Mined diamonds vs. Lab-grown diamonds: Important differences to know

There’s a lot of confusion regarding the realness of lab-diamonds. People often wonder- Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds? Also, people hesitate a lot when buying man-made diamonds because they think that they aren’t real. To clear this confusion, one needs to understand the difference between lab-made and mined diamonds. Man made diamonds vs Real diamonds have been a never-ending debate. In this blog, you’ll learn the most important distinctions between the two.

Before talking about the difference, let’s clear out that man-made diamonds are real diamonds having physical and chemical properties similar to real diamonds. In other words, lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. However, they only differ in terms of their origin point, price, and sustainability.

  • Point of origin– Man-made diamonds are manufactured inside a closed chamber under controlled conditions. The room has been set with the right temperature and pressure levels to manufacture the diamonds. On the other hand, mined diamonds, as the name suggests, has to be extracted from beneath the earth’s surface. It involve the use of heavy equipment, hazardous working conditions, and forced labor.
  • Price– The price tag is one of the most crucial things that you need to consider when making a comparison between real and man-made diamonds. The price difference is vast. The cost of mined-diamonds is way too expensive and this is all because of the heavy usage of manpower, resources and efforts. Man-made diamonds, on the other hand, are graded according to the 4Cs but they are at still 30-40% less expensive than their natural counterparts.
  • Sustainability– As far as sustainability is concerned, lab-grown diamonds are far better than their original counterparts. There have been histories of violation of human rights at the hands of the diamond traders and some laborers also had fallen prey to the brutal mining tactics. Also, child labor has been quite prevalent in the diamond industry. Therefore, the younger generation looks for sustainable options and hence, man-mad diamonds are the best choice as they are guilt-free diamonds.

However, if you’re looking for better resale value, investing on natural diamonds is the best choice. Though this fact may not be in favor of lab-grown diamonds, it is still recommended that manmade diamonds are the best. And why not! Real and man-made diamonds cannot be differentiated optically. It means special tools are needed for checking out whether a diamond is real or manmade. You’ll be surprised to know that even industry experts cannot visually make out any difference between the two. Therefore, manmade diamonds have become a top choice for engagement ceremonies. However, you need to learn lab made diamonds and their 4Cs- i.e. Cut Clarity, Color, and Carat weight. Also, it should be certified by a reputed laboratory. Also, do not forget to check out the price of these diamonds because man-made diamonds will be available at a price tag that is 30-40% less than natural diamonds. Now that you know that manmade diamonds and real diamonds, make your choice accordingly.