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<table style="border-collapse:collapse;width: 100%;"><tbody><tr>	<td style="width: 18.0302%;">Origin </td>
	<td style="width: 81.8904%;">Natural and lab-grown diamonds are two specimens of
 crystalized carbon. The mined ones are roughly 90 million to three billion years old, and the
 grown ones are created&nbsp;within weeks. In short, the key
 difference between the two is their origin.&nbsp; </td></tr>
<tr>
	<td>Prices </td>
	<td>While the prices of gem-quality natural diamonds are relatively stable, the prices of lab-created diamonds continue to fall as the technology for growing them becomes more efficient. On average, the prices of lab-grown diamonds have fallen by 65-75% since 2016. </td></tr>
<tr>
	<td>Hardness </td>
	<td>Lab and natural diamonds receive a hardness score of 10 on the MOHS scale with 100% SP3 carbon bonds. See more below. </td></tr><tr>
	<td>Fancy Color </td>
	<td>Because natural fancy color diamonds are rare and costly, <a href="https://www.petragems.com/fancy-color-lab-grown-diamonds/">fancy lab diamonds</a> offer an excellent alternative for individuals who cannot afford natural <a href="https://www.petragems.com/fancy-color-diamonds/">fancy color diamonds</a>. </td></tr>
<tr>
	<td>Clarity </td>
	<td>Natural forces created mined diamonds beneath
 the earth’s surface from pure carbon. During the growth process, other substances got trapped inside them. Lab diamonds also often have inclusions because their
 seeds are from natural diamonds.&nbsp; </td></tr>
<tr>
	<td>HPHT vs. CVD </td>
	<td>Although research has been ongoing for decades to grow
 high-quality lab diamonds – at least since the 1950s; they recently became
 available in large quantities. Lab diamonds are grown using two primary methods: high
 pressure, high temperature (HPHT), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Learn more here about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/cvd-vs-hpht-lab-diamonds/">HPHT vs. CVD.</a> <div style="color:rgba(0,0,0,0.01);width:0;height:0">&nbsp; </div></td></tr>
<tr>
	<td>Detection </td>
	<td>Traditional methods and detectors are insufficient to
 distinguish between lab-grown and natural diamonds. For example, GIA uses
 a unique&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gia.edu/id100" target="_blank">iD100®</a>&nbsp;screen to differentiate between lab-grown and natural diamonds. More tools are being developed to help retailers detect lab vs. natural diamonds. </td></tr>

</tbody></table>

Lab vs. Natural Diamond Differences

The price disparity
 between lab-grown and natural diamonds has grown. While lab diamonds are still
 difficult to grow, because the technology and techniques for manufacturing them
 have improved significantly, the cost of growing lab-made diamonds has
 decreased. Notably, since 1960, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/diamond-prices/">prices
 of natural diamonds</a>&nbsp;have increased by an average of 4.3 percent
 yearly.

It is important to
 note that reselling a mined or lab diamond for the same price is difficult. Lab diamonds are probably not a good choice if the value is a key consideration, as natural diamonds maintain better value. At the same time, lab
 diamonds can be an excellent option for saving money.

Example of Price Difference:

A 1-carat diamond in a
 simple platinum solitaire ring with E color and VS1 clarity would cost roughly
 $8,500 if it were a natural diamond. A lab-grown specimen would come in at
 around $2,000.

<ul type="disc">
 <li class="MsoNormal">1.01 Carat Round Cut Natural Diamond - Price $6,300
 (see example&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.00-carat-e-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-13939763?a_aid=5c83f22427304" class="external" rel="nofollow">Here</a>)</li>
 <li class="MsoNormal">1.02 Carat Round Lab Diamond - Price $1,250 (see
 example&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-e-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-18292032?a_aid=5c83f22427304" class="external" rel="nofollow">here</a>)</li>
</ul>

Buyers will pay a
 markup on the new diamond, whether natural or lab-grown, especially after adding
 sales tax. This would also include a 20-30% jeweler’s markup. Additionally,
 when selling a diamond back to a jeweler, they want to buy it below the
 wholesale market price.

