The holidays are coming up, which means it’s time to start writing down a list of gifts to get for your loved ones. A watch for Dad, a leather portfolio for your colleague – there are so many different things you can gift to those closest to you. While numerous different gifts have become popular during the holiday season, most of them fade into the background after a couple of years, but the one gift that has stood the test of time as the best holiday gift is diamonds. In recent years, lab-grown diamonds have become more and more popular, and for a good reason. People are starting to understand the pros of getting lab-grown diamonds instead of your traditional mined diamonds.
Today, we’re going to dive into this and tell you four reasons why you should consider buying lab-grown diamonds this holiday season instead of mined diamonds. You might be shocked at some of these reasons, and we’re excited for you to fall in love with lab-grown diamonds just as much as we have. To learn why mined diamonds aren’t worth the hype (or the money) anymore, keep on reading.
1. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Just as Real as Mined Diamonds
We’ll shout this from the rooftops for as long as we can; lab-grown diamonds are just as real as mined diamonds. Some people are under the false impression that only diamonds that have been mined from the earth should be considered real diamonds. This is simply untrue. Thanks to the vast progress we’ve seen in the scientific fields, we are now able to create real, authentic diamonds in a lab setting in six to ten weeks. This time frame is astonishing compared to the fact that mined diamonds take centuries and even millennia to form. Even the chemical molecular structure of lab-grown and mined diamonds are the same. Based on all standards, diamonds created in a lab deserve the title of “diamond” just as much as mined diamonds do.
2. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Judged by the Four C’s, Too
For years, mined diamonds have been judged for quality based on the four C’s:
- Cut
- Clarity
- Color
- Carat
These are the gold standard qualities that make a diamond a diamond, and, interestingly enough, lab-grown diamonds are judged based on the same four qualities. Lab-grown diamonds, like mined diamonds, display differences in cut, clarity, color, and carat, emphasizing that this type of diamond isn’t just a one-type-fits-all crystal but rather a genuine diamond through and through.
3. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Cheaper Than Mined Diamonds
The third reason why you should consider lab-grown diamonds this holiday season is that they’ll save you a whole lot of money. By a whole lot of money, we mean that lab-grown diamonds are typically 50% to 60% cheaper than mined diamonds. For example, while a one-carat mined diamond might cost you a whopping $7,000, a lab-grown diamond of the same carat, cut, color, and clarity would cost you somewhere between $3,500 and $3,000. Considering that lab-grown diamonds are just as authentic as mined diamonds, we think this is a steal. Lab-grown diamonds are indistinguishable from mined diamonds, so why spend the extra money on a mined diamond just for bragging rights? Your wallet will thank you when you opt for lab diamonds this holiday season.
4. Lab-Grown Diamonds are Ethically Sourced
This fourth reason is the real kicker for people who care about where their products come from; lab-grown diamonds, in contrast to mined diamonds, are ethically sourced. In the 1990s, the terms “blood diamond” and “conflict diamond” first came into the picture. These phrases are used to denote diamonds that were used to fund rebel movements in Africa, leading to many innocent people being oppressed, exploited, or dead. Additionally, diamond miners in places like Angola or Liberia do not always have worker protection standards in place, so it is easy for traffickers to exploit them for labor and pay them unfair wages.
While some estimates say that 99% of diamonds would not qualify as blood diamonds, there is no way to fully know how widespread the purchase and trade of blood diamonds are. Thankfully, there is no need to worry about blood diamonds when purchasing a diamond made in a lab. Lab-grown diamonds are created using ethical practices. No more wondering if people were oppressed and exploited because of that diamond ring. Go for lab-grown diamonds to completely avoid this dilemma altogether.
Here are the four main reasons why you should consider lab-grown diamonds this holiday season:
- Lab-grown diamonds are just as real as mined diamonds
- Lab-grown diamonds are judged by the four C’s, too
- Lab-grown diamonds are cheaper than mined diamonds
- Lab-grown diamonds are ethically sourced
We hope this article shed some light on why lab-grown diamonds are outselling their natural predecessors. With more people caring about where their money is going, mined diamonds just aren’t cutting it anymore. Save yourself money and stress about moral dilemmas by getting lab-grown diamonds for your loved ones this holiday season. After seeing the price tag and quality, you’ll never want to go back.
