diamanti sintetici Archives

The historic Vever brand returns in Paris

Published on September 1, 2023

Bague Ginkgo, Pavée Or Jaune & Diamant Blanc 2cts

In Paris there is a new old Maison: Vever. New because it was just opened a couple of years ago in the Place Vendôme area by Camille and Damien Vever. Old because the founders are the heirs of Henri Jean Baptiste Eugène Vever (1854-1954), French jeweler, writer and art collector, protagonist of the Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque period. Camille Vever has chosen to enter the world of jewelry thanks to a brooch, obviously signed Vever, donated by her grandmother for her 16th birthday. After much deliberation, at the age of 40 she decided to leave the post of general manager of a biopharmaceutical company and enlisted one of his brothers.

Anello Ginko in oro bianco e diamante blu sintetico — Ginko ring in white gold and synthetic blue diamond

The Maison founded by his grandfather had remained active until 1982. Now it receives a new impulse. But in a completely new situation from a century ago, Vever’s guidelines have also changed from the past. For example, the Maison has decided to use only recycled gold and synthetic diamonds to respect the environment. At its debut Vever presents two lines of high jewelery and fine jewelry: rings, necklaces and bracelets reflect two different aesthetics, one reminiscent of historical jewels with the use of enamel, Akoya pearls and baroque shapes, while another line is more modern with simple and soft shapes, alongside a more elaborate collection inspired by Ginko flowers.

Imperatrice — Nuit Magique high jewelery necklace in recycled gold, synthetic diamonds, enamel, Akoya pearls

Anello di alta gioielleria Nuit Magique in oro riciclato, diamanti sintetici, smalto — Nuit Magique high jewelery ring in recycled gold, synthetic diamonds, enamel

Anello Ginko in oro riciclato e diamanti sintetici — Ginko ring in recycled gold and synthetic diamonds

Collana Ginko in oro riciclato e diamanti sintetici — Ginko necklace in recycled gold and synthetic diamonds

Orecchino singolo in oro riciclato e diamanti sintetici — Single earring in recycled gold and synthetic diamonds

Affordable diamond jewelry from Grown Brilliance

Published on April 20, 2023

Showroom

Orecchini pendenti in oro bianco e diamanti di laboratorio

Diamonds created in the laboratory and, therefore, immune from the environmental impact of open pit excavations or mines. Technology has reduced the production cost of gems and more and more companies are offering jewelery with synthetic diamonds, which have the same chemical composition as natural ones. A brand on the rise is the American Grown Brilliance, owned by a group of investors who have set up the holding company AJS Creations. Grown Brilliance diamonds are certified by IGI, which is a specialized gemological institute for lab grown diamonds. In fact, this type of gem also has a certification that photographs the characteristics and quality of the diamond.

Collana in oro giallo con diamante lab grown

Grown Brilliance has started selling loose diamonds on the sly, through Amazon. The brand then evolved and expanded its offer to the jewelery sector, with classic jewels, also made attractive by a very competitive price. The diamonds, perhaps produced in India, one of the countries, together with China, where a large part of the laboratory gems are made, are mounted on jewels in 14 and 18 carat white and yellow gold, for men and women, with prices ranging from 170 to 110,000 dollars.

Anelo in oro bianco con diamanti taglio pera

The brand supports Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care Usa, a social welfare organization with headquarters in Mumbai. The association is chaired by Abhay Jasani, an engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology and chairman of the Jasani Group, a leading exporter of diamonds and diamond jewellery.

Orecchini a frange in oro bianco e diamanti di laboratorio

Girocollo in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio

Anello in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio

Turn your husband (or dog) into a diamond

Published on February 27, 2023

news/Diamanti

How about turning your dead dog or cat into a diamond? What if wuould be your husband or wife to leave you? A company proposes, for all of them, to keep the precious memory of the companions of many years: transform them into jewels. The idea, unsurprisingly, was born in the USA, where years ago a company decided to inaugurate the business of transforming deceased relatives, or domestic animals, into synthetic diamonds. The company is called LifeGem and is based in Chicago. Its activity consists in transforming the cremated remains into wearable gems, transforming the carbon contained in the ashes into (macabre) artificial diamonds. The cost depends on how many carats you want to get from the ashes. It starts at around $ 2,000 to go up to almost $ 20,000. Prices are lower for animals.

An operation that, they point out with discretion, has often been adopted for human beings: the idea of slipping the mother-in-law on the finger, in fact, for some women might sound like an attractive revenge. “Once captured, the carbon is heated to extremely high temperatures in particular conditions. In removing the ash, the process eliminates the carbon from the former house dog and with the help of our technology turns it into a diamond,” they explain to LifeGem . The service was launched in 2002. Since then customers can choose between gems of different colors, cuts, and select the setting for a pendant or a ring.

