Although not mined like natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds possess the same chemical, physical, and optical characteristics as their natural counterparts. As a result, many people wonder if there is any way a jeweler can tell if a diamond is lab-created. To answer this question, let’s check how lab-grown diamonds compare with natural diamonds.
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?
To start with, yes, lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. This is not just because they possess the physical characteristics of natural diamonds but also because they are made from exactly what mined diamonds are made from – pure carbon – under specific temperature and pressure conditions.
Therefore, lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical composition as natural ones, and both types possess the same optical characteristics.
If you subject a lab-grown diamond and another mined diamond under laboratory scrutiny, you will obtain the following properties for both:
- A Mohs scale hardness of 10
- The refractive index of 2.42
- A light dispersion of 0.044
- An electron density of 3.52
- A cubic crystal structural formation
These are the properties of real diamonds, and they hold true for both lab-grown and mined types.
Can a Jeweler Identify If a Diamond Is Lab Created?
Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical, physical, and optical characteristics as mined diamonds, so it will be very difficult to tell them apart. Jewelers and gemologists will not be able to tell if a diamond is mined or grown by using jewelry store equipment like magnifying lenses or diamond testers.
While diamond testers can help you distinguish fake diamonds from real ones, they cannot specifically tell you if the diamond was created in the lab or mined. Therefore, you may request a store owner to use a diamond tester on a diamond, but that is just to ascertain if the diamond is fake or real. As you will have already known by now, lab-grown diamonds like the ones sourced from BIRON® are no fake and are as real as natural diamonds.
How can you tell how a diamond was made?
How, then, can you know if a diamond is lab-grown or not? You may want to know how exactly your diamond is sourced just for clarity and to ensure you’re not being cheated. Thankfully, it is not totally impossible to determine how a real diamond was sourced.
Gem experts use sophisticated equipment to determine the sourcing standards and credibility of diamonds before they are assigned certificates. For a lab-grown piece, they check to see if it is the real thing it is called to be. The graders use information deduced from this grading phase to assign the laser inscription and include other necessary information in the grading certificate.
In particular, International Gemological Institute (IGI) gives specific gradings for qualities like color and clarity, and it is recognized as the best certification for lab-created diamonds.
Therefore, the only way for a jeweler and a buyer to know if a diamond is lab-grown or mined is to check the grading certificate. A quality grading certificate should not mince words in stating if a diamond is lab-grown or not.
However, if you are still unsure, you should check the laser number on the diamond certificate. If a diamond is lab-grown, the laser number will start with “LG.” The gemstone itself will also have the exact laser number inscribed somewhere on its girdle. If the number on the gem and the certificate do not correspond, there may be something fishy going on.
On the other hand, a jeweler’s loupe with 30x magnification might be able to detect if a diamond is mined or not. However, most jewelers have loupes with just about 10x magnification power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the surest way you or a jeweler can tell if a diamond is lab-created is to check its certificate and, particularly, the laser inscription. This would therefore imply that you must go for diamonds that come with certificates if you will be able to determine how exactly they are sourced. Of course, this is the best thing to do for your peace of mind and optimum satisfaction.
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