So, considering the above example, the loss would be roughly $3,000 for the
 mined diamond, which is more than the total price of the lab-made diamond.
 The resale price would be approximately
 $800-900 with the lab-grown diamond ring. While this is a higher percentage loss, the actual loss is much
 smaller.

Some individuals are
 okay with sacrificing the carat weight and buying a natural&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/diamonds/">loose diamond</a>. For example, they might choose a
 0.5-carat natural diamond instead of a 1-carat lab-made diamond if both are
 priced at $2,000. In this case, selling the natural would save $900 compared to
 around $1,500 for the lab-made one. However, is saving an extra $500 worth a lifetime
 of having a diamond half the size you initially wanted?<a href="http://brilliantearth.sjv.io/JrjYvQ" target="_blank"><img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/Picture21.jpg " alt="lab diamond engagement ring " width="482px" height="336px" title="Oval Diamond Engagement Ring" style="width: 482px; height: 336px;"></a>Buy Lab Diamond Engagement Rings at our <a href="https://www.jdoqocy.com/click-100750571-15362394" class="external" rel="nofollow">Top-Rated Retailer</a>.

Lab vs. Natural Price Differences

A sense of joy comes with owning a diamond. As most people
 describe it, a diamond is a lump of coal subjected to immense pressure.

Technology has been evolving for thousands of years, and its
 impact on the diamond industry is undeniable. For the past decade, the diamond
 industry has experienced a boom in the growth of lab-made diamonds.

These diamonds are aesthetically and chemically identical to
 natural diamonds. The main difference is the growth time of lab-grown diamonds;
 they can be produced in weeks. Additionally, these diamonds are considerably
 cheaper and, theoretically, limitless in supply.









Many admirers of man-made diamonds believe that people no
 longer need to scour the earth for diamonds since science and technology offer
 a much more comfortable and less environmentally harmful alternative—diamonds
 grown in labs.The introduction of lab-grown diamonds has shaken the
 diamond industry to its core, leading to a fierce and severe backlash from
 diamond miners. Significant claims abound on both sides.The growers claim that the diamonds from their labs are
 ethically produced and sustainable. Conversely, the miners believe that the
 gems coming from the earth can generally be considered far more precious and,
 most importantly, real.

Natural diamond enthusiasts have varied opinions.
 Indeed, there is a fight between the growers and the miners over the image of diamonds. After all, image is everything when it comes to diamonds.<img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/img-1695860945.webp" alt="James Allen" width="347" title="James Allen Diamodns" height="194" style="box-sizing: border-box; vertical-align: middle; transition: all 1s ease 0s; transform: scale(0.8);">

Miners versus Growers

Lab-created diamond is
 usually grown by placing a diamond 'seed' into a special chamber with high
 pressure and heat. The room often mimics the natural process by which the
 diamonds are formed. Watch this <a href="https://player.vimeo.com/video/266559133">video </a>for more insights.&nbsp;

<table style="border-collapse:collapse;width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr>
	<td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brilliantearth.sjv.io/JrjYvQ" target="_blank"><img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/Picture22.jpg" alt="growth chamber lab diamonds" width="449" height="262" title="Lab diamonds growth process"></a> </td>
	<td style="width: 50%;">The first process is
 crystallization, where the diamond seed matures within about five to ten weeks.
 The diamond is cut, polished, and graded by a grading lab.Creating
 gem-grade diamonds requires using a set of ultra-pure carbon-rich gases,
 such as methane, within a controlled chamber. Initially, methane and a few
 other gases are heated to the point where they break apart. This lets every
 carbon atom in the gas separate.

Immediately after,
 these carbon atoms fall into a diamond substrate. The molecules build various layers, resulting in a rough diamond crystal and type II
 gem-grade diamonds.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

In recent years,
 growers have experimented with different methods. They have also tried various
 process modifications with different chemicals during the initiation stage.
 Among others, these variations in processes include:

<ul type="disc">
 <li class="MsoNormal">Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD)</li>
 <li class="MsoNormal">Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD)</li>
 <li class="MsoNormal">Ultrahigh Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition (UHVCVD)</li>
 <li class="MsoNormal">Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD)</li>
</ul>

High-Pressure,&nbsp;High-Temperature (HPHT)

The process involves
 simulating a diamond's natural growing environment in the earth's crust. The
 machines that carry out the process can build up approximately sixty thousand
 atmospheres of pressure.

