Top 10 Facts About Lab Created Diamonds

While people have been experimenting with the technology used to grow diamonds for over a century now, it has only been in the last decade that we have been able to perfect the science of creating gem quality lab created diamonds in a modern day lab. With today's technological advances we are creating diamonds that are free of any conflict and superior in every way to earth mined diamonds.

In addition to lab created, they are also known as...

- Lab Grown Diamonds

- Man Made Diamonds

- Cultured Diamonds

- Engineered Diamonds

They are also sometimes incorrectly referred to as synthetic diamonds (see fact #2).

Synthetic is defined as a material or chemical created to imitate a natural product. Examples of synthetic diamonds are moissanite or cubic zirconium (CZ) - these products are created to imitate the beauty of diamonds, however, they have no carbon properties. Lab created diamonds are 100% crystallized carbon, identical to earth mined, which means they are real diamonds, not synthetic.

Pictured below: a ring set with a lab grown diamond (left) compared to a ring with a synthetic diamond (right).

Both are pure carbon and identical in every way. Might be hard to believe, but as our CEO, Anna-Mieke explains, “Ice is still frozen water, whether you get it from a modern day environment called your “freezer” or off a glacier, they are still chemically, physically and optically identical, regardless of origin or method."

Type II diamonds are the purest form of diamonds available. As such, they are harder and more brilliant than a traditional type Ia diamond. Only approximately 2% of earth mined diamonds are this level of quality.

Earth mined diamonds are quite costly, but not for the reasons you think. Many traditional earth mined diamond jewelers continue to spread the lie that their high costs are because of their scarcity. The truth is there is an abundance of diamonds in the earth, and in reality the expensive process of mining, processing, logistics, and changing hands all adds to the final price tag. Growing diamonds cuts a lot of unnecessary spend, thus can cost up to 40% less than earth mined, despite being identical (and quite often superior in quality).

Technology for growing diamonds in a lab has developed so much over the years. What once wasn't possible can now be done. This means that you have more options when it comes to quality, colors and shapes.

Unlike the earth mined diamond industry, which continually evolves in shady tactics to keep blood diamonds in circulation, there can not be any dispute about the origin of lab grown diamonds.

By choosing a grown diamond versus an earth mined diamond you're reducing the harmful impact mining has on the environment and native communities. Diamond mining is a very harmful to the environment and an incredibly wasteful process that leaves communities devastated once they shut down (which all inevitably do).

Lab grown diamonds are graded with the same rating system, and same level of scrutiny, as are earth mined diamonds. Additionally, Lab grown diamond certificates will state that the diamond is a ‘Laboratory Grown Diamond’.

Companies like MiaDonna have chosen to give back by donating proceeds from every purchase to our foundation, The Greener Diamond, where we build agricultural farms in Sierra Leone and Liberia, supporting communities to grow food instead of mining for diamonds.

Learn more about lab grown diamonds or browse our loose lab grown diamond inventory.