When it comes to lab-grown diamonds, first thing's first: Yes, lab-grown diamonds are 100-percent real diamonds; they are not fake or simulant diamonds, nor are they moissanite or cubic zirconia. Lab-grown diamonds may also be referred to as lab-created diamonds or man-made diamonds (the terms are interchangeable) but, no matter what they're labeled, they are as “real” as diamonds that are mined from the earth.

It's a fact that lab-grown diamonds are made of the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as earth-created diamonds. The sparkle is the same, the only difference is the origin of the diamond; natural diamonds grow in the earth, while lab-created diamonds are grown in a lab that mimics the growing conditions of the earth.

What are Lab-Created Diamonds
Lab-created diamonds (which have also been referred to as lab-grown diamonds, synthetic diamonds, artificial diamonds, cultivated diamonds, or cultured diamonds) are man-made diamonds that mirror natural diamonds. Because they consist of carbon atoms structures, lab-grown diamonds display the same chemical and optical characteristics of a natural diamond crystal produced by the geological processes of Mother Nature.

Synthetic diamond prices are generally lower than natural diamonds, and the price of lab-created diamonds continues to drop (as much as 30% in a year). This is due to lab-grown diamonds not having any resale value and that the demand for lab-grown diamonds continues to decrease.

How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made
Lab-created diamonds are made by replicating the processes that result in the creation of natural diamonds. Natural diamonds grow through intense heat and pressure which, over millions of years, transforms carbon atoms into beautiful and captivating gemstones we know as diamonds. Lab-created diamonds grow the same way, only through a man-made process that takes several weeks, not millions of years.

Man-made diamonds begin with a tiny piece of diamond, known as a diamond seed. This seed is placed sealed inside a special chamber designed to mimic conditions within the Earth's crust.

The seed, coated in pure carbon, will eventually transform into a synthetic diamond, chemically identical to a natural diamond.

There are two different methods used for lab-created diamonds; High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

HPHT places intense heat (around 1,500 degrees Celsius, or 2,700 Fahrenheit) and pressure (1.5 million pounds per square inch) on the diamond seed and the carbon atoms coating it. On the other hand, CVD uses less heat and pressure, instead of introducing a mixture of chemical gases that break down and harden into crystallized carbon atoms. With both methods, the result is the same; a man-made diamond, created from scratch in a matter of weeks.

What are man-made diamonds Are they real diamonds
The material ‘diamond' is defined as carbon atoms in a cubic structure; both natural and synthetic diamonds are made of this material The vastly different conditions under which natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds form result in differences in their growth structure and atomic-level defects, so to say that they are identical is misleading, says Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer for GIA. “If they were identical, we would not be able to tell them apart.” But because they share essentially the same physical and optical characteristics as natural diamonds, man-made diamonds have the shine and sparkle of a natural diamond when fashioned as gems.

One of the beautiful aspects of a polished diamond is the way light interacts with it, and it has a superior hardness on the Mohs scale (which means that polished surfaces are not easily scratched or damaged), Harwick says. A synthetic diamond has those properties as well

How long does it take to make a diamond?
It typically takes a few weeks to make a man-made diamond in the laboratory. This is a much shorter period than a natural diamond spends on the Earth, which can be millions or billions of years.

How to Tell the Difference Between Lab-Created Diamonds and Natural Diamonds
You can't tell the difference between lab-created diamonds and natural diamonds without specialized equipment, even if you're a professional gemologist. The best way to tell the difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds is to look at the grading report.

If a professional gemologist is determining if a diamond is mined or lab-grown, they use magnification to look at the nature of the inclusions. The inclusions in a natural diamond appear slightly different than in a lab-created diamond. There are sometimes also differences in how the diamond reflects light compared with a synthetic diamond. In general, though, when looking at a lab-created diamond next to a natural diamond, you can't distinguish the two.

Lab-grown diamonds are created using extreme pressure and heat inside a machine rather than the bowels of the Earth
The technology behind lab diamonds has made crucial advances in recent years, allowing companies to grow higher quality diamonds more rapidly and more cheaply. It has meant growing competition between lab diamond and mined diamond companies.

Today, it costs $300 to $500 per carat to produce a CVD lab-grown diamond, compared with $4,000 per carat in 2008, according to a report commissioned by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre Lab-grown diamonds are a rapidly growing trend in the industry. Young diamond buyers are drawn to them by price, transparency, and environmental reasons, with this segment of the market increasing by between 15% and 20% annually, according to the AWDC report. The growth is expected to continue as more jewelers start to sell lab diamonds and more labs are launched.

Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Look & Shine Like Real Diamonds
Yes, lab diamonds carry the same shine and sparkle, the same color and clarity as mined diamonds. There is no difference, other than the creation process.

Pros
The advantage of opting for a lab-grown or synthetic diamond is that they're less expensive than traditionally mined diamonds, too. Lab-grown or synthetic diamonds are not mined but contain the same physical, chemical, and optical characteristics of mined diamonds, A lab-grown diamond might also look more clear. The clarity of [lab-grown] diamonds is excellent, so you can get a bigger, brighter stone with more fire for a lower price than using a traditionally mined diamond,

Cons
Lab diamonds are not as rare as natural diamonds and the processes of manufacture cannot be patented.
Man-made diamonds are more expensive than natural diamonds. It's difficult to tell the difference between a lab diamond and a natural diamond; some experts claim it requires cutting open the stone to establish its authenticity.

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What Are Lab-Created Diamonds
Lab-created diamonds (which have also been referred to as lab-grown diamonds, synthetic diamonds, artificial diamonds, cultivated diamonds, or cultured diamonds) are man-made diamonds that mirror natural diamonds.

What are the differences between synthetic and natural diamonds
Synthetic diamond prices are generally lower than natural diamonds, and the price of lab-created diamonds continues to drop (as much as 30% in a year).

What are Lab-Created Diamonds
Lab-created diamonds are made by replicating the processes that result in the creation of natural diamonds.

How do man-made diamonds grow
Lab-created diamonds grow the same way, only through a man-made process that takes several weeks, not millions of years.

What is CVD
There are two different methods used for lab-created diamonds; High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)