De Beers Introduces New Lightbox Line of Lab Diamonds

A bi-annual study conducted by the De Beers Group, through 360 Market Reach, a national panel of 5,000 respondents, found that US consumers’ awareness of lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) is growing. According to the study, two-thirds of fine jewelry consumers are aware of the concept. Moreover, they perceive lab-grown diamonds as new, modern, and appealing to impulse buyers.

Laboratory-grown diamonds

The De Beers Group is launching a new line of lab-grown diamonds this September. These synthetic gems are a much cheaper alternative to natural diamonds. Prices will range from $200 per carat for a quarter carat to $800 for a one-carat diamond.

Lab-grown diamonds are a great option for casual wear. They can be fun and fashionable, which makes them ideal for playful occasions. Unlike natural diamonds, which are formed from carbon hundreds of miles below the Earth, lab-grown diamonds can be cut and polished. However, they require labor intensive mining processes to obtain them.

Lightbox is a line of diamond products produced by De Beers’ industrial diamond division. Lightbox offers a smaller variety of stones than De Beers’ main diamonds, and focuses on fashion pieces instead of engagement rings. However, lightbox does not carry diamonds larger than one carat. Besides, consumers often prefer natural stones to lab-grown ones.

The lab-grown diamond market is growing at an accelerated pace. As demand increases, manufacturing capacity must increase. Without this, the supply of diamonds will outstrip the demand. As a result, retailers may not stock these diamonds. However, the trend towards synthetic diamonds is not only affecting the price of diamonds.

In addition to cost, lab-grown diamonds are also considered to be a good alternative to natural diamonds. They are cheaper than natural diamonds but still have a significant value, which means that they are a good alternative for fashion and apparel.

Environmental impact

There are two main types of diamonds: mined and lab grown. Compared to mined diamonds, laboratory grown diamonds are environmentally friendly. According to a report by Trucost, which was published for the Diamond Producers Association, the carbon emissions associated with lab grown diamonds is about 510 kilograms of CO2. In comparison, mined diamonds produce an average of 160 kilograms of CO2 per carat. The report cites an analysis by Anglo American, which produces De Beers, which aims to reduce its carbon footprint by using mineral carbonation. This will offset the carbon emissions that occur during the diamond mining process.

Diamond mining causes many negative impacts on the environment. Some of these are associated with deforestation and drought. Moreover, diamond mining requires lots of water to wash away debris. Hence, if you choose to buy a lab diamond, it is essential that you consider the environmental impact of your purchase.

Diamonds mined from the earth are about 1 to 3 billion years old. They were formed deep under the earth’s crust when carbon dioxide was exposed to high temperatures and pressure. In this process, carbon dioxide moved from the core to the crust through a formation called the Kimberlite Pipes.

Unlike conventional diamond mining, the lab-grown diamond industry promotes itself as environmentally friendly and conflict-free. According to the report, the DPA members produced net benefits of $16 billion in terms of socioeconomic and environmental benefits for society. They are also implementing long-term biodiversity conservation programs and publish sustainability reports on their progress.

Price

A May 2018 announcement from De Beers affected the prices of lab diamonds, sending a mixed message to the diamond industry. This announcement may spell the end of the iconic diamond engagement ring, creating a symbol that is almost too solid to be broken. However, the concept behind synthetic diamonds dates back more than 70 years.

A new study by the VDB provides price data for lab diamonds. The report breaks down the figures to highlight some interesting trends. For example, it shows that prices for smaller diamonds are decreasing at a slower rate than those of larger diamonds. The prices for bigger stones, however, have been holding steady.

The De Beers Group, the world’s largest diamond mining company, has announced the development of lab grown diamonds. These diamonds will be sold under a new brand called Lightbox. The synthetic diamonds will be priced at a fraction of the price of natural diamonds. The new gemstones will retail for around $200 for a quarter-carat stone, and as low as $800 for a one-carat gem.

