Have you ever wondered what makes diamonds so popular? After all, they’re one of the most common precious stones in the world. But there’s something about the extreme hardness and sentimental value of diamonds that make them must-haves.
In fact, the global diamond market was worth north of $87.3 billion in 2018 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 3% between 2019 and 2030.
If you’re in the market for some diamond jewelry, you’ll want to weigh your options. As you look at the different diamond rings, necklaces, and bracelets, one thing you’ll want to consider is whether to go with a mined diamond or a lab created diamond.
Whether you buy a diamond made the old-fashioned way, far beneath the earth, or the new way, in high-tech laboratories, is entirely up to you. But there are some excellent reasons to choose the latter.
Keep reading to see five reasons to buy lab grown diamonds.
1. They’re Less Expensive
The first thing you need to know is that lab grown diamonds are real diamonds. Don’t fall for the myth that they simply look like real or natural diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are created in laboratories equipped with technology that replicates the way diamonds are formed naturally deep inside the earth. But both types are virtually identical.
If you know anything about mining, you understand that it’s a costly industry. Companies must buy land, follow a process to get the permits and authorization to build mines, and then undertake expensive multi-year processes to create mines. When you factor in things like the heavy machinery and the manpower required, you can appreciate how costly it is to mine diamonds.
It costs considerably less to create lab made diamonds than to extract diamonds from out of the earth–and those savings trickle down to you as a consumer. If you go with the former option, you’ll save money. Why pay more for diamond jewelry than you have to?
2. They’re Better for the Environment
Mining companies that want approval to build mines must demonstrate that they have adequate measures to protect the environment. It’s also not uncommon for people to protest the building of mines in their regions. Even when measures are put in place to protect the environment, the mining process tends to involve deforestation and ecosystem disruption. And this can go on for years and even decades per mine.
The process of creating lab grown diamonds is better for the environment. It uses cutting-edge technology to make diamonds. There’s no need to dig massive holes into the ground, cut down tens of thousands of trees, or devastate ecosystems. Lab grown diamonds make the most sense if you want to be environmentally responsible.
3. You Don’t Have to Compromise
Sometimes choosing the less expensive or eco-friendly product means compromising on what you really want. But that’s not the case with lab grown diamonds. The main difference between lab grown diamonds and mined diamonds is their origin.
Diamonds are graded on the four c’s: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. One advantage of lab created diamonds over natural diamonds is that they are quite literally perfect as far as diamonds are concerned. With a natural diamond mined out of the ground, the clarity, color, carat, and cut are all a function of what the normal formation process dictates. There’s no guarantee, for instance, that the color or clarity will be top-notch because dirt can become ingrained into the mined diamond. But such is not the case with lab formed diamonds. It’s a controlled process. So, you won’t have to worry about impurities knocking points off of the four c’s.
Are you looking for lab created diamond jewelry like diamond rings? You can learn more about lab grown diamond rings here. You’ll see that there are plenty of great options for lab grown diamonds on the market.
4. They’re the Socially Responsible Option
When you buy mined diamonds, you’ll want to consider social responsibility. The term blood diamonds refers to diamonds sold to raise money for armed conflict against governments around the world. The Kimberley Process was established to combat the trade of blood diamonds. It requires countries to certify that exported rough diamonds are from legal mining and sales processes.
While the Kimberley Process provides some safeguards, that doesn’t mean you can be confident that there aren’t blood diamonds, also called conflict diamonds, for sale. You won’t have the same problems or concerns when buying lab made diamonds. You’ll know exactly where they originated. Once you identify a retailer of lab made diamonds, you’ll know which laboratory created the product. So, if you consider yourself a socially conscious consumer, you’ll want to keep this in mind the next time you’re in the market for diamond jewelry.
5. They’re Unique
Mined diamonds are still more widely sought after than lab created diamonds–but more and more people are starting to see the benefits of going with the latter over the former.
If your next diamond jewelry is lab created, you’ll be on the cusp of a growing trend. Who wants to do what everyone else is doing anyway? If you can be unique, do the right thing for the environment, be socially conscious, and still save money, what’s there to lose? You can get the statement piece you’ve always wanted, and it’ll cost you less.
There are many reasons to consider lab grown diamonds the next time you want to buy some jewelry. Look at the benefits above and then make the right decision for you. When you invest in a diamond, you’ll have a piece of jewelry that can last forever. Diamonds are a great choice, whether you want a wedding ring, earrings, or some other type of jewelry.
You can find retailers of lab grown diamonds online. Check out what they have to offer. You might be surprised at what you discover. At the very least, you’ll find that there are great alternatives to mined diamonds. So, it’ll be a win-win situation.
