some may argue the danger to the miners and damage to the environment via the diamond mines is not worth the prize. Less miraculous than natural diamonds, perhaps, but labgrown diamonds offer great value from their environmentally and ethically conscious approach: they are much kinder to the earth, much less dangerous to workers, and sustainably sourced. Natural diamond mines will eventually become depleted. And yes, one last difference between natural and lab-grown diamonds worth mentioning is their price tag. Lab-grown diamonds are competitively priced, generally ranging about 30% - 60% less than natural diamonds; however this can vary depending on the size and shape of the diamond. “In my personal experience, the savings on smaller diamonds is about 50%, and as you get into larger caliber stones the savings can be up to 75%,” stated Joseph. "Our number one seller is engagement ring center stones,” said Joseph, “but we do also sell a lot of high-end and customdesigned jewelry made with lab-grown diamonds. Over 50% of our business is special order work. With our new CAD technology there is nothing we cannot create…if you can visualize it, we can make it. Also popular are larger purchases like diamond stud earrings, tennis bracelets, diamond pendants, eternity bands, and large diamond hoop earrings, which all render the most value compared to earth-mined diamonds. We do offer upgrade options on lab-grown diamond purchases at Argyle Jewelers. These diamonds are brilliant…you really need to see them to believe it.” Keep in mind, natural and labcreated diamonds are not in competition with one another; one is not necessarily “better” than the other. They are different. Regardless of your choice, Argyle Jewelers offers a wide selection of both lab-grown and natural diamonds.

The true significance of the diamond you choose isn’t in its origin, its size or price tag…the significance will only be about the love it represents. Congratulations and Best Wishes to all the couples who will celebrate their engagement this December!

Family-owned and operated since 1988, Argyle Jewelers is located in the heart of Babylon Village. 216 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon Village | 631.321.0800 | argylejewelers.com argylejewelers Argyle Jewelers OPEN 7 DAYS | CALL FOR EXTENDED HOLIDAY HOURS AND CLOSINGS.