A growing number of people are investing in lab-grown diamonds because of their ethical appeal, affordability, and aesthetic beauty. In the US alone, sales of lab-grown diamonds increased by 16% in 2023 compared to 2022. They are largely popular among Gen Zs and millennials. The buzz has grown even bigger, and now a lot of famous people are getting engagement rings with lab-grown diamonds.
Lab-grown diamond engagement rings have been worn by famous people like Bindi Irwin, Nikki Reed, and Rooney Mara. Apart from that, stars like Penelope Cruz, Emma Watson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Meghan Markle have been seen wearing diamonds that were made in a lab. And why not? At a tenth of the price, they provide the same shine as their real counterparts.
However, to preserve their brilliance, lab-grown diamond engagement rings need to be properly cared for, just like any other priceless jewelry. Jewelers provide precise advice on how to maintain the finest possible appearance for these rings.
Statista says that lab-grown gems are becoming a bigger part of the world market. Lab-grown diamonds were made in 7.45 million carats in 2021, up from 6.2 million carats in 2020. More than that, it’s projected to hit 19.2 million by 2030. While many people are buying lab-grown diamonds, they need to understand that cleaning them regularly is the most basic way to keep them shining.
Jewelers stress that maintaining the brilliance of lab-grown diamonds starts with routine cleaning. Regular wear exposes your ring to environmental contaminants, lotions, detergents, and oils from your skin, all of which can detract from its shine.
Fortunately, cleaning a lab-grown diamond is as simple as cleaning the natural ones. As you would soak a natural diamond engagement ring, brush it off, and dry it, the same goes for lab-grown diamonds, too.
While you can do this at home, jewelers advise having your jewelry professionally cleaned at least once or twice a year. Using professional tools like ultrasonic cleaners and steamers, they may thoroughly clean the diamond and its setting. At home, these cleaners can get hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. This degree of care assures the diamond will always be bright regardless of how long you keep the ring.
Lab-grown diamonds are not perfect even if they are very durable. Experts in jewelry advise keeping distance from abrasive things and strong chemicals. Chlorine, bleach, and household cleaning agents may corrodes the metal settings and discolor them.
According to Britannica, common bleaches include hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, and chlorine. These compounds cannot directly impact the structure of the lab-grown diamonds. However, they can impact the metal settings holding the diamond.
Thus, if lab-grown diamond engagement rings are set in gold, platinum, or silver, bleach can tarnish or weaken them over time. This may cause the diamond to come free from its setting. Therefore, jewelry should not be exposed to bleach for an extended period of time as this might damage the metal components.
As stated by Grown Brilliance, one of the key advantages of a lab-grown diamond is that it is easily customizable. Through this customization, you can incorporate a story in the engagement ring. However, the use of bleach or other harsh chemicals can impact the customization, and, thus, the story behind it.
Additionally, jewelers advise taking off your ring when working with chemicals, such as when doing housework or swimming in pools with chlorine. When not in use, it’s usually advised to keep the ring in a lined jewelry box or soft pouch. This protects it from possible dents or scrapes that might eventually tarnish its beauty.
It’s true that lab-grown diamonds are hard, but not as hard as real diamonds. A lot of the time, jewelers will tell you not to hit the ring directly or on a hard surface because that can break or split the diamond.
The Mohs Hardness Scale makes it easy to find out how strong diamonds and other gemstones are. Friedrich Mohs, an Austrian scientist and mineralogist, came up with the usual way to compare how hard two different gem materials are over two hundred years ago. Both natural and lab-grown diamonds score a ten on the Mohs Hardness Scale. However, unlike natural diamonds, lab-grown ones are not completely indestructible.
Although very resistant, lab-grown diamonds may sustain damage from sharp objects. Daily-worn rings are more likely to sustain unintentional hits. This is especially true with engagement rings. Accidental damage can be greatly reduced by taking simple precautions, such as taking off the ring when engaging in physical activity or manual labor.
It’s important to preserve your lab-grown diamond ring carefully while not in use to avoid scratches and other damage. When kept together, lab-grown diamonds can harm other jewelry, especially pieces composed of softer metals or stones.
To avoid this, jewelers say to keep your ring away from other things in a bag or a jewelry box lined with cloth. This protects the diamond from unnecessary touch with other things and keeps the metal setting in good shape. To provide optimal security, some people could even want to put their rings in separate containers.
You can also make such a jewelry box with cloth lining at home. All you need is a box, a silver cloth, and average sewing skills. The sole purpose of the silver cloth is to store jewelry while preventing it from tarnishing. Once you have the cloth, you can simply cut it based on the box’s measurement and sew it for lab-grown diamond storage.
Lab-grown diamonds keep their sparkle because they are made in the same way as real diamonds and have the same chemical and physical properties. To make lab diamonds, methods like Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) are used.
The naked eye is unable to distinguish the distinctions between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds. Nitrogen is present in natural diamonds at trace levels but is absent in lab-grown diamonds. In fact, gemologists utilize this as one of the indicators to determine whether a diamond is naturally occurring or lab-grown.
Similar to a real diamond, the monetary worth of your lab-grown diamonds will likely decrease considerably after purchase. Some estimators place lab-grown diamonds closer to real diamonds at 30% of their original price. However, some predict that they can fall as low as 10% of their original price.
Jewelers agree that, with appropriate care, lab-grown diamond engagement rings might last a lifetime. Keeping your ring beautiful for years to come calls for regular cleaning, careful wear, professional inspections, and secure storage.
Once these care routines are incorporated into daily life, they become second nature even if some individuals may find them time-consuming initially. Your diamond ring created in laboratories is a timeless reminder of the love and memories it stands for. Its continuous brilliance thus is evidence of the commitment and care you have given it.
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