You may have searched around for diamonds to see how much they cost. Or perhaps you’re looking for a diamond engagement ring. In your search, you have likely come across something new: lab grown diamonds. First things first, are lab grown diamonds cheap? And if so, why are lab grown diamonds cheaper?

No, lab grown diamonds are not cheap. They are 100% real diamonds and identical to their mined counterparts. People may call lab grown diamonds cheap simply because they cost less than mined diamonds. But you wouldn’t call a real diamond cheap, would you?

Before you look any further, here’s the bottom line: lab grown diamonds are real, ethical, and affordable—especially when compared to mined diamonds.

Let’s break down why lab grown diamonds are so cost-effective in comparison to mined diamonds.

Where Do Diamonds Come From?

Natural diamonds need conditions of extremely high pressure and temperature to form. They form naturally deep beneath Earth’s crust. Intense heat and pressure in the upper mantle cause carbon atoms to bind together, forming natural diamonds.

This process is extremely slow, sometimes taking billions of years. Once the diamonds form, they must come to the surface for people to mine them. There is a theory that volcanic eruptions millions of years ago caused parts of the mantle to explode. This explosion brought the rock and diamonds in the Earth’s mantle to the surface.

Workers extract diamonds from the Earth at these sites of volcanic eruptions.

How Are Diamonds Mined?

There are diamond mines all over the world. Some of the largest producers are in Russia, Botswana, Canada, Angola, South Africa, and Australia.

Diamonds are mined using different methods depending on the specific location and where the diamonds are located in relation to the surface of the Earth.

Open-pit mining is used when the diamonds are near the surface. Large machines excavate the soil and rock and send it in for processing and sorting.

Underground mining is common when the diamonds are still deep under the surface. Caves and tunnels are dug out underground to access the diamond-containing rock and ore.

Marine mining is when the gravel from the ocean floor is extracted with specialized equipment that extracts diamonds.

Lastly, alluvial mining is when diamonds move from their original location and end up in riverbeds, beaches, or other deposits. This involves sifting through lots of gravel and rock in search of diamonds.

Costs of Mining Diamonds

Mining diamonds is an extremely labor-intensive and resource-intensive process. It requires heavy machinery, manpower, and time.

One of the richest diamond mines in the world must move one ton of rock to get about 1.4 carats of rough diamond. And this rough diamond diminishes in weight and size by about 50% when it receives a cut and polish for diamond jewelry.

There are also more than just financial costs when it comes to producing a natural diamond for sale.

In order to reduce financial costs, many diamond mines adopt unsafe or irresponsible mining practices. This can include unethical labor conditions for workers or environmental costs.

Humanitarian Issues

The diamond industry has a reputation for exploiting workers operating the diamond mines. Unfortunately, this is the reality of companies that are only trying to increase profits.

Many workers are underpaid and must work in dangerous conditions without proper training or safety equipment. Children are also put to work and exploited for labor by diamond mines in some countries.

Environmental Impact

There are also many effects that diamond mining has on the environment and ecosystems surrounding the mines.

Excavating the topsoil in search of diamonds leaves the land desolate; it’s unable to recover after a company abandons a mine. Thousands of mines around the world have been abandoned with no hope of wildlife inhabiting the area or farming.

Creating open areas for diamond mining has drastic effects on local ecosystems, driving away wildlife and destroying the land. Mining operations may reroute rivers as well as construct dams to make space for diamond mining.

Mining for one carat of diamond also uses hundreds of gallons of water. It emits hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, too.

What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?

Lab grown diamonds grow in conditions of high temperature and pressure in a lab. They have the same chemical composition and physical properties as natural diamonds.

The only difference between lab grown diamonds and mined diamonds is where they come from.

Lab diamonds are different from diamond simulants like cubic zirconia and moissanite, which are not real diamonds.

Are Lab Created Diamonds Good?

Yes, even though lab created diamonds grow in a lab, they are still of the same quality as natural diamonds. You are getting a real diamond that sparkles and shines just like any other.

How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?

Lab diamonds grow via several techniques. They are becoming increasingly popular as an ethical and affordable alternative to mined diamonds for engagement rings. Like a natural diamond, a lab grown diamond is real.

The process of creating lab grown diamonds involves replicating the intense pressure and heat conditions that occur in nature. There are two main methods labs use to create lab grown diamonds: High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

High Pressure-High Temperature

The HPHT method uses a diamond seed and carbon seed, placing them under extreme heat and pressure. The carbon melts and forms a diamond around the seed, using the same process that occurs in nature. The newly-formed diamonds are then carefully cooled and polished into gem-quality stones.

Chemical Vapor Deposition

The CVD method also uses a diamond seed, placing it in a chamber with gases such as hydrogen and methane. The gases break down and the carbon bonds with the diamond seed, resulting in a diamond. This process can also produce colored diamonds like pink or blue diamonds by adding additional treatments. Many consider the CVD process to be more efficient than the HPHT method.

Why Choose Lab Grown?

When buying a diamond for an engagement ring or diamond pendant necklace, you should consider a lab grown diamond. Why choose lab grown diamonds? Because lab grown diamonds are an exceptional, ethical choice for anyone who wants to stick to a budget and have a positive impact on the world.

Lab Grown Diamonds Have a Shorter Supply Chain

Diamonds made in a lab go through processing, cutting, and polishing all in the same place. Because of this, there is no cost to transport diamonds from place to place.

A single lab grown diamond can form and be ready for retail without ever leaving one place. This takes away the huge costs of transportation, labor, and resources that comprise the supply chain of mined diamonds.

Lab Grown Diamonds are Ethical

Lab grown diamonds do not have any humanitarian conflicts or unethical processes associated with them. Indeed, you can be sure that a lab grown diamond had a completely ethical production process from start to finish.

Lab Grown Diamonds are Affordable

Lab diamond pricing makes them more affordable than natural diamonds. Now that you know where mined diamonds and lab diamonds come from, you can appreciate their much less costly production process.

Lab grown diamonds are less expensive than mined diamonds because of their shorter supply chain. You aren’t getting a lesser quality diamond by choosing lab grown, you are getting an ethical and affordable gemstone that will last you a lifetime.

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