The temperature within
 the devices also builds up to about 2,500 degrees Celsius. The growth cell must
 have all the ingredients for a diamond, like a catalyst mix of powders
 and metals, pure graphite, and the natural diamond's seed.

Growers use three
 primary tools to supply the necessary temperature and pressure to produce the
 lab-grown diamonds within the HPHT process. The machines are Bar Press, Belt
 Press, and Cubic Press.

Laboratory technicians
 place the cell at the center of the HPHT chamber. Subsequently, a consistent
 temperature of about 1,300 degrees Celsius and about fifty thousand atmospheric
 pressure are applied. The catalysts within the cell are the first to react to
 the added stress and heat, transforming solid ingredients into a molten form.

The molten form
 solution causes the graphite in the cell to dissolve. Once dissolved, a cooling
 process begins, allowing the carbon atoms to build upon the seed.

Once the growth cycle
 is complete, growers remove the cell from the HPHT chamber and prepare the
 newly rough-grown diamond for cutting and polishing.

The High-Pressure,
 High-Temperature (HPHT) process needs a highly controlled environment to
 produce a gem-quality diamond. Any slight change or shift during the growth
 process can result in either the diamond not growing or inclusions that might
 make the diamond unusable. Each diamond must complete the entire growth process
 before the growers open the machine.

Once the process is
 complete and the HPHT chamber is opened, the growers can only glimpse the
 finished rough diamond, including its clarity, size, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/diamond-color/">color</a>.

Comparison Table

It will most likely be a duck if it walks and quacks like a duck.
 The same logic applies to lab-grown diamonds. Put another way, if it
 looks like a diamond and sparkles like a diamond. There is a high chance
 it is a diamond—the following comparison between the physical properties of
 lab-grown and mined natural diamonds proves this point.

<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="780" style="width: 99.1054%; margin-left: 0.397614%; height: 529px;">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="width: 32.8305%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 PROPERTIES
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="width: 31.8545%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 GROWN
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="width: 35.315%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 MINED
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Hardness (MOHS)
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 10
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 10
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Price
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Affordable
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Expensive
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Hardness Comparable
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 2.42
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 2.42
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 SP3 Carbon Diamond Bonds (%)
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 100%
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 100%
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Internal Crystal Structure
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Face-Centered Cubic
 </td>
 <td valign="top" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
 Face-Centered Cubic
 </td>
 </tr>
 </tbody></table>

Science & Sparkle: Growing Diamonds

While lab-grown
 diamonds are chemically identical to natural diamonds, what sets them apart is
 that they are not rare. In contrast, the latter is at least gem-quality above
 one carat.

We will not replace
 natural diamonds, but we will have a long-term solution for people who cannot
 afford natural diamonds.

When considering
 lab-grown diamonds, here are some of the<a href="https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/in/diamond-facts-info/myths-about-natural-and-man-made-diamonds-sustainibilty/" rel="nofollow"> myths</a> that lovers of natural diamonds
 believe should be dispelled (or at least that these myths should not be the
 reason why one must buy a lab-grown diamond):

Natural diamonds are not rare.

Gem-quality diamonds
 with the finest color and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/diamond-clarity/">clarity grades</a>&nbsp;are
 rare, and the mined supply has been shrinking for decades. Sizes larger than
 one carat are scarce; the larger they go, the rarer they get.

Natural diamonds affect the environment and support terrorism.

DeBeers is mainly
 responsible for inventing this myth in the 1960s to resist competition from
 small-scale artisanal miners in central Africa. The latter sold and exported outside the DeBeers sight-holder system, usually straight to Israeli
 cutters. Admittedly, diamond mining has aided in financing African conflicts,
 but so has the mining of various other resources, which are still
 mined today and employed in goods that people enjoy. Diamond mining has a
 negligible environmental impact compared to the scale at which we destroy the
 environment for agriculture. Diamond mining is also a significant source of
 income for many African countries, giving many people the best chance to get a
 good job.

