Why Would You Want a Lab Grown Diamond?

If you’re ready to propose to the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you’ll need to get an engagement ring. 

A general rule of thumb is that you should spend around two months’ worth of your salary on an engagement ring. So, if you make $50,000 per year, you should budget about $8,200. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to spend that much. But you probably shouldn’t spend more than that either. One source notes that the average engagement ring cost $3,756 in 2020, far less than the $7,829 average in 2018. When it comes to getting one, it’s hard to beat a diamond. Diamonds are forever.

If you’re researching diamond rings, you’ll want to know the difference between a mined diamond and a lab created diamond. On the one hand, a mined diamond is formed when carbon deposits buried underground are subject to pressure and high temperature. On the other hand, a lab created diamond is created in a lab using technology that replicates the diamond formation process. 

You might be wondering why you should get a lab created diamond over a mined diamond. There are several good reasons to do so. 

Keep reading to learn why this is the case.

They’re Less Expensive

A lab created diamond is cheaper than a mined diamond. In fact, it can be 20% to 30% cheaper. One reason is that the supply chain for the lab created variety is more efficient than the supply chain for the mined variety. It costs mining companies a lot of money to dig for diamonds. They require expensive and heavy machinery to excavate and collect the diamonds. As you can imagine, that extra cost ultimately makes its way down to you, the consumer.

If you see two diamonds that look the same but one is a lot cheaper than the other, why would you pay more? That’s why a lab created diamond is the best value for your dollar.

They are Environmentally Friendly

The process of collecting mined diamonds causes damage to ecosystems and watersheds. It involves digging huge, deep holes in the ground. And this requires the use of a lot of heavy machinery powered by massive amounts of fossil fuels. Depending on where a diamond mine is built, the mining company might also have to cut down many trees. It’s invasive. 

Since a lab made diamond is grown in a laboratory, it doesn’t have the same negative environmental impact. The high-end technology replicates the process that forms mined diamonds. There’s no need to use heavy equipment to access the diamonds either.

Their Origin Can Easily be Determined

Have you ever heard of the Kimberley Process that was started in 2003? It’s a rule established to reduce the market for conflict diamonds, which are rough diamonds used to fund wars. When you buy a mined diamond from a retailer, you won’t know its origin. You’ll undoubtedly hope that the retailer is abiding by the Kimberley Process. But there’s no way for you as a consumer to be sure. 

You won’t have to worry about the place of origin if you get a lab made diamond. Once you know where the lab is, you’ll know where the diamond was manufactured. It’s a guilt-free consumer experience since you won’t have to wonder if you’ve in fact bought a so-called blood diamond.

If you’re planning to get married and are looking for an engagement ring, you’ll have a lot of options. You can’t go wrong with getting a diamond engagement ring. And if you want to get a quality diamond ring at a competitive cost, then finding a lab created diamond ring makes sense.