Lab Created Diamonds look exactly like natural, mined Diamonds. There is no visual or chemical difference at all. That is because they ARE real diamonds (the Federal Trade Commission even recognizes Lab Diamonds as real)! The only thing that separates them is that Lab Grown Diamonds are made by man, and natural diamonds are made by the Earth.

Other diamond “simulants” (like Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia) do not sparkle like Lab and mined diamonds do. Whereas Lab Diamonds are chemically diamond (pure carbon), Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia are different minerals, with different chemical makeups, looks, and hardnesses. In other words, when placed next to a Mined Diamond, a Lab Diamond will look identical, whereas Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia will look different.

Just like mined diamonds, the color of a Lab Grown Diamond is how colorless it is, or how much yellow tint it has. The diamond color scale begins at D and ends at Z, with most Lab Grown Diamonds falling between D and J. Diamonds in color grades D-F are “colorless” (like water), where stones in the G-J range have increasing amounts of slight yellow tint. These gems are called “near colorless.”

Most of our couples want a “white” stone, meaning they don’t want to see yellow tint. While G color grade is a pretty good across-the-board pick for whiteness and value, the color grade you need for a stone to look “white” depends on its shape and size. That is because larger diamonds show more color than smaller diamonds. Also, “brilliant” cut diamonds (Round, Oval, Princess, Cushion, Pear, Radiant, Heart, Marquise) hide color better than “step” cut diamonds (Emerald and Asscher).

The clarity of a Lab Made Diamond is how many internal marks, or “inclusions,” the gem has. Almost all Lab Made Diamonds contain some internal birthmarks. However, most are so tiny you can’t see them without magnification. In addition to typical inclusions that all diamonds can have, Lab Made Diamonds sometimes also include small black metallic inclusions.

Most couples we work with want an “eye clean” Man Made Diamond. In other words, a stone in which no inclusions are visible to the naked eye. The clarity grade you need to have an “eye clean” diamond depends on the gem’s shape and size. This is because some shapes hide inclusions better than others. In “brilliant” cut diamonds (Round, Oval, Princess, Cushion, Pear, Radiant, Heart, Marquise), VS2 clarity offers a good balance of eye clean clarity as well as value. In “step” cut diamonds (Emerald and Asscher), VVS2-VS1 clarity is the best bet for eye clean clarity and value.