Lab Grown Diamond Earrings
Lab grown diamond earrings are the best way to enjoy the glamour and sparkle of natural diamonds while staying within your budget. They grant you much more bang for your buck, and are considered to be real diamonds.
Lab grown diamond earrings have become increasingly popular among consumers seeking an affordable way to adorn their ears with sparkle that may have been previously cost prohibitive. However, before you make any significant purchase, it is important to understand exactly what you are buying.
What are Lab Grown Diamonds?
Lab grown diamonds are created in controlled laboratory environments using intense heat, pressure, and gasses. The process replicates natural diamond formation with unprecedented speed – by several million years. After a few weeks or months, these gems are chemically, physically, and visually identical to mined diamonds. The main differences lie in their origin and price point.
Benefits of Choosing Lab Grown Diamond Earrings
Cost-Effectiveness
Lab grown diamonds typically cost 60%-85% less than their natural counterparts, allowing you to purchase larger, higher-quality stones for the same budget. This price advantage makes lab grown diamond earrings an attractive option for those seeking luxury without breaking the bank.
It’s an Ethical and Sustainable Choice
For environmentally conscious consumers, lab grown diamonds offer a more sustainable alternative to mined diamonds. The controlled production process eliminates concerns about unethical mining practices. However, it is important to keep in mind that the process does involve using a significant amount of energy.
In a nutshell, there are two ways that diamonds are produced in a lab, CVD & HPHT.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
The CVD process begins by placing a small diamond seed inside a chamber filled with heated gasses. As the gasses reach extremely high temperatures, layers of carbon start to deposit on the seed, gradually forming a square-shaped diamond crystal.
High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)
Using natural graphite, HPHT aims to reconstruct the natural diamond-forming conditions of the Earth. In this method, natural graphite is subjected to extreme pressure and temperature inside a machine, transforming it into a diamond.
Lab Grown Diamond Earrings are Graded the Same Way as Natural Diamond Earrings:
Choosing the Right Cut
The cut of a diamond greatly influences its brilliance and sparkle. For earrings, popular cuts include:
- Round Brilliant: Maximizes light return and sparkle
- Princess: Offers a modern, geometric look
- Cushion: Provides a softer, romantic appearance
Considering Color and Clarity
When selecting any diamond, lab grown or natural, aim for a color grade of H or higher to ensure the diamonds appear white in relation to their setting. For clarity, VS (Very Slightly Included) or SI (Slightly Included) grades often provide an excellent balance between quality and value, as slight inclusions are typically invisible to the naked eye in earrings.
Determining Carat Weight
The carat weight is the size and impact of your earrings. How big of a stone do you want? Larger is bolder and draws more attention while smaller is quieter and more subtle. The carat weight that you select should reflect your personality.
Selecting the Setting
Choose a setting that aligns with the look and feel of your personal style. Popular options include:
- Prong settings: Maximizes light exposure
- Bezel settings: Offers a sleek, modern look and added protection (if you’ve ever had a diamond fall from its setting, you know how important that is).
- Halo settings: Emphasizes and enhances the appearance of the center stone, it’s shine giving shine.
Styles of Lab Grown Diamond Earrings
While stud earrings are classic and versatile, lab grown diamonds are used in all styles of earrings.
- Stud earrings: Timeless and suitable for everyday wear. They are classic, but some might find them to be a bit boring as they don’t include any design elements.
- Hoop earrings: Add movement and flair to your look any day
- Drop earrings: An elegant choice, some prefer drop earrings for more formal occasions.
- Cluster earrings: Create a dramatic effect with multiple small diamonds. Cluster earrings are stylish and catch your eye.
Remember, lab grown diamond earrings are 100% chemically identical to real diamonds and are graded exactly the same way. And, since their current soaring rise in popularity is unprecedented, no one can accurately estimate what their resale value will be in the future. For now, they are a great option for those who want larger stones and sparkle for their look than the price of natural diamonds allows them.
