Please Note: Do not confuse cultured diamonds with diamond simulants, which are often advertised as lab-created diamonds. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. The cost of a lab-created diamond is not far off from the price of white natural diamonds.
While a vast majority of natural diamonds are white, scientists were first able to create gemstone quality yellow, then blue and pink diamonds in a lab. In 2004, these man-made diamonds became available to the general public. In 2014, white cultured diamonds over 1 carat became more commonly available and less expensive. White lab-created diamonds generally cost about 20% less than equivalent natural diamonds.
Cultured diamonds are my favorite stone to mount in an engagement ring. Here are some reasons why:
New. This is brand-new technology. Human intelligence, effort, and collaboration have created one of the beauties of nature that we have been dreaming of for generations.
Eco Friendly. Cultured diamonds require no mining and little energy to produce. That means no drained lakes, explosives, or damage to the ecosystems several African countries, Canada, or Russia.
Conflict Free. Armed conflict in several African countries in the past few decades has been fueled in part by diamond sales. The discredited Kimberly Process offered meager assurance. Even buying diamonds mined in “non-conflict” countries contributes to the prices that the conflict stones command. Cultured diamonds are truly conflict-free.
I especially enjoy mounting blue cultured diamonds in engagement rings because they are:
Beautiful. Unique. Most people have never seen a blue diamond. They are enchanting – and far less common than white diamonds. If you are looking for something different, but not too different, blue lab-created diamonds are a great choice. The blue saturation and hue of a cultured diamond is much lighter than traditional sapphires, and stands out less. The blue sparkle is something few people have ever seen.
Two major disadvantages of cultured diamonds:
Expensive. Cultured diamonds, like natural diamonds, are expensive. While white lab created diamonds cost about 25% less than natural white diamonds, they are still significantly more expensive than natural sapphires, rubies and emeralds.
Reputation. Many people have a knee-jerk reaction against synthetic gemstones. People often associate lab-created with “cheap” or “fake.” You do not want to convince your girlfriend that a lab-grown diamond is better than the natural diamond that she has always dreamed of.
Selection. There are fewer lab diamonds being manufactured than natural diamonds being mined. We will not have the same availability of shapes, qualities and sizes of lab diamonds as with natural.
Please Note: There is a big difference between cheap and inexpensive. Read up here if you are looking for an inexpensive diamond alternative.
That was long. Here’s a (slightly dirty surface) yellow before I explain your options:
I offer two options for engagement rings:
1) I can make one for you. All engagement rings I fabricate are hand made to order, from 100% recycled precious metals. If you are on a budget, I can sell a pre-fabricated ring mounting and set a cultured diamond for you.
2) I can teach you how to make the engagement ring with your own hands in my shop in Manhattan. Workshops typically last one day (10-12 hours) for solitaires and 2 days for custom designed rings. The following photos are of cultured diamond engagement rings created by customers:
