Lab diamonds are typically 40% to 60% cheaper than natural diamonds. This is because the process of creating a lab diamond is more efficient and cost effective than the process to mine a diamond.
Lab diamonds cost a lot less than natural diamonds - typically a lab diamond will cost between 60% and 80% less than a natural diamond with identical carat weight and grades.
The price of a 3-carat lab-grown diamond has dropped by more than half between Q1 2021 ($20,565) and Q1 2023 ($9,305). “You are starting to hear some retailers come out and say they are less motivated to sell lab-grown because the prices continue to fall. That is happening,” Zimnisky said.
Here's the Short Answer
Lab-created diamonds are chemically the same as natural, mined diamonds. They are more affordable, but their value likely will not hold up over time. They will also never have the same rarity, uniqueness and meaning as a natural stone that was formed over billions of years deep in the earth.
As with a natural diamond you can expect your lab grown diamonds to significantly drop in monetary value after purchase. Some estimate that lab grown diamonds can drop to 10% of their original price or lower, while more generous estimators put them nearer to natural diamonds at 30% of the original price.
Professional jewelers and gemologists cannot tell the difference between a lab created diamond and a natural one just by looking at it with the naked eye. They will have to use a microscope to look for the tiny differences in its inclusions that indicate how it was formed.
They have NO resale value.
Unlike natural diamonds which holds value over time, laboratory-grown diamonds are industrial products that are factory produced in matters of weeks. Since they are not rare and easily mass produced, there is NO secondary market for them.
In such a case, they lose their shine due to overexposure to UV light. One reason why lab-created diamonds don't lose their shine or get faded and cloudy with time is that they are created by a process called HPHT. This refers to high-pressure high-temperature.
But, while high-quality natural diamonds tend to retain their value quite well, lab diamonds are less predictable. Physically and optically identical to natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds do not have a finite supply. Therefore, they don't offer the same type of resale value as a natural diamond.
Will Lab Made Diamonds Pass The Diamond Tester? So, because both earth-mined and lab-grown diamonds are formed from crystallised carbon, lab-made diamonds will pass any diamond tester they come across.
Natural diamonds often contain a small amount of nitrogen or other impurities, while lab-grown diamonds do not. Tiffany diamonds are responsibly sourced from known mines and suppliers, and the majority of our rough stones come from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada.
Lab-made diamonds typically have good clarity. Like a high-quality natural diamond, lab-made diamonds won't get cloudy.
They have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as mined diamonds and exhibit the same fire, scintillation, and sparkle. Lab grown diamonds offer an exceptional value when compared with the same quality rare, earth mined diamonds.
When you choose a lab grown diamond instead of a natural diamond, its origin cannot be determined by the naked eye. The only way one could distinguish a lab grown diamond from a natural diamond is with the help of a microscope. Natural diamonds will have small amounts of nitrogen, whereas lab grown diamonds will not.
The average price of a 2 carat diamond is currently $18,858 (see price chart below). 2 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $5,811 - $44,952 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
No, Lab-grown diamonds have the same hardness as mined diamonds as they have the same atomic structure. Carbon is the main element in both mined and created diamonds.
HOW LONG DO LAB CREATED DIAMONDS LAST? The Lab Created Diamond is an heirloom-quality diamond stimulant. This means that—just like a mined diamond—a Lab Created Diamond will last a lifetime and beyond as long as they are cared for properly.
They are chemically identical to natural diamonds
Lab diamonds really do last forever, and there's nothing that will dull the shine or interfere with the brilliance of synthetic diamonds. It's not for nothing that they say it's impossible to tell the difference between a natural diamond and a man-made one.
Artificial diamonds have certain inclusions that are not clear even under a loupe. Jewelers and gemologists use special equipment to determine a diamond's origin. But, some lab-grown diamonds have inclusions that may appear under a loupe.
No need to worry about your ring turning yellow. Your lab diamond will stay as white as it is forever. Because it's a real diamond, you can trust that it's as durable as its mined counterparts. It will never turn yellow or change color over time.
Lab diamonds are bad for the environment
First thing's first: Lab grown diamonds are made with electricity. Electricity is bad for the environment. Lab created diamonds use 250 million joules per carat.
The global lab grown diamond market was valued at US$22.45 billion in 2022. The market value is forecasted to grow to US$37.32 billion by 2028.
One carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. A 1 carat diamond is about 6.5mm in diameter on average. Whereas a 2 carat diamond is approximately 8mm in diameter.
Simply put, lab grown diamonds are better for the environment because they are not mined. Mining for diamonds causes significant environmental damage. To find a single 1-carat diamond, between 88,000 and 176,000 pounds of dirt must be sifted through.
Some people may think that diamonds glow in the dark due to the way that they are cut and polished, but this is not the case. Some lab-grown diamonds may have been treated with irradiation which may cause them to emit light under UV light but it's not a permanent effect and the light is not visible in darkness.