What Does 'Lab Grown' Diamonds Really Mean?

It took me years of debating whether or not to use diamonds in my designs. I loved the look and sparkle of them, but there were so many things to consider before I got started. Where do I source them? Are they ethical? Will people be willing to invest in them? Do people even like diamonds? With Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought we would talk about the little gemstones we use in our jewelry since not everyone is familiar with lab grown diamonds.

Over the last few years lab grown diamonds have grown in popularity as an ethically sourced, eco-friendly, and affordable alternative to traditionally mined diamonds. Despite popular belief, they have the same quality as traditionally mined diamonds. In fact, the two are identical in every way, except that one is grown in a lab.

Lab grown diamonds have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as naturally mined diamonds, but offer exceptional value when compared with their mined counterparts. They typically cost 30-40% less (woo-hoo!) than mined stones of the same size, cut and quality. With these savings, it becomes possible to afford larger stones or ones of greater clarity for a fraction of the price.

At CMD, we source our lab grown diamonds from American Grown Diamonds. This company uses Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) to grow beautiful gem quality diamonds over a few weeks. The process starts with a 'diamond seed' placed in a sealed tight gas chamber filled with methane and hydrogen. After the diamond is grown, American Grown Diamonds are cut the same way one would cut a mined diamond -- on a diamond wheel. Once the diamonds are shaped and polished, every diamond is inspected. Then, stones that are 0.30 carats and above are sent to an independent third party American Accredited Gemological Institute for grading.

All the diamonds we use are grown locally here in the USA and help support our economy. They are also very eco-friendly compared to diamonds sourced through a mining process. Mining can seriously pollute the soil, water and air and it takes one ton of earth to be removed to extract just one carat of a gem quality, naturally mined diamond. Not only that, but mined diamonds are sometimes used to finance regional wars. American Grown Diamonds are 100% conflict free.

Interested in creating your own diamond adorned piece? We’d love to help and you can book a free virtual appointment to discuss designs.