What is the difference between a mined and lab-made diamond?

You could be one of the many to wonder what exactly is the difference between a diamond dug up from the earth or one made in a laboratory.

This is a question that could be weighing on the mind of anyone about to buy a diamond, especially a diamond engagement ring.

What is the difference between the natural and man-made diamond?

There is an almost magical way the range of spectral colours shine in direct light is the key to its charm. Both versions of a diamond will play with the light in the same way.

Diamonds are fundamentally pure carbon. There are traces of other substances which often gives them a yellowish colour (or even the rare blue colouring). Natural diamonds often contain miniscule amounts of other material trapped as the diamond starting forming.

Man-made or Lab-made diamonds have many of the same properties as a natural diamond. Even a qualified jeweller or gem expert could not be able to tell the difference in the two just by sight. It actually takes specially trained staff with sophisticated equipment to identify the natural from the man-made version.

It’s interesting to know that Lab-made diamonds are real diamonds.

Does the difference in diamonds matter?

When it comes to diamond rings and jewellery, there is a difference that may matter more to some people than others.

There is the classic big C’s of clarity, colour, cut and carat, yet one above all else can be the most decisive factor of all – Cost.

In today’s market, you can buy a man-made or Lab-made diamonds for a third or less than the price of mined diamond.

It’s no longer a matter of choosing between a real and fake diamond. A diamond can be Lab-made or Mined – both are diamonds.

The Pros & Cons of Natural vs Man-made diamonds

It’s often best to look at the advantages and disadvantages of something to better weigh up the options of deciding one way or the other.

As far as Natural vs Man-made diamonds go, here are a few of the main issues to contemplate.

The Pros of choosing Man-made diamonds for diamond rings include;

• PRICE – you should be able to pay 10% to 30% less on a man-made diamond than a natural diamond. The savings increase in the case of coloured diamonds.
• SUSTAINABILITY – it is assumed that less energy is used to create a lab-made diamond than to dig out a natural diamond from deep in the ground.
• ORIGIN – you will always know the origin of a man-made diamond and be sure there is no chance it is not part of supporting wars or child labour.

The Cons include losing the following attributes;

• PRESTIGE – If you tell people that you have a lab-made diamond engagement ring, they may not understand and assume that you have paid for a fake diamond.
• UNIQUENESS – Lab-made diamonds are not one-offs like natural diamonds are. Being mass produced in a diamond factory cannot have the glamour of a natural diamond.
• HISTORY – a diamond that has been recycled over many years can have a rich history to draw from and a wonderful story to tell. Having one of the diamond rings handed down from generation to generation – “this was my great-great-grandmother’s diamond engagement ring” – has a warmth and charm of its own.

There are many elements to factor in to your decision about which of all the diamond rings will suit you best.

What matters most to you, whether it’s price, romance or peace of mind, is the true key to choosing the right diamond ring.

Finding the Best Place for the Best Diamond Rings

There are everyday engagement rings and then there are diamond engagement rings.

Once you have weighed up all the options with choosing a diamond, finding that perfect ring should be easy.

Now it is.

The very best engagement rings Melbourne has on offer are available now at Franco Jewellers.

The expert team can take you through the entire process of finding the right diamond for you. From the variety of cuts to having a custom designed diamond ring made for your engagement, it’s all here waiting, right here at 260 Collins Street.

Our consultants will take the time to have a special ‘face to face’ consultation where they can go through everything you want from personal preference, design and working to your budget.

The quality at Franco Jewellers is unsurpassed.

For more details on the best diamond engagement rings Melbourne has on offer, contact the Franco team today.