Mind you, it’s not a cheap souvenir. But, it seems, over six thousand persons have already asked to transform their dears, and bodies of cats, dogs, rabbits, horses and even an armadillo, into expensive trinkets. Like Katie Pilon, from Boston, who now wears her Meowy, a beloved cat who has been transformed into a beautiful blue blue diamond.

In truth, the company’s practices have been questioned, and some have questioned the seriousness of LifeGem. Rejected objections: “Kenneth Poeppelmeier, professor of chemistry at Northwestern University, has argued that there is no reason why the process should not work, and Avrum Blumberg, professor of chemistry at DePaul University in Chicago, admitted that it is possible to do a high quality diamond from the carbon contained in a cremated human being, “supporters retort.

Diamante sintetico dopo il taglio e la lucidatura

However, it is impossible to distinguish the origin of synthetic diamonds which, therefore, could have originated from ordinary graphite instead of from the remains of the pet. But, basically, it doesn’t matter: what better memory than being associated with a diamond, which is forever?

Are Lab Diamonds Like Teslas?

Published on November 25, 2022

news

Immagine della campagna advertising di The Future Rock

Is it fair to compare synthetic diamonds to Tesla cars? Is a gem produced by a carbon-containing gas factory really green? And do synthetic diamonds have a sustainability license? These are questions that follow an interview with a promotional flavor by Forbes (find it here) to Anthony Tsang, CEO of The Future Rocks, a new online market for jewels created by various designers, which uses so-called laboratory-grown diamonds, i.e. artificially produced. The company is based in Hong Kong and seeks customers among the youngest, Millennials and Gen-Z, i.e. in their twenties and thirties. According to market research, this age group is the most sensitive to the issue of sustainability.

Anello in oro con diamante di laboratorio disegnato da Courbet

Furthermore, as is known, laboratory diamonds are also less expensive than natural ones. But it is the green aspect that is underlined by those who sell them. In reality, the sustainability of man-made gems is only relative. Lab-grown diamonds are produced in two ways: with reactors that use a high-pressure, high-temperature process or with a chemical process that consists of carbon vapor deposition. “We don’t compare with natural diamonds, we just provide different option, the market is big enough,” Tsang said. Okay. But the manager goes further: “Fifteen years ago everyone laughed at Tesla and now Ferrari is also entering the electric vehicle market”.

Anello in oro e diamanti di laboratorio by Matilde

This comparison, however, does not seem entirely apt. First of all, electric cars are not green products: they consume a lot of generally non-renewable energy, and the construction of their huge batteries requires excavations and land devastation to extract the so-called rare earths. Furthermore, looking forward these batteries will constitute a huge management problem at the end of their life cycle. In addition to costing more, electric cars also require an infrastructure that has yet to be built to bring the electricity needed for recharging everywhere. This means thousands of kilometers of copper cables, which will cause a huge extraction of ore in addition to the energy consumption necessary to create millions of points needed for recharging. Therefore, Teslas and electric cars in general are not really green products. But the sustainability of electric cars is not the point. Does this hammering marketing on the alleged green aspects of synthetic diamonds make sense? Wouldn’t it be better to just say that factory-created gems cost less and have the same chemical property, though not the allure, as earth-created diamonds?

Orecchini a bottone in oro, smalto e diamanti di laboratorio disegnati da Loev

Orecchini a bottone in oro, smalto e diamanti di laboratorio disegnati da Rêver — Orecchini a cerchio in oro e diamanti di laboratorio disegnati da Rêver

What are laboratory diamonds?

Published on October 8, 2022

Campus

Collana con diamanti di laboratorio in vendita a 100.000 dollari

It has been talked about for years, but many people still don’t have a clear idea of what stones are called lab grown diamonds. If you are looking for a quick and concise description of artificially produced diamonds, here we are. Basically, there are two methods to produce man-made diamonds, but in both cases the gems are identical, from a chemical point of view, to natural stones. But the similarity ends there.

Synthesis diamond con taglio a pera, pietra creata in laboratorio

The name of the diamonds
But, first of all, what are these diamonds called? In English the definition lab grown is the most used, especially by the marketing of those who produce or sell these synthetic diamonds. The idea that diamonds grow in the laboratory like tomatoes in a greenhouse offers a greener view of the product. The communication of those who produce and sell them is based precisely on the idea that diamonds created in the laboratory (but in reality they are factories, as for any other product), are more sustainable. Right? Wrong? We see.

Diamante di laboratorio prodotto da Aether Diamonds

Sustainability
A natural diamond, created 2 or 3 billion years ago by the movement of the earth’s crust, is the result of the incredible pressure caused by the shifting of continents. Natural diamonds are therefore found under the ground. To be mined, diamonds must be searched deep or through large excavations in remote areas. Of course this activity, even if it is well controlled today, cannot be defined as sustainable. But, on the other hand, we must not forget that the extraction of natural diamonds also offers a livelihood for thousands of families in poor areas, such as Africa. Finally, any smartphone that you have in your pocket is the result of the extraction from the earth of a large number of minerals and no one is scandalized.

