What is a natural diamond?
A natural diamond is a diamond that was grown in the earth’s crust over the course of billions of years. They’re formed 90 miles below the earth’s surface, in high-pressure, high-temperature conditions. Underground volcanic eruptions push these diamonds to the surface, where they wait to be discovered.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that were grown by scientists in a lab. They share the same chemical makeup as natural diamonds, and are optically identical. The biggest differences between natural and lab-created diamonds are how they’re made, and how rare they are.
Are lab-grown diamonds worth less than natural diamonds?
While lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds are physically and chemically identical, it’s their rarity that truly sets them apart. Nature has already created all the natural diamonds that will ever exit the earth. Large and high-quality natural diamonds are very rare. By contrast there is potentially no limit to how many more man made diamonds we can grow in the future. Because they can be made in large batches in a few weeks over and over again, they’re priced significantly lower than natural diamonds.
What are lab-grown diamonds known as?
Different sources use different names to refer to lab-grown diamonds. For example, you might see lab-created diamonds, cultured diamonds, engineered diamonds, synthetic diamonds and even man-made diamonds. If you see a stone with any of these names, just know you’re likely getting a diamond that’s been grown in a lab.
