Key Factors To Consider When Determining The Quality And Value Of The Best Lab-Created Diamonds
The price of diamonds is not taken out of thin air. It is set based on the assessment of various factors. The origin of the stone does not matter. Both natural and laboratory-made diamonds are assessed equally. In this article, we will tell you how this happens.
Different Systems
When you shop from Rare Carat, you can get a certificate. This document contains all the key parameters of the stone. Lab-grown stones are identical to natural ones. Therefore, the same testing algorithms are used for them. Gemstone dealers and jewelers did not immediately come to a single system for assessing the quality of gemstones.
While it was easy to classify diamonds by weight and size, color and defects often served as a stumbling block during negotiations. In addition, each workshop had its own requirements for equipment for assessing stones.
There are currently several accepted systems for classifying diamonds:
- GIA (USA);
- GOST (Russia);
- HRD Antwerp (Belgium);
- CIBJO (Switzerland);
- Scan D. N. (Scandinavian nomenclature).
In essence, all these systems are aimed at the same thing: they provide an assessment based on different criteria. As a result, the specialists determine the quality. So, the question of how much is a carat diamond doesn’t have a definite answer. Sometimes, stones with the same description can differ in price by more than 40%.
Quality
Lab stones are graded on the same scale as natural ones. They also have specific color and clarity ratings. The higher the color rating, the less color the stone has. The price for gems with high ratings is more significant. Accordingly, the higher the clarity rating, the purer the stone and the fewer inclusions it contains.
Since 2020, the authoritative Gemological Institute for diamond evaluation GIA has begun certifying lab-grown diamonds, which has given a huge boost to the development of man-made stones. Today, 2 carat diamond rings with lab-grown stones are widely available.
Certificate
For several years now, lab-grown stones have been certified. This is a relatively expensive procedure, so manufacturers usually only do it for large diamonds. But in any case, you can request a document confirming the quality of the product.
Do not neglect this. Although the price of such jewelry is significantly lower, it cannot be called small. You must understand precisely what you are paying for. In addition, such a document will help prove ownership in the event of loss or theft of a diamond. Therefore, in case of a large purchase, make sure that the stone has the appropriate certificate. For small jewelry, you can limit yourself to an independent specialist’s inspection.
Ethical Aspect
Defenders of natural stones insist that artificial ones are, at the very least, not an investment, not to mention the emotional component. Now, they have undermined the market for natural stones, the prices of which have fallen. But in the future, they will devalue themselves.
After all, unlike natural gemstones, lab-grown ones are more than a renewable resource, which means that the criterion of “rarity” does not apply to them. Even large stones of impeccable characteristics, if there are millions of them, will cost several times less tomorrow than you bought them today.
At the same time, synthetic stones remove the ethical problem of mining. Thus, African deposits, which supply the lion’s share of natural diamonds, are famous for the use of child labor and the appalling conditions of workers. These stones are not called bloody for nothing—behind them is a century-long history of civil strife and wars.
The ideologists of synthetic companies emphasize the ethical production of laboratory-grown stones. These companies are mainly focused on millennials, for whom environmental concerns are one of the main criteria for choosing a product. However, this argument is also dubious. The production of diamonds in a laboratory consumes a colossal amount of electricity. They can be called “ethical” stones, but certainly not “eco-friendly.”
Conclusion
Lab-grown diamonds are not fakes or counterfeits. They are the most complex imitation of natural processes, allowing you to get magnificent stones in a short time. Therefore, such jewelry is entirely identical to natural ones in its characteristics. Accordingly, the same scale can be used to assess their quality.