Shopping Tips to Help in Your Lab Grown Diamond Purchase

When it comes to love and commitment, there’s nothing like a classic diamond ring to embody and portray these two qualities. For decades now, a diamond solitaire ring has been the go-to ring to declare one’s love and intention to marry their partner.

And as the economy turns towards conscientious spending, consumers are looking to buying a gem that is not only stunning, but also ethically sourced and environmentally friendly.

The Myth on Diamond Simulants and Lab Grown Diamonds

This is where diamond simulants come in. Diamond simulants are gradually becoming one of the more popular options when choosing a gem. Many couples are finding sustainable alternatives to be more appealing than mined diamonds and their procurement practices. Moreover, these diamond simulants are priced significantly lower to that of their mined counterparts; thus, couples are able to save a considerable amount of money.

That said, there’s a lot of confusing and conflicting information floating out and about on the Internet. One glaring misconception that many couples tend to have is conflating diamond simulants and lab grown diamonds together, even though they’re 2 entirely different gems.

To help you sort through your confusion better, here is a brief outline on what makes these two types of gems different and how to procure a lab grown diamond worthy of your love.

Diamond Simulants

Diamond simulants are gems manufactured to have the appearance of diamonds, despite the fact that they have very different material and chemical properties. Some of these properties may overlap with that of diamonds but they are generally readily identifiable as stand-ins rather than a perfect alternative.

The 2 most well-known diamond simulants are the cubic zirconia and moissanite. These stones boast high durability and low costs. To the untrained eye, these two gems may appear identical to diamonds but they each possess nuanced characteristics that differ from an actual diamond.

A moissanite’s brilliance is distinctly different than a diamond, as its different faceted pattern creates a rainbow-like effect when it comes in contact with light. This splash of colour is absent in a diamond’s sparkle.

In comparison, cubic zirconia generally has a lower refractive index, thus it will capture light differently and have a less prominent brilliance than your regular diamond.

Lab Grown Diamonds

Unlike the other diamond simulants in the market, lab grown diamonds are physically, chemically and optically identical to mined diamonds. What this means, lab created diamonds share the same exact properties as a mined diamond – everything except their origins.

Despite having used professional gemological equipment, these diamonds are placed in environments that mimic the geological environment needed to produce a natural diamond. With little to no interference, the lab grown diamonds are allowed to grow even with their imperfections. Similar to how there are no 2 mined diamonds are alike, the same could be said for lab grown diamonds.

The best part? Just like the other diamond simulants, lab grown diamonds also have a lower price point than their mined counterparts. In fact, the price of a 1 carat lab created diamond is equivalent to the cost of a 0.5 carat mined diamond! Not only are you getting huge savings, but you’d also enjoy a bigger rock!

So, now that you have learned the differences, how do you shop for them? We share some common mistakes to avoid and shopping tips to help you make a well-informed purchase.

Choosing Your Jeweller

It is important that you know how to shop for a quality lab grown diamond. After all, no matter how much more affordable these lab grown diamonds are compared to their mined counterparts, you would want to get something that’s value for money.

The first step you’ll need to do before going diamond shopping is to do your due diligence and find a reputable jeweller to work with. You can look into the number of years they’ve accumulated being in the industry. Also, be sure to also read reviews and customer testimonials on their product and service. It is also good to ask the jeweller or atelier the crucial questions about policies, returns and warranties.

Look Out For Their Diamond Certification

When shopping for a lab grown diamond, or any type of diamond for that matter, it’s important that the diamonds come with a certification to vouch for their quality. On top of that, these certificates will also provide you with detailed information of the diamond you’re purchasing, from carat weight to the cut of the diamond.

At Star Carat, each and every one of our lab grown diamond is IGI certified. Furthermore, these scintillating gems make up of only 2% of the global production, thus landing themselves in the rare Type IIA category. It’s safe to say that our top lab grown diamonds stand at the upper echelons in the diamond industry.

Each Star Carat purchase will come together with an IGI report that will give you an insight on the diamond’s carat weight, clarity grade, colour grade, cut and shape of the diamond. Knowing these attributes will not only allow you to understand the value of the diamond for the price that you’re presented with, but also whether the said purchase works well within your budget.

It is worth to note that these characteristics are not the only ones that can impact your purchase price. Take into consideration the diamond’s polish, fluorescence, proportions and symmetry of the said gem.

Shopping Tips

Apart from researching on jeweller ateliers and also their diamond certifications, it’s worth to note that that is not the end-all-be-all. Now that several jewellers have also targeted the online market, there are several other steps you may want to take up so to protect yourself.

1. Use a credit card for your payments. This will give you an added protection regardless of where you buy it from – whether it’d be in-store or online.
2. Don’t hesitate to clarify any doubts you have regarding the diamond jewellery that you’re interested in. These questions can range from the certification, its characteristics to even styling choices! Ensure that you also throw questions about the jeweller’s return policies and warranty policies into the mix. Make sure to cover all areas so you won’t regret your purchase.
3. Make sure you receive what you’ve ordered. Especially in the case where you’ve made the purchase online, there is always a small possibility that it might not arrive at your doorstep. Apart from getting it from a reliable and renowned online jeweller, ensure that you screen-shot the product page and the page when you’ve made payment. Should there be any discrepancies, you can show these pages and your email of purchase as proof.