Long associated with rarity, special occasions, and a hefty price tag, diamonds are both prized and coveted by many. Yet, more and more skeptical consumers are bringing up concerns about traditionally mined diamonds, including the environmental impact, the effect on humans in war-torn countries, and—let’s be honest—the financial cost of the glittery jewels.
Few realize, though, that there’s an alternative to mined diamonds: jewels that are created in a laboratory setting. There are multiple names for this sort of gemstone; “lab-grown,” “cultured,” “man-made,” and “created” are just a few. The part of the name that doesn’t change is “diamond”—after all, these gemstones are chemically identical to mined diamonds, meaning there’s nothing artificial about them. But a 2018 survey done by the Diamond Producers Association stated that only 16 percent of respondents identified lab-grown diamonds as “real.”
To be clear, these aren’t cubic zirconias or any sort of crystals. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agrees that lab-grown diamonds are just as real as mined diamonds, revising its guidelines in July 2018 to state that the man-made gems are identical in every facet to diamonds formed underground—but without the negative impact that some consumers are hoping to avoid, as well as a lower price tag.
Creating Cultured Diamonds
Man-made diamonds might seem new, but scientists learned how to create diamonds in a laboratory setting in the mid-1900s. It wasn’t entirely successful back then—the diamonds were more orange in color rather than crystal-clear. New technology, however, has changed that.
Just like mined diamonds, lab-grown varieties start with the element carbon. It’s put under the same pressure and temperature constraints as traditional diamonds, and then it’s exposed to the same chemicals that cause the carbon to crystallize in the wild. The more the carbon crystallizes, the bigger the diamond grows.
Who Can Tell?
In the wild, no two diamonds are exactly alike—they’re a bit like snowflakes in that way. In a lab, though, diamonds are free from the naturally occurring imperfections known as inclusions. Some people might just love that because it means the jewels will be sparklier. Others might think it means their diamond is lacking in character. However, it’s unlikely that the average person will be able to tell the difference at a quick glance.
The Need for Lab-Grown Diamonds
The majority of diamonds are mined in Africa, from miles below the land’s surface, displacing thousands of tons of earth in the process. A number of African countries are also the origin of the concern surrounding the humane conditions of the diamond mining industry.
It’s worth mentioning that diamonds are also mined in Canada, Russia, and Australia. Even some diamonds from Africa are mined humanely. Additionally, you can—and should—obtain a Kimberley Process certificate with every diamond purchase to know that the diamond was mined and shipped in a humane manner.
Additionally, irresponsible diamond mining has wreaked havoc on the environment in certain parts of the world, due to lack of regulations. That’s not to say that there’s no environmental impact in the manufacturing of cultured diamonds and, as of yet, there hasn’t been any independent research to substantiate the claims of lab-grown diamond companies. However, there’s little argument that the impact is less—likely significantly less—than mined diamonds.
