Synthetic Diamonds versus Natural Diamonds

If you’re new to the diamond world you may not even know synthetic diamonds exist.  The fact is they have been around for decades – being used as tools in optoelectronics and nanotechnology.  Only recently have scientists started marketing them as jewelry.  Here’s a brief explanation of what they’re all about.

What is a Synthetic Diamond?

Synthetic diamonds are diamonds grown in a laboratory.  They duplicate naturally-occurring diamonds in atomic structure and physical properties, making them real diamonds.  Though they have distinctive growth features which prevent them from being identical to natural diamonds, the only way to tell the difference is by using very sophisticated scientific instrumentation found in major gem-testing laboratories.

Synthetics For Sale
Synthetic diamonds are now commercially available in a range of sizes, shapes and colors.  Labs are able to produce colorless and near colorless diamonds weighing up to  1/2-carat, and fancy-color diamonds weighing as much as 3-carats.  Because these diamonds are grown in a controlled lab in a matter of days, synthetic diamonds are much cheaper than natural diamonds.  

How much cheaper?

Although consumers have few retailers to choose from, there are two pioneers in the field currently selling synthetic diamonds for up to 50 percent less than natural diamonds.  Apollo Diamond Inc., located in

Boston, is selling colorless and near-colorless synthetics up to 30 percent less than their mined equivalents and Florida-based Gemesis Corporation, a lab specializing in fancy-colored diamonds, claims to sell stones for up to one-fifth of the cost of a comparable natural diamond. Though estimates vary – a synthetic diamond will be at minimum 10 percent less expensive.
 

Why are they cheaper?

Simple.  They are grown in an industrial laboratory over a matter of days – it’s not a very romantic picture.  Diamond loyalists favor natural diamonds because they take billions of years to form in the Earth’s mantle, before they are discovered in some remote mine, and polished to perfection for us to admire.  The thought of diamonds coming from a canister-like reactor in some warehouse is just not as appealing, and the ease with which these diamonds are created inherently lowers worth in diamond lovers’ eyes. 

If you don’t fall under the loyalist category and are able to look past their pragmatic point-of-origin, synthetic diamonds are a great low-cost alternative for consumers.            

Where can I find them?

Since the diamond industry frowns upon synthetics, your options are limited.  You can buy these stones directly from Apollo and Gemesis or look up Gemesis’ website and check out the list of additional retailers.  A quick online search should pull up a number of other options.

What’s the catch?

 Because scientists are still perfecting diamond making there are a few limits to what you can get.  For instance, the classic colorless and near-colorless synthetic are not available in anything over ½-carat.  Further, some of these retailers do not sell loose diamonds, or have brick-and-mortars you can visit to inspect the diamonds in-person. 

There is also the issue of certification.  Though these labs offer their own certification reports, we have no idea how their standards measure up to the standards of GIA and other well-respected labs, so you might have to take an extra step and send your diamond in for a second analysis.  Last, you may be limited in the variety of shapes from which you can choose.  

In Case She’s Not On-board

If you’ve decided to buy a synthetic, but you’re not sure how she’s going to react, you may want to have a few “non cost-related” reasons to win her over.  One good reason is tied to the blood diamond controversy – no mining means no blood – she can wear that engagement ring worry-free.  A second reason may be that synthetics often have fewer flaws than mined diamonds.  Because these diamonds are grown from perfect slivers of other diamonds, you might be able to get a colorless, flawless diamond – something she’ll absolutely be excited about.