Romancing the stone…. a jewellers courtship with Lab Grown diamonds

• Date: 19th April 2022
• Author: Blair & Sheridan
• Categories:
  • General News

What’s the difference between natural and Lab Grown diamonds?  There is only one –  and it is simply how they are created.

Traditionally mined from the earth having been cultivated for upwards of a billion years.  This has become the norm when it comes to most people’s knowledge of diamonds.  Meet the newest kid on the block;  the Lab Grown diamond…  more ethical,  more environmentally friendly and more competitively priced than the natural diamond.

Ladies Solitaire Diamond Engagement Ring – Round Brilliant Cut Lab Grown Diamond 1.74ct

While society’s social and ethical conscience has grown in recent years,  as has it’s interest in options within everything that they consume and purchase and this has branched out into jewellery and diamonds.  As a well established bespoke jeweller,  here at Blair and Sheridan we have been working with Lab Grown diamonds  –  alongside natural diamonds  –  for a number of years now.  Whether Lab Grown diamonds are a new concept to you or you would just like to further your knowledge,  read on to discover more about these exceptional and ground breaking alternatives in the creation of your bespoke rings and jewellery…

A Lab Grown diamond is ‘just’ a diamond.  It is cut and graded,  valued and insured the same way as a natural diamond.  Both are formed under extreme heat,  high pressure and certain chemical conditions  –  these conditions are achieved underground over millions of years to produce natural diamonds.  Alternatively a laboratory can recreate these conditions to produce diamonds in a much shorter time frame.  The end results are chemically and visually identical.  Only a trained professional with very specific equipment can indeed tell the difference.

Platinum Claw Set Studded Earrings, Pear Cut Lab Grown Diamonds 0.86ct Total F Colour VS Clarity Min

So why choose Lab Grown?

Like any purchase,  it’s purely down to individual preference.  One of the biggest draws for anyone considering Lab Grown diamond rings or jewellery is the lessened impact on the environment.  Natural diamonds can only be retrieved from under the earths surface through processes which involve the excavation and movement of land mass.

Are Lab Grown diamonds graded by the same bodies as natural diamonds?

Yes – recognised bodies (GIA & IGI) grade Lab Grown diamonds the same way as natural diamonds.  They are cut and graded the same way and can be used in the same way in jewellery making.  Both are equal in durability,  chemical make up and appearance.

Is Moissanite a Lab Grown diamond?

No  –  Moissanite is a different type of naturally occurring stone  –  it is compositionally and visually different from diamonds.  Cubic Zirconia and White Topaz are similar to Moissanite in appearance but none of these are a type of diamond.

Read more about Lab Grown diamonds here and browse our extensive gallery of bespoke rings and jewellery created using these beautiful stones.  If you are looking to commission a ring or item of jewellery and are considering Lab Grown diamonds, get in touch with Blair and Sheridan today.