Un impianto di produzione di diamanti sintetici

In any case, is it true that lab-created diamonds are green? It depends. First of all, man-made diamonds require an enormous amount of energy to be produced. The vast majority of these diamonds are produced in China and India, but also the United States and Israel, and in many countries, coal-fired plants still represent the predominant source of energy. The emissions caused by the production of lab grown diamonds cannot be considered completely green. Furthermore, few people are needed to produce synthetic diamonds and, therefore, their positive contribution to the social economy is very low.

How are they produced?
Diamonds that come out of a laboratory are produced using two very different methods: CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and HPHT (high pressure at high temperature). Currently the CVD system seems to prevail and, according to some, even offers a better result. So, if you want to buy a jewel with synthetic diamond, you can take the curiosity to ask what type of factory it was produced from. However, both methods use the same basic material: carbon.

The HPHT system
The HPHT process uses a metal catalyst to dissolve the carbon. This process has a disadvantage: a few tiny pieces of metal can enter the diamond and cause visible inclusions. The carbon used, in fact, is pressed inside a metal cube, exposed to immense heat and pressure through electrical impulses. In this way the carbon breaks down and crystallizes in a diamond. But tiny traces of metal inside could make the diamond attracted to a magnet. It sure wouldn’t be nice to buy a diamond ring and then hang it on the fridge door (we’re kidding).

Controllo del reattore al plasma CVD che produce diamanti in laboratorio di De Beers

The CVD system
To produce a diamond with the CVD method, a tiny fragment of natural diamond is locked in a machine. Here it is exposed to carbon-rich gas and brought to extremely high temperatures. Within a few weeks, the carbon gas ionizes and the mineral particles stick to the original diamond and then crystallize.

Un diamante grezzo emerge dal reattore al plasma CVD

Are laboratory diamonds the same as others?
From a chemical point of view, the diamonds produced in the laboratory are the same as those extracted in a mine. They are, therefore, like any mass-produced object. Natural diamonds, on the other hand, have an unpredictability of color, transparency and size that, obviously, is not present in synthetic diamonds.

Punto luce di Lightbox — Punto luce con diamante di laboratorio Lightbox

Are all synthetic diamonds the same?
No, as with natural ones, synthetic diamonds can also have a different quality. It is only recently, however, that the major institutes have begun to classify them. GIA and IGI, for example, judge them by cut, color and clarity, just like natural diamonds. Excellent cut, D to F color and VS2 to SI1 clarity are the best categories.

Diamante di laboratorio del peso di 2 carati, venduto da Lightbox per 1850 euro

How much does a synthetic diamond cost?
The price of a lab-made diamond is determined by many factors. The first is the size, then from the famous 4 Cs that are used to classify all diamonds. Until recently diamond factories were unable to produce large gems, over one and two carats. It is now much more common and quite large diamonds have also been produced. The price, however, is much higher. In any case, lab grown diamonds cost less than natural ones. Over time, however, their price decreases, that of natural diamonds tends to increase.
Read also: https://gioiellis.com/it/il-futuro-dei-diamanti-di-laboratorio

Features
Laboratory diamonds are as hard and resistant as natural diamonds: they have a rating of 10, which is the highest, on the Mohs scale. Even on a jewel they shine exactly like the others. When buying a diamond jewel can you distinguish if it is natural or synthetic? No, even for a jeweler or gemologist it is impossible to distinguish a natural diamond from an artificial one. However, there are laboratories with special equipment that can identify a diamond created in the laboratory.

The future of laboratory diamonds

Published on September 25, 2022

news

As in sport, two teams took to the field in the world of jewelry. The first holds the record in the standings and does not intend to sell it. The second earns points, but is still far from the top. The two rival teams are those of those who use natural diamonds, created by mother nature millions of years ago, and those who produce them artificially with refined machines. The latter are modestly called lab grown diamonds, that is, grown as if they were zucchini in a greenhouse. The reality is different: synthetic diamonds, which are chemically identical to natural ones, are produced with production plants mostly in China and India which are, among other things, quite energy-intensive. But this is another aspect.

It is a fact that with technology it has become easier and cheaper to produce lab grown diamonds. And the question that jewelers are asking themselves, but also many consumers, is whether the sales of these synthetic gems will continue to increase, as has happened in recent years starting from 2018, when the natural diamond producer De Beers also took the field. with the Lightbox brand. Furthermore, a question concerns the natural diamond jewelry market: is it destined to lose market share? These questions are being answered by a specialized analyst, Paul Zimnisky, who has published an analysis reported by the National Jeweler website.

Zimnisