A lab-grown diamond is a diamond. It is the same carbon crystal as a mined diamond, with the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale, the hardest natural material), essentially the same physical, chemical and optical properties. Only specialized laboratory equipment can tell a grown diamond from a mined one. The difference is origin: instead of forming underground over millions of years, the crystal grows in a laboratory over a few weeks, by one of two methods, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) or HPHT (high pressure, high temperature). The method is stated on the IGI report.
The honest differences:
- Price. Because supply is not limited by mining, a lab-grown diamond costs significantly less than a mined diamond of the same size and grade.
- Origin. The diamond is grown rather than mined. This describes the stone, not a claim that the whole piece has no environmental impact.
- Resale. Mined and lab-grown diamonds are different markets with different resale values. Buy a lab-grown diamond for what it is: a real diamond at a better price, not as a stand-in investment.
Do not confuse diamonds with simulants. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a different gemstone with a different sparkle and lower hardness (9.25). Cubic zirconia and glass are imitations: much softer, they scratch and dull. A simulant is not a diamond of any kind, grown or mined, and should cost a small fraction of one. US rules (the FTC Jewelry Guides) require sellers to disclose clearly when a diamond is laboratory-grown; ORVESSA sells only lab-grown diamonds and says so on every listing.
How to read the grades. Diamonds are graded on the same 4Cs scale whether grown or mined:
- Color: D (fully colorless) to Z. ORVESSA standard: E, with D on request
- Clarity: FL/IF, VVS, VS, SI, I. ORVESSA standard: VS1, upgradable to FL
- VS1 in words: Inclusions hard to find even under 10x magnification
- Carat: Weight, not size. 1.00 ct = 0.2 g
Check it yourself. Every ORVESSA diamond is graded by IGI, and every piece ships with one IGI certificate covering all its stones. Verify the report number on igi.org/verify-your-report, as described in our guide to verifying an IGI certificate.
Grown in a lab, graded like any diamond, verified by you. That is the whole idea.
Pear Cut Lab Diamond Studs, IGI E VS1, Elegant Upturned Teardrop Earrings
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