MW Lab Grown Diamonds

MW Lab Grown Diamonds
Discover lab grown diamonds: what they are, how they’re made and why the efficiency of their production makes lab diamonds significantly less expensive than their natural counterparts. Is a lab diamond right for you? Find your answer with our detailed guide, written by our cultivated-diamond experts.
How are lab grown diamonds made?
In the mid-20th century, scientists discovered a way to duplicate the natural conditions that occur in the earth to form diamonds. Above ground diamonds start as a carbon seed and heat and pressure are applied through Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) growing methods. During this process the seed grows to form pieces of carbon that are then cut and polished into gems. Since lab diamonds are grown in a completely controlled environment, there is no dirt or other minerals to diminish the quality or purity. With guaranteed origins and by moving zero amount of earth - lab grown diamonds are a revolutionary conflict-free alternatives to mined diamonds.

What is a lab grown diamond?
A lab grown diamond is created in a laboratory setting that emulates the natural process of a diamond’s growth. While it is visually, chemically and physically identical to a natural diamond, lab created diamonds can cost up to 60% less and are considered a more sustainable option than mined diamonds.

What are lab grown diamonds called?
Often referred to as cultivated, man made, or even synthetic diamonds, lab grown diamonds continue to grow in popularity with couples across the globe choosing lab diamonds for their engagement rings.

Are lab made diamonds real diamonds?
Yes, lab diamonds are 100% real diamonds, and are optically, chemically and physically identical to natural, mined diamonds. The demand for lab made diamonds has soared in recent years, as engineering methods and technology have been perfected to produce diamonds that are, by all accounts, beautiful, economical, real diamonds.

Lab diamonds vs natural diamonds - what are the differences?
The first thing most people want to know is ‘are lab grown diamonds real diamonds’? Rest assured, diamonds created in a lab are 100% real diamonds. Visually, chemically, physically, a man made diamond bears no difference to a natural diamond. For this reason, lab grown diamonds will register as real diamonds when they’re tested. Specialist laboratory equipment will note whether a diamond has been created in a laboratory, but even the most advanced gemmologists are unable to make the call - by eye or under extreme magnification.
There are no physical differences when we compare Earth created diamonds vs lab diamonds once they're cut - but there are differences in their price and origins. Natural diamonds take billions of years to form within the Earth’s mantle - intense heat and pressure cause carbon to crystallise into a lustrous gem. This process is mimicked in a laboratory to create lab diamonds, through CVD and HPHT - processes that harness intense pressure, heat and carbon-rich gas to create diamonds in just weeks.

Should I choose a lab grown or natural diamond ring?
Whether you opt for a lab or natural diamond is a deeply personal choice - and we’re not here to sway you either way. So, here are facts, to help you make a decision .

• Lab diamond and natural diamonds can be found with the exact same, top quality cut, colour and clarity grades
• Lab diamonds are 100% authentic diamond - identical to those found in nature
• Lab diamonds retail between 60% and 80% less than natural diamonds
• You’ll achieve a considerably higher carat weight with a lab diamond vs natural diamond, for the same budget
• The future value of lab diamonds is uncertain, whereas natural diamonds more or less retain value over time
• Lab diamonds require far less land use than natural diamonds
• It takes a lot of energy to create a lab diamond, but technology is developing to reduce this, and many lab diamonds are created sustainably with solar power
• Lab diamonds are created in a matter of weeks vs the billions of years natural diamonds take to form
• It’s impossible to tell and lab and mined diamond apart, without specialist equipment
• A lab diamond is not a fake diamond, or a diamond simulant - it is an authentic diamond
• Natural diamonds are not unethical unless you buy a blood diamond - which thanks to the UN’s Kimberley Process is near impossible
• Most natural diamond mines are ethically-run and can be a vital source of income for developing, mining-dependent communities. Meanwhile, most diamond labs are based in already-developed countries