What's the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds?

Sarah Kiely Lavelle speaks with Irish jewellery experts to discover the differences between lab-grown and natural diamonds.

Getting engaged is an enormously happy and exciting time for couples. Engagement rings are such significant and sentimental pieces of jewellery, and for centuries diamonds have been a status symbol for love, commitment, and timeless elegance.

Tradition, albeit antiquated, says a person should save two months' salary for an engagement ring. After all, diamonds are forever, right?

However, with lab-grown options flooding the market, our choice extends beyond colour, cut, clarity, and carat.

Are lab-grown diamonds really diamonds?

Many may feel confused with this new category of choice. Lab diamonds, although man-made, are chemically identical to natural diamonds and to an untrained eye, are impossible to tell apart.

With lab diamonds on average coming in between 60 and 85 percent cheaper for identical carat weights and grades than their mined counterparts, it’s not surprising in the age of Instagram and the allure of a bigger-rock-for-less, has seen the lab-grown diamond market expand.

We sat down with two diamond experts to get their advice on choosing the perfect stone.

Martin Commins, owner of Bespoke Diamonds, an award-winning jewellers in Ireland specialising in both natural and lab diamonds, says: "Lab diamonds are chemically, physically and optically the same as natural diamonds, so their appearance, sparkle, strength and longevity are just the same as equivalent grade mined diamonds.

"Both are real diamonds, the difference is how they came into being, like ice from a glacier or ice from your freezer – both are real but formed in different ways."

When the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), a non-profit diamond certification body that invented the globally used grading system, began certifying laboratory-grown (previously referred to as 'synthetic') in 2007, it was a huge endorsement that lab diamonds are real diamonds, just made differently.

Garret Weldon from JW Weldon, fourth-generation family jewellers and one of Ireland’s leading experts on antique diamond engagement rings, weighs in on the differences.

"Lab diamonds and natural diamonds are chemically and optically identical. They are both tetrahedral crystalline carbon. They have the same strength and durability, and are graded to the same scale for colour, clarity, carat, etc.

"The difference is that natural diamonds were formed in the earth's core over many hundreds of millions of years, whereas lab-grown ones were grown in a factory over days to weeks. Most lab-growns are also artificially treated afterward to improve their grade. There are small differences - most natural diamonds have a few parts-per-million of nitrogen, so there are machines that can tell them apart instantly."

Are lab-diamonds environemntally friendly?

Many consumers are led to believe that lab diamonds are a more environmentally friendly and ethical choice, however, research is key in understanding where and how your lab-grown diamond came to be.

Commins advises: "A lot of energy is used in creating lab diamonds, so the issue of sustainability in lab diamonds rests on how that energy was produced. If it comes from coal-powered electricity plants then the sustainability of those diamonds should be questioned. However, many companies use renewable energy such as solar, wind, or hydro to create lab diamonds."

Are lab diamonds more ethical that natural diamonds?

For those concerned about conflict stones, Weldon assures that newer stones generally fall under the Kimberley process, a system created to ensure that diamonds are sourced and traded ethically.

There are also ongoing developments in the use of blockchain technologies to track diamonds from mine to store, which would give further reassurance that a stone was mined correctly.

To ensure your piece is conflict-free and ethically sourced, ask your jeweller to disclose their diamond sources and provide written guarantees on labour and environmental standards at the mines their diamonds come from. From there, you can do your own research.

As for lab-gown diamond, there are still many unknowns about the ethical nature of the work as the factories are in countries that do not give open information about workers' rights and conditions.

"The best way to ensure that a diamond is ethical is to buy an old diamond," says Weldon. "They have the added benefit of being environmentally ethical too, as mining was over a century ago, and in those days mining was less invasive. Many old stones are alluvial diamonds, so they were brought to the earth's surface by natural erosion."

Are lab-grown diamonds more valuable?

For those looking for an heirloom piece or a ring that will hold, or indeed increase in value over time, lab-grown diamonds may not be the best choice. In fact, Weldon warns that "lab grown holds virtually no value".

The Federal Trade Commission in America recommends that all invoices and paperwork for lab-grown show the following disclaimer: "Synthetic diamonds do not appreciate like natural diamonds because they can be created in unlimited quantities and are not subject to the same supply limitations as natural diamonds".

The proof, according to Weldon, is in the margins: "They cost very little to produce, the margin on lab-grown is huge, many times larger than natural stones. This means that you can never trade in or sell a lab-grown diamond. High-quality natural stones have always done well over time."

"As jewellers, we don’t offer investment advice and would warn against unqualified people making claims," Commins advises.

While natural diamond prices traditionally went up in value, current prices for high-spec natural diamonds are similar to what they were in 2009. It should also be noted that a lot of the natural diamonds sold by jewellers are not "high spec" – lower colour and clarity stones with fluorescence are common and these have seen bigger falls in price recently.

Is a lab-grown diamond better than a natural diamond?

When it comes to choosing which route to take, Commins says that it is important to understanding the difference between the two so as to make an informed choice: "We offer both and have created extensive content on our site talking about both as well as ensuring every consultation discusses both options."

Weldon, true to the romance of the task, promises: "The perfect ring will call to you, and you will fall in love with it. Engagement rings exist at the crossroads of jewellery and art - they should be beautiful, rare, and high quality. They are meant to be talismans that capture a moment."

Ultimately the decision to opt for a natural or lab diamond rests with the customer. Those who value tradition, rarity, and luxury may align more with a natural stone, whereas those on a budget looking for a larger engagement ring can see the real value in lab diamonds.

As well as you approaching the decision with practicality, affordability and sustainability in mind, be sure to enjoy every moment.