Lab-Grown Diamonds: A Guide to Sustainable Diamonds

If you love diamonds, chances are you’ve heard of lab-grown diamonds—a groundbreaking advancement that’s transformed the jewelry industry. These remarkable gems have not only redefined diamond design but also addressed many ethical and environmental challenges tied to our favorite sparkling stones. At LUMALUME, we proudly embrace the LGD revolution, featuring exclusively lab-grown diamonds in every piece. Their responsible origins and boundless potential for innovation align perfectly with our commitment to creating jewelry that’s as clean as it is captivating.

What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?

A lab-grown diamond is a genuine diamond created in a laboratory setting. Unlike natural diamonds that are mined, lab-grown diamonds can be made in small labs in cities. This makes them more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and affordable than mined diamonds.

How are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made?

The first lab-grown diamond was successfully created by scientists Howard Tracy Hall and Herbert Strong as part of a project at General Electric (GE). Although there were previous claims of producing lab-grown diamonds, GE's project was the first confirmed success. Initiated in the early 1940s, the project achieved a breakthrough in 1954 with the creation of the first lab-grown diamonds using the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) technique.

Modern lab-grown diamonds are created by adopting the same techniques that form them deep in Earth’s crust. The biggest difference is that they are modified to generate diamond crystals in mere days instead of billions of years. There are primarily two methods used to create lab-grown diamonds: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT), and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

1. High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)

The HPHT method involves placing a tiny diamond, known as a diamond seed, in an environment of extreme pressure and heat. This high-pressure setting is created using a powerful press, while the intense temperature is generated through electrical heating. Together, these conditions kickstart the growth of diamond crystals, resulting in stunning new diamonds.

2. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

The CVD method starts with placing a thin sliver of diamond, known as a diamond seed, in a high-temperature, low-pressure chamber. A special chemical vapor is introduced into the chamber. When this vapor meets microwaves, it breaks into carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon atoms then get deposited on the diamond seed, building up layers of sparkling new diamonds.

How are Diamonds Tested?

Before diamonds reach us, all diamonds undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are genuine. There are three main tests that are used to verify a diamond's authenticity: the Thermal Conductivity Test, the Electrical Conductivity Test, and the Refractive Index Test.

1) Thermal Conductivity Test

Unlike common diamond imitators like Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia, real diamonds are excellent conductors of heat. This unique property allows testers to distinguish between genuine diamonds and simulants. Using thermal conductivity testers, jewelers can confirm the authenticity of a diamond with ease. 

2) Electrical Conductivity Test

Diamonds are electrical insulators, which makes it easy to distinguish them from gemstones that conduct electricity. By testing a stone's electrical conductivity, jewelers can verify the authenticity of a diamond and ensure it's genuine.

3) Refractive Index Test

When light enters a diamond, it bends in a unique way. This bending of light is called refraction, and the degree to which it bends is measured by the refractive index. A diamond's specific refractive index is unique due to its physical and chemical properties, which no other material can replicate. Diamond testers use this property to determine whether a diamond is authentic.

What makes Lab-Grown Diamonds a better option than mined diamonds?

Did the lustrous aura of your colleague’s brand-new lab-grown diamond earrings or your neighbor’s enviable LGD necklace make you crave one? If so, here are a few more reasons why you should embrace the lab-grown revolution.  

Before diving in, let me strike down a few misconceptions that must be in your mind. No! Lab-grown diamonds are not diamond emulators like Cubic Zirconia or Moissanite, and yes! LGDs are real diamonds with the same brightness, fire, and scintillation as natural diamonds.

Same thing can be made very differently

Mined diamonds (sometimes called natural diamonds) are formed within our planet's crust over billions of years through various natural processes. These stones, deep inside Mother Earth’s belly, are extracted through mining before being cut and polished to find their places in many sparkling accessories we adore.   

Evident from the name itself, a lab-grown diamond is created within a laboratory by borrowing the same processes used by nature. This makes LGDs physically identical to a natural diamond but created without tampering with nature’s peace, making them conceptually and ethically different.

Easy on your wallet

Shattering one of the biggest stereotypes about diamonds, LGDs come at a fairer price point (sometimes up to a whopping 70 % lower!) when compared to a mined diamond of similar quality, thanks to the reliable and responsible labs they are created in. This means all those cute diamond jewelry plans forever stuck in your wishlist are now a lot more friendly in pricing. Even better! There is no need to worry about the over-spender in you, as all your jewelry needs will now fit into your budget. 

Good-natured jewels

“Is it being sold to fund a war?” or “Did some poor men dig this up in a dark mine?” Similar questions may have haunted you while picking a diamond jewel for yourself. We can assure you that your concerns are valid. It is an open secret that a sizable portion of mined diamonds reaching us has obscure origins, a cause of worry for many, including us.     

Imagine if your auspicious stones could bling you out while also providing the peace of mind you deserve! Lab-grown diamonds make this a reality by giving full transparency on every gem produced. With LGDs, you can ensure that your jewels are 100% conflict-free and are ethically sourced from the minute you get your hands on them, adding a hint of pride to your special day.

Striking and sustainable 

Sadly, horrors like deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and even displacement of native fauna are all commonly associated with diamond mining, and for good reason. Shockingly, a single carat of diamond mining releases 57 kilograms of CO₂ to the atmosphere and requires 2,700 gallons of water on average. It's time to reintroduce lab-grown diamonds to you with drum rolls! They completely do away with any form of mining or exploitation of natural resources by bringing diamond production into a teeny-tiny lab in your neighborhood. LGD labs are also equipped to meet all their energy requirements from sustainable sources, making sure that the timeless sparkle in your favorite jewels are never born from one of our planet’s biggest woes.

Quick glance comparison between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds

Just as good with added perks

LGDs are pure diamonds that exhibit all the sparkle of natural diamonds and are equally durable (proudly brandishing a record-high score of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness). In short, you could be getting your hands on the same diamond that you know and love but is ethically procured, environmentally benign, and can squeeze into your budget. On those special occasions of your life, spending a little less on your diamond jewelry could be your new thing, especially when it is making our world a slightly better place to live.