How the Price For Lab Grown Diamonds Is Determined
How the Price For Lab Grown Diamonds Is Determined
In the diamond industry, prices are determined based on color, clarity, and carat weight. These gradings are referenced by the Rapaport List, which is an international benchmark for setting diamond prices.
DeBeers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, started selling lab-grown diamonds in May 2018. These synthetic gems cost about $800 a carat, a 20-40% savings compared to mined gemstones.
Color
Color is a very important factor in setting the price of lab grown diamonds. While natural mined diamonds are characterized by their colorless or colorless-to-light yellow body color, lab-grown diamonds can come in a variety of shades.
For instance, lab grown diamonds can be yellow (from Nitrogen), orange (from solvents), or a shade of blue (from exposure to Boron). The color of lab grown diamonds is determined by the growth process and is graded according to the color grading system used by gemological laboratories like the Gemological Institute of America and the International Gemological Institute.
In general, the more color a diamond has, the more expensive it is. But, the price can also be influenced by other factors such as the clarity of the diamond, the cut, and the environment in which the diamond is made.
While there is no industry standard for pricing lab diamonds, most jewelers have a price per carat that combines looking at color and clarity gradings along with the Rapaport List, an international benchmark that sets prices for mined diamonds.
Because lab grown diamonds are created under controlled conditions and are more likely to have high clarity grades, they’re often less expensive than their mined counterparts. However, they still have inclusions and imperfections that can affect their grading.
If you’re planning on buying a lab-grown diamond, make sure to verify that it’s from a trusted source and has a certificate from a respected laboratory. The certificate will give you an idea of the diamond’s quality and should help you avoid being scammed.
Many national retail chains now carry lab diamonds, including major department stores like J.C. Penney and Macy’s. These stores offer rings, earrings, and other diamond jewelry that is made with lab-grown stones.
Clarity
The clarity of a lab grown diamond plays a huge role in setting its price. This is because blemishes and inclusions can be very expensive to remove from the diamond’s surface, and many vendors will charge extra for this service.
The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and IGI (International Gemological Institute) grade lab grown diamonds on a scale from Flawless to Included. The higher the clarity grade, the less blemishes and inclusions are present on the diamond’s surface.
A diamond’s clarity is determined by a variety of factors, including the size and location of the blemishes. These imperfections can range from tiny cracks to large dents and scratches, depending on their position.
These blemishes are usually very noticeable when the diamond is displayed at a high magnification. A dark blemish is more likely to be noticed than a light one.
Similarly, the relief of an imperfection also affects its clarity. Inclusions that are close to the girdle (edge) of the diamond tend to be less prominent, while inclusions that rest in the center tend to be more noticeable.
This is why it is important to choose a diamond that has a high clarity rating. This will save you money in the long run as you won’t have to worry about removing these blemishes from the diamond’s surface.
There are several different types of inclusions, but the most common ones include needle inclusions and feather inclusions. Needle inclusions are shaped like tiny black dots that can sometimes affect the diamond’s shape and structure.
Feathers are similar to needle inclusions, but they have small cracks from top to bottom. These can negatively impact the diamond’s shape and structure, especially if they are deep enough.
Carat
The price for lab grown diamonds can vary widely, depending on a number of factors. One of the most important aspects is the carat weight of the stone. For lab grown diamonds with higher carat weights, the cost will be lower than for lower carat stones. This is because larger diamonds are more valuable than smaller ones.
The shape of a lab grown diamond can also affect the price. For example, oval and marquise shapes can appear bigger than their carat weight and thus have higher prices than round brilliant diamonds with the same carat weight.
Lab-grown diamonds can be cut into many different shapes, including rounds and fancy cuts like emeralds and radiants. However, the popularity of these shapes means that the supply of lab-grown diamonds with these cuts is limited.
As a result, the price of these diamonds can increase and decrease rapidly. This is because consumer demand for fancy cuts outstrips the available supply of synthetic diamonds.
In order to keep up with the demand for these diamonds, manufacturers are constantly improving their production methods. This helps to lower the cost of manufacturing them, thereby making them affordable for consumers.
When buying lab-grown diamonds, it’s always best to buy from a reputable retailer. This is because you want to make sure that the diamond you purchase is genuine and not a fake or a scam.
Lab-grown diamonds are also a more environmentally friendly option than mined diamonds. This is because synthetic diamonds are sourced from recycled metals and can be certified by companies with a commitment to “Beyond Conflict Free.” They are a good choice for consumers who are concerned about the environment.
Shape
Lab grown diamonds are available in many shapes. This allows consumers to choose a diamond that complements their fashion sense and fits their budget. However, some shapes are more expensive than others.
The shape of a diamond is one of the most important factors that determines its price. This is because the cut of a diamond can affect its beauty and how well it performs.
It also affects its price per carat. In addition, the diamond’s clarity and color can have a major impact on its value.
Since these stones are not mined, they are not as readily available, which can have a significant impact on their prices. The value of a diamond can vary from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on its quality and its size.
According to experts, the cost of a lab grown diamond is significantly lower than that of a mined one. This is due to the lower production costs.
Moreover, lab grown diamonds are chemically identical to Earth-mined diamonds and have the same properties, including brilliance, durability, and toughness.
The price of a lab grown diamond is also dependent on the seller and its reputation. Larger retailers are more likely to have higher prices than smaller stores.
As a result, it is important to shop around when purchasing an engagement ring. This will ensure that you get the best value for your money and aren’t stuck with a ring that you don’t like.
The price of a lab diamond can vary significantly from stone to stone, so it’s important to research the stone and its grading before making a purchase. It’s also important to find a reliable retailer that will provide a warranty and shipping and return policies.
Certification
If you’re looking to purchase a diamond, you should always make sure that it comes with a certificate. This will help you to know if it meets the industry’s standards and is safe to wear.
Often, lab grown diamonds are certified by the IGI (International Gemological Institute) or GIA (Gemological Institute of America). This certification will give you an accurate assessment of a diamond’s cut, color, clarity and carat weight according to strict international standards.
The process of lab-grown diamond creation is facilitated through a series of scientific procedures that replicate the natural diamond formation process underground. These processes include high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
HPHT is a process that uses consistent temperatures reaching 1,300 degrees Celsius and more than 50,000 atmospheres of pressure to transform the seeds into diamond crystals. The CVD method, on the other hand, uses a mixture of carbon-rich gases and heat to transform the seed into a diamond crystal.
Both of these processes have a few minor differences that can affect the diamond’s color and clarity quality. For instance, in the HPHT process, the seed is heated up to a higher temperature and under more pressure than in the CVD process, while the catalysts used in the HPHT process react quicker and may contain different trace elements that can influence the color and clarity of a diamond.
In addition, lab diamonds will sometimes have inclusions in them from the substances used to facilitate their growth. These will show up as dark spots or imperfections on the surface of the stone.
A lab-grown diamond can be difficult to distinguish from a natural diamond without specialized equipment. However, a good gemologist will be able to tell if the laboratory-grown diamond is not a natural one, using a jeweler’s loupe and testing its grading report.
How the Price For Lab Grown Diamonds Is Determined