Synthetic vs. lab diamonds.

It is relatively
 uncommon for people to know where these synthetic diamonds are grown. They are
 created in laboratories, the vast majority—70 percent—of which are in China.
 The phrase "lab" was deliberately fostered to make them appear more
 acceptable; indeed, the growers worked hard to get the term
 "synthetic" banned, even though that is precisely what they are. They
 realized it would sound unappealing to consumers.

Lab-made diamonds are more ethical or environment-friendly.

70% of today's lab
 diamonds are created in China, which is rising. To put it plainly,
 China, the world's leading emitter of CO2, needs an outstanding human rights
 record. Most of China's power—the power required to produce those
 diamonds—comes from highly polluting coal-fired power plants. In the few
 scientifically thorough studies of carbon emissions necessary to generate a
 carat of gem diamond, mined and synthetic diamonds were found to be on par or
 extremely close to one another. Of course, this ignores the reality that man-made
 diamonds still require mining: Every stage of their operation necessitates
 mining, whether coal for China's power plants or raw minerals for the equipment
 they need to grow them.

Jewelers make more on natural diamonds.

Since naturally
 mined diamonds come with heftier price tags than their synthetic counterparts,
 it is assumed that jewelers prefer to deal in them for greater profits. The
 truth, however, is quite the opposite. Jewelers' margins on natural diamonds
 are slim, but they can profit handsomely from synthetic diamonds. The wholesale
 cost of lab diamonds has dropped dramatically in recent years, so they can be acquired for 90% less than the Rapnet pricing for natural diamonds.

DeBeers has a monopoly on diamonds.

As mentioned before,
 DeBeers had a role in distorting the image of synthetic diamonds, but
 since the 1980s, this has fortunately not been the case. In fact, in the last
 25 years, this has become even less true. Other firms and/or nations manage massive
 mining operations without DeBeers' cooperation.

The Case for Natural Diamonds

Competition will always exist, and several reasons could
 favor lab-created diamonds over mined ones.







The price of lab-grown diamonds is significantly lower than
 that of mined diamonds. Although cutting, inspecting, and polishing lab-grown
 diamonds are similar to natural diamonds, there are significant differences in
 how we acquire them.



Mined diamonds usually have a longer supply chain. Getting
 the mined diamond from its raw form to a shop requires miners, large
 corporations, dealers, cutters, polishers, and retailers.



Conversely, lab-grown diamonds have a shorter supply chain
 since they skip the mining process.Another reason that might favor lab-grown diamonds over
 natural ones, although debatable, as explained earlier, is that lab diamonds are
 ethical to produce.Mining diamonds have been under scrutiny over the last few
 decades, with a key concern being that it might fund conflicts between armed
 groups in fragile states.











If avoiding<a href="https://www.petragems.com/blog/blood-and-conflict-diamonds/"> blood or conflict diamonds</a> is a consideration,
 lab-grown diamonds might be one solution; there are also ways to obtain a
 natural diamond with a certificate of origin and mining.The last reason that might favor lab-created diamonds is
 that they are environmentally kind. Just like mining any other natural source,
 the extraction of diamonds causes land degradation. While many diamond mining
 companies have been taking steps to minimize the impact of mining on local
 ecosystems, it is safe to state that lab-created diamonds are still less
 detrimental and damaging to the environment. Lab-grown diamonds use less energy
 during the growth process inside a lab than diamonds dug from the ground.Finally, technological advances could result in less energy
 being used by the labs to grow diamonds, thus increasing the difference in
 energy consumption between lab-grown and natural diamonds. As this happens,
 production costs and the prices of lab-grown diamonds will continue to fall.In conclusion, lab-grown and naturally mined diamonds
 will continue to have their unique place within the fine jewelry industry, complementing each other and not replacing the other.

In Conclusion, Why Buy Lab-Grown Diamonds

Demand for lab-grown
        diamonds is growing. They have similar physical and
        chemical characteristics as natural diamonds and are created in a lab f

Lab-Grown vs. Natural Diamonds: Cost Differences, Pros & Cons

Sharif Khan

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