Are Man-made, Synthetic, or Lab Grown Diamonds Real?
Yes. Laboratory-grown diamonds are real and are not fake diamonds. Man-made diamonds are 100% carbon and have the same chemical properties as mined diamonds. Lab created diamonds are grown by recreating the conditions underneath the Earth that result in diamond growth: pressure, heat, & carbon. Lab grown diamonds are not the same thing as diamond simulants such as cubic zirconia, moissanite, or a CZ with a diamond like carbon (DLC) coating.
Is a Cubic Zirconia (CZ) the Same Thing as a Lab Grown Diamond?
No. Diamonds are made entirely from carbon, whereas cubic zirconia contains zero carbon! CZs are much weaker than diamonds and have different light performance and patterning. Any jeweler can easily tell the difference between a diamond and an inferior diamond simulant such as CZ or moissanite.
Is a Synthetic Diamond the Same Thing as a Lab Grown Diamond?
Yes. Laboratory grown diamonds can be referred to as lab created diamonds, grown diamonds, synthetic diamonds, man-made diamonds, cultivated diamonds, or cultured diamonds. That being said, we believe that synthetic is a scientifically inaccurate term for laboratory grown diamonds.
Can a Jeweler Tell That a Diamond is Lab Grown?
Short answer- it is difficult and requires niche equipment. Our lab 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 laboratory-grown diamond and a natural, mined diamond.
The low-cost diamond testing tools used by many jewelers are designed to test between fake diamonds (CZ, moissanite) and diamonds. These cheap tools are rudimentary and are not able to accurately differentiate between mined and grown diamonds.
The gemological equipment needed to reliably determine if a diamond is mined or grown is quite complicated and costs over $10,000. The most accurate detection method, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy, requires deep freezing the diamonds to −320°F (−196°C)! Most jewelers do not own such equipment due to the high cost and complexity.
That being said, all of FTM's lab diamonds above 0.50ct are graded by third party, non-profit gemological organizations and certified as lab grown with a microscopic laser inscription. A jeweler can utilize a microscope and look up the unique ID of the diamond in a public database. We are proud of the origin of our diamonds and do not try to hide the fact that they are lab grown.
How Do You Grow a Lab Diamond?
By recreating the conditions underneath the Earth that result in diamond growth: pressure, heat, & carbon.
Today, there are two methods of growing diamond gemstones: High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) & Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Each process is best suited for certain sizes & colors of diamonds.
How Long Does it Take to Grow a Diamond?
It takes 7-10 days to grow a 1 carat lab diamond, and about a month to grow a 3 carat diamond.
If you try to grow a diamond faster, the diamond crystal will fracture or develop voids, producing a grown/gray color. Thus, there is a physical speed limit to how fast you can grow diamonds.
Are All Lab Diamonds Flawless and Perfect?
No. Because diamonds are grown by recreating the conditions of nature, lab grown diamonds have the same variations of color and clarity that exist in natural diamonds (the 4Cs).
Lab diamonds still range across the color and clarity spectrum, just like mined diamonds. FTM Diamonds chooses to only work with diamonds that are G+ better in color and VS2+ better in clarity. Just like mined diamonds, lab diamonds can vary in their quality even beyond the 4Cs.
Are Lab Diamonds Cheaper than Mined Diamonds?
Yes. Lab created diamonds tend to retail at a 40-50% discount off of equivalent quality natural diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are priced based on their quality, just like mined diamonds.
We often get asked "how much is a 1 carat lab diamond?" and the answer is, it depends on the quality, just like mined diamonds.
Are Lab Diamonds Graded by Third Party Organizations?
Yes. Nearly all lab diamonds above 0.50ct are graded and certified by reputable non-profit gemological laboratories such as GIA, IGI, or GCAL. We always recommend purchasing a lab diamond that has an independent certification.
We will always share the grading report with any diamond we offer to our clients and those reports can be verified by looking up the ID on the grading organization's web site. If we believe a diamond received a liberal grading, we will not sell it.
Does GIA grade lab diamonds?
Yes, we proudly offer GIA-graded lab diamonds. If a lab diamond you have reserved currently has an IGI or GCAL report, we are happy to send it for secondary GIA grading. Fees apply.
Can I Get a Lab Diamond Appraised and Insured?
Yes. Laboratory-grown diamonds are easily appraised and insured, just like mined diamonds. Most of our clients choose to insure their jewelry from our suggested insurance provider, Jeweler's Mutual Insurance. Progressive jewelry appraisers, such as American Gem Registry, will gladly appraise lab diamond jewelry.
Can I resell a lab grown diamond?
Yes. Just like mined diamonds, there is a resale market for laboratory-grown diamonds. A purchaser of a lab created diamond can expect to resell their lab diamond at a similar discount to what they would receive for a mined diamond.
Because lab diamond gemstone sales are relatively new, there are not as many outlets that will buy back a lab grown diamond, yet. IE pawn shops, diamond liquidators, and traditional jewelers many not yet buy lab diamonds at the rate that they purchase mined diamonds; however, that is changing as the industry grows. For example, one of the largest online diamond brokers in the world recently started allowing sales of lab diamonds on its network.
It is important to note that both grown & mined diamonds do not increase in value over time, relative to inflation, and should not be considered a place to "park" your money.
We advises our clients to view their lab diamond purchase as a luxury, discretionary purchase, not an investment. You should never expect to be able to sell your diamond for more or the same of what you originally paid for it at retail, whether natural or lab grown, relative to inflation. This is because retailers who buy your diamond from you have to be able to resell that stone for a profit.
Do Lab Diamonds Change Color Over Time?
No. Laboratory-grown diamonds do not fade, discolor or cloud over time.
Where are lab diamonds made?
All over the world! Currently, we are only purchasing lab diamonds from our partners in the USA, Belgium and the UK,