Beware of Lab Diamonds

Author - Shaniya Hadar

Instagram - @shaniya_hadar

Diamonds are known as one of the beauties of nature. It is not new that every woman loves diamonds, and in recent years has also been desired by more and more men. It is not clear yet whether the pandemic is responsible for the increased request for diamonds, or whether it simply became a status symbol for us. What we are sure about, is that demand is rising, and when demand rises, so do competitors.

Every year around this season, you can see the ascent of excited grooms and brides, excited to choose the perfect diamond for their ring.

Recently, a new competitor has emerged in the glamorous diamond industry - the engineered lab diamonds. It has been said that the difference between a lab diamond and a real genuine diamond cannot be discerned, but in a world that is full of plastic and social networks, maybe a real diamond, like real love is a truly rare thing?

Full and important disclosure: I have been the presenter of Rogel Diamonds, for several years, wearing their sparkling jewelry and the relationship with Shlomit Rogel and the brand has been excellent from the start. I had to understand, what is the true difference between real diamonds and lab diamonds?

If it looks like a diamond, why is it not really a diamond? I went to consult with an expert, I was surprised by what I heard, to say the least.. But I will let you read and decide for yourself. Ladies and gentlemen - the diamond dealer and designer Shlomit Rogel answers the popular question - what is the truth behind laboratory diamonds? 

- So first of all Shlomit, what exactly is a lab diamond?

- The laboratory diamond is a nickname for a stone that is grown and created using advanced technological methods in a laboratory. In fact, biologically the real diamond and the lab diamond have almost identical features, visibly and chemically. However, the essential difference between the two is that one is real - that is, a diamond mined from the earth's belly - and the other is an imitation of the real diamond.

Real diamonds are expensive because of their rarity, they were formed thousands of years ago under high pressure at an extremely high temperature, originated deep in the core of the earth, a product of Mother Earth in its entirety. Every diamond is basically the fruit of thousands of years' creation in the belly of the earth. We diamond specialists actually only reveal the beauty of the natural diamond with the help of cutting and cleaning the stone, and the design.

In contrast, a lab diamond is a diamond that is artificially grown in a laboratory.
Its price is a derivative of the cost of technology and can not be considered as a natural/rare material. And therefore its scarcity has no comparison at all.

- Why does it really matter to me as a customer?

- The initial tendency is to think that they are essentially the same thing, but realistically this is an imitation of a diamond, a product of technological development. Its price has certainly decreased over the years so whoever buys lab diamonds today will be very disappointed to find that the price is expected to continuously drop.

While real diamond prices are only going up as their rarity goes up, artificial diamond prices are only going to decline as technology gets better. One will retain its value - a wise investment, while the other will lose its value.

As a customer you can see the high financial outlay in a real diamond as an asset, which will preserve its value. Because unlike lab diamonds, their value is preserved over the years. Lab diamonds are substantially cheaper than real diamonds, but paying $1,000 for a lab diamond now, in a few years will be worth $100, and will continue to decrease over time. It is disappointing and a waste of money, in the eyes of those who buy a lab diamond. It is better to hold back a bit and spend more because when buying diamond jewelry for thousands of dollars - it is better to buy natural diamonds and not the imitation.

 - So how can I be sure I'm buying a real diamond?

- The safest way to buy a natural diamond and be convinced that there will be no confusion with lab diamonds is to purchase the diamond in an official licensed store or from a certified dealer that does not sell lab diamonds.

Of course, you will receive a gemological certificate from one of the leading laboratories in the field - EGL\GIA - the certificate will state whether the diamond is natural. 

The conversation with Shlomit helped me understand our deep need as human beings for the real deal.
Thinking out loud… Would I likely get a real diamond or would I settle for a lab diamond?
The answer is clear to me. Because like a diamond that is created from the most natural thing we have here in a world that is all engineered glitter, so I also want the real thing, not an imitation, not like, not similar - but the real thing. The strong, the steady and the one who no matter how much they try, they will not succeed in imitating and forever will remain rare.

 

The answer is clear to me. Because like a diamond that is created from the most natural thing we have here in a world that is all shiny and engineered, so I also want the real thing, not an imitation, not like, not similar - but the real thing. The strong, the stable and the one that no matter how hard they try, they will not succeed in imitating it. Diamonds will forever remain rare.