Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Autumn 2019

What’s the real story with

Laboratory Grown Diamonds?

Laboratory grown diamonds (“LAB”) are exactly what the name suggests … diamonds which are manufactured by human technology and produced in machines that can continue to replicate time and time again.

They are carbon, just like natural mined diamonds, however, the main difference is that laboratory grown diamonds are Type II, whereas 98% of mined diamonds are Type I, with a very small amount (2%) being Type II. “Type I … Type II”, you ask?

Laboratory grown center diamond

Home The information above is the opinion of David Mitcheson. David Mitcheson, FGAA, has a Diploma of Gemology Diploma of Diamond Technology and is a Registered National Council Jewellery Valuer and Manufacturing Jeweller. coincidence then that laboratory grown producers place their manufacturing plants in low energy cost locations and low economy countries which are not disclosed to the consumer but instead their “New York Office Location”? Mining companies, on the other hand, build entire regions to benefit the local communities in which they work, as well as housing, schools, hospitals and in some instances, eg Botswana, the whole country benefits from its diamond resources thanks to “The Kimberley Process” behind the legitimate diamond trade. Mining diamonds sustains ten million people worldwide, whilst laboratory grown diamonds only require a handful of people to operate. In conclusion, laboratory grown diamonds are here to stay. The carat price, as more production comes online, should become cheaper with more competition … we’ll have to see? Setting aside all the PR hype and considering the actual ecological impact of laboratory grown diamonds in comparison to naturally mined diamonds, which diamond would you prefer? Briefly, Type I diamonds contain free nitrogen atoms and mainly form in a well formed diamond crystal – octahedral, cubic, dodecahedral or tetrahedral. While Type II diamonds have extremely low concentrations of nitrogen and have poor crystal form or no crystal form at all. There is a simple test to distinguish Type I from Type II diamonds that only takes a few minutes to do, however, the test to distinguish the difference between a mined Type II diamond and a laboratory grown Type II diamond is very expensive. What laboratory grown diamonds can do is supply affordable coloured diamonds such as blue and pink, and when compared to the price and rarity of naturally mined coloured diamonds, the difference is huge! Laboratory grown diamonds are also tough, with a hardness 10 rating on the Mohs Scale and made of crystalised carbon, just like natural diamonds. With white diamonds (colourless), there is not much difference in price at present … laboratory grown diamonds are 20-30% cheaper, cutting and polishing costs are the same for both categories – it is only the rough which differs in price. Currently, there are two technologies in laboratory grown diamonds … the chemical vapour deposition (“CVD”) and high pressure high temperature (“HPHT”). Unfortunately, they both consume an enormous amount of power to produce grown diamonds, having a carbon footprint that is 40% higher to produce a 1.00 carat laboratory grown diamond compared to mining a 1.00 carat natural diamond! Is it a

Laboratory grown center diamond

Laboratory grown diamond ring

314 West Street, Umina 2257 02 4341 2223 | 0422 635 439 david@seasprayjewellery.com.au www.seasprayjewellery.com.au

& Lifestyle Magazine | Autumn 2019 23