Post # 1
Member
1 posts
Wannabee
LADIES-
My boyfriend and I of 3.5 years went to look at engagement rings. I went in incredibly open minded and didn’t realize that the jeweler we went to has a large selection of lab grown diamonds. I was immediately skeptic, but the jeweler placed a real diamond and a lab grown in my hands and asked me to choose which one was earth mined and which was lab grown… needless to say, I was wrong! My main question is this…. I have some friends with lab grown diamonds and I swear they don’t give off that rainbow shimmer that diamonds give off. Am I just being picky because maybe the ring hasn’t been cleaned in a while? Or is this because maybe the quality isn’t the best?
Post # 2
Member
342 posts
Helper bee
As far as I know lab diamonds are REAL diamonds. They have the same exact chemical makeup as a natural diamond but are just made in a lab. A diamond is a diamond. The cut/clarity are what’s important and what affects the sparkle not whether it was mined or made in a lab
Post # 3
Member
72 posts
Worker bee
I don’t have a lab diamond, but I do know they still have different cut grades. If you want the best you still need to buy a super ideal cut regardless of if it’s a lab diamond or not. You can also use the HCA tool to get a general feel for it’s light performance. Maybe your friends with lab diamonds didn’t go for the best specs?? That would make a difference.
Post # 4
Member
72 posts
Worker bee
Just wanted to point out that I’ve seen some gorgeous lab diamond engagement rings on this site!! It’s all about the cut. Even a natural diamond with a bad cut will be a dud.
Post # 5
Member
170 posts
Blushing bee
I would buy from a reputable online lab grown diamond specialist like Brilliant Earth, Diamond Foundry, or Clean Origin. They specialize in ideal cut lab diamonds. There is no difference to the naked eye between a lab and earth mined diamond. Only very high tech can distinguish whether a diamond was grown or mined. They are both made of pure carbon.
Post # 6
Member
5549 posts
Bee Keeper
What you’re noticing is differences in cut. Lab diamonds are identical to mined diamonds, it’s the same element – carbon.
Post # 7
Member
6369 posts
Bee Keeper
Lab diamonds are exactly the same as mined in structure. Just one was mined and one was grown. You still need pick a diamond with the 4 c’s in mind, especially cut and clarity.
Post # 8
Member
385 posts
Helper bee
- Wedding: May 2020 - Austin, TX
I have a lab diamond from brilliant earth. It is an IF, H color and super ideal cut and sparkles like crazy! I went and looked a mined diamonds from a few chain retailers when we started talking rings. I am so happy we went with a lab diamond as we were able to get more bang for our buck. There is no difference in appearance or structure as they are the same thing just one is made in a controlled enviroment.
Post # 9
Member
667 posts
Busy bee
They’re the same. As others have said, the difference you saw was cut proportions. I went with a mined diamond for my engagement ring, but I would have no issue purchasing lab diamonds in the future.
Post # 10
Member
1348 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: November 2019 - City, State
klc643 : I have a lab diamond and mine throws rainbows onto the wall EVERYWHERE. So that’s absolutely not true. It’s likely just that particular diamond you saw. Cut and clarity are very important to get that kind of sparkle.
Post # 11
Member
224 posts
Helper bee
Lab diamonds have the same chemical composition as natural diamonds. The only difference is that they are grown in a lab, not mined out of the earth. Lab diamonds, like natural diamonds have varied color grades, cut, clarity.
You can have a shitty looking mined diamond just as easily as a shitty looking lab diamond. It’s on you and your partner to choose a stone with good specs. My lab diamond is GIA certified.
Post # 12
Member
170 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: June 2021 - Iowa
I LOVE my lab diamond from brilliant earth! It’s super sparkly! It was considerably cheaper than a mined diamond of the same size which was awesome. I did a bunch of research on them and from what I found they have the exact same chemical makeup as a mined diamond so you’d never be able to tell the difference, sometimes jewelers don’t even know 100%. The way they sparkle depends more on the cut of the diamond than anything I think.
heres a pic of my .47 ct lab diamond!
Post # 13
Member
145 posts
Blushing bee
FWIW, after seeing moissanite, I’ve never seen enough rainbows in a diamond 😬
Post # 14
Member
538 posts
Busy bee
There are unfortunately predatory companies out there which market CZs as “lab diamonds”, for example Diamond Nexus Labs.
People who buy these believe they are getting genuine diamonds, but their stones will become cloudy and dull over time, because they are cz.
I’m hoping this did not happen to any of your friends, but unless you know that they sourced them from a reliable place, this could be why they look different to you.
Post # 15
Member
233 posts
Helper bee
Just as with mined diamonds, cut is king. If you don’t get the best cut, your lab diamond (which is chemically, physically, and visually a diamond) just won’t sparkle much.
Pricescope generally recommends aiming for a diamond with these proportions:
Table %: 54-57
Depth %: 60-62
Crown angle: 34-35 degrees
Pavillion angle: 40.6-40.8 degrees.
They also look at the relationship between crown angle and pavillion angles. Generally, if your crown angle is lower (34 degrees) aim for a higher pavillion of 40.8. Conversely if your crown angle is higher (35 degrees) aim for a lower pavillion of 40.6.
I got a lab diamond and that thing sparkles all the time in lots of lightings. I can’t stop staring!