Natural diamonds are formed under intense pressure and temperatures during volcanic eruptions. In order to create lab-grown diamonds, De Beers mimics this process. The company places a “diamond seed” in a plasma reactor and heats it over 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The carbon atoms in the diamond seed are pounded together.

Color

In September, De Beers unveiled its new Lightbox line of lab-grown diamonds for retail sales. This marks the first time that De Beers is introducing a lab-grown diamond for consumer use. While the company has been producing synthetic diamonds for many years through its Element Six subsidiary, the company had not previously created lab-grown diamonds for use in gem-quality jewelry. The new line will feature pink, white, and blue diamonds.

The company plans to sell the synthetic diamonds for $800 a carat. The size range will start at 0.25 carats and go up to one carat. The price range of a 0.25 carat synthetic diamond will start at $200, which is roughly seventy-five percent less than the price of a natural diamond. The company expects to sell these diamonds only as jewelry, so they are not intended to compete with natural diamonds for jewelry prices.

When purchasing a diamond from a lab, it is important to understand the color grading. The higher the color grade, the less visible the tints will be. This makes it important to purchase a diamond with a G or H color grade. If the diamond has a yellow tint, it will be less noticeable with yellow gold metal.

Diamonds can be created in laboratories by using two processes. The first, known as chemical vapor deposition, uses heat and pressure to grow diamonds. In contrast, the second process, HPHT, involves a chemical reaction that changes the composition of the diamond.

Clarity

When it comes to clarity, diamonds with inclusions can range in color and size. Some are transparent and shiny, while others are black and dull. Inclusions are usually categorized according to their size, but the color of these spots is not usually taken into account when determining a diamond’s clarity grade.

One of the benefits of using diamonds that have been grown in a lab is that they are more transparent. Although De Beers does not claim that their diamonds are as clear as those from mined diamonds, it does promise to continue investing in the technology to produce better-quality stones. For example, the company recently launched its “Lightbox Finest” line of stones, which uses the CVD growth method. The “Lightbox Finest” line produces stones that are VVS clarity and D, E, or F color, which are the highest possible color grades for white diamonds.

Another benefit of using diamonds from a lab is that they are usually more affordable than natural diamonds. Moreover, lab-grown diamonds are more sustainable. The energy requirements for a lab-grown diamond are almost identical to natural diamonds. The company is committed to transparency in its supply chain and to minimizing environmental impact.

Lightbox, the De Beers-owned brand, will expand its product line to include two-carat diamonds, although the price per carat will remain at $801. The company also plans to introduce stone cuts in 14-karat gold early next year. It also recently introduced a new diamond engineering process called “Finest” that combines existing CVD synthesis technology with further leading refinement.

Source

The company De Beers recently started selling lab-grown diamonds through its subsidiary Lightbox Jewelry. Although many are skeptical about their authenticity, it does not mean they’re dissembling these gems. The company’s history of creating synthetic diamonds goes back decades, and it credits its New York advertising agency, N. W. Ayer, with convincing the world of the importance of diamonds in the 1940s.

In September 2018, the company announced the creation of a new line of jewelry called Lightbox. This new brand will offer diamonds grown in labs at a lower price. The jewelry line will be available in various colors, including pink, blue, and white diamonds. The diamonds will be marked with a permanent inscription, which can’t be removed or altered.

The company’s Element Six Innovation Center is located in the rolling hills of England, 16 miles from Oxford. There, engineers use machines that replicate the pressures and temperatures found deep inside the Earth’s crust. This technology allows De Beers to produce a flawless diamond in as little as a week. The company is a division of De Beers, the largest diamond mining company in the world.

The report, produced by the Diamond Producers Association, is not conclusive, but it does not account for full lifecycles of diamond mining. It also doesn’t consider the amount of energy used during exploration and mining. According to Saleem Ali, a mineral expert at the University of Delaware, the biggest battleground for lab-grown diamonds will be in the marketing world. For example, the mined diamond industry’s “Real is Rare” advertising campaign wants to portray diamonds as a fairytale, whereas lab-grown diamonds are a modern reality.

De Beers Introduces New Lightbox Line of Lab Diamonds