After over four decades of crafting handcrafted engagement rings in London’s historic Hatton Garden, I now advise my clients to consider buying bespoke lab-grown diamond engagement rings over traditional diamond engagement rings mined from the earth, for reasons beyond sustainability.
The first reason for this change of heart is that if I can’t tell the difference between the two diamonds, my clients won’t either. Only De Beers and GIA (the Gemological Institute of America) have the specialist equipment to do so. But most importantly, if a GIA certification calls them a diamond, then I am happy to sell them.
The second reason is that you will either save loads of money or get more for your budget if you go along the Lab-grown route, which is particularly helpful as the world goes through a cost-of-living crisis.
And the third reason, and probably the most important to the buyer, is that a lab-grown diamond is a sustainable choice.
Choosing a lab-grown diamond
It has only been the past eighteen months that I have dipped my toes into the world of lab-created diamonds, and their beauty has blown me away. And what I have found so far is that couples are happy to choose this alternative diamond for their engagement ring. And the partner looking to buy a surprise engagement ring has more hesitancy to change.
So why is there this hesitancy? The root cause is the feeling that they will purchase an inferior ring, which is just not true. They may also worry that their partner will think they are not buying a natural diamond. But they will still get the WOW factor because it is a diamond, and would they even ask? When the ring you propose to them looks amazing.
Are Lab-Grown diamonds a luxury Material?
In 2019, Tiffany wrote an article stating that they did not see a lab-made diamond as a luxury material and would not use it in their jewellery. And that the consumer would continue to want the fantastic story of a natural diamond.
The typical high-street jeweller can’t afford to offer both types of diamond rings, as it would be too confusing and potentially damaging to their natural diamond ring sales. Many people will dismiss lab diamonds, claiming they are synthetic, which is factually incorrect, or that they are as valuable as natural diamonds and will decrease in price, which is also not the case.
The truth is, you do not buy an engagement ring as an investment. Instead, it symbolises your love and commitment to the person you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with. And a handcrafted engagement ring set with a diamond grown in a lab will be unique and luxurious.
Of course, lab-created diamonds do not have the history of a natural diamond, but they are just as unique in the finished ring. Even if you prefer a natural diamond, you still will not know its history. And only if you choose a Canadian diamond will you at least see the mine it has come from.
Your Lab-Grown Diamond Check-list
- Lab-grown diamonds are 100% authentic diamonds.
- No two lab-grown diamonds are 100% identical.
- Growing a diamond in a lab is identical to how a mined diamond is formed. The only difference is that mined diamonds are formed over billions of years.
- The diamond 4Cs apply to lab-grown diamonds.
- Lab-grown diamonds come with either GIA or IGI certificates.
- Typically, lab-grown diamonds will be up to 60% less than a mined diamond’s identical cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight.
Examples of potential savings
- Six-prong trellis engagement ring in platinum ( Source Blue Nile) set with .50ct F SI1, prices from £2,507.98
- One-off Bespoke platinum lab-grown diamond engagement ring set with .52ct D VVS1 £1,652
Buy from a diamond expert.
With all that said and my endorsement of using a lab-grown diamond in your custom-made engagement ring, I must warn you that just like a mined diamond, there are bad examples of lab-grown diamonds, and it is essential that you work with an expert.
Ask David
As a jewellery designer and master jewellery maker, I am happy to answer any of your questions. Most importantly, as I work with both mined and diamonds grown in a lab, I will always give you impartial advice to find the right diamond for you. I can also make you a bespoke engagement ring setting that nobody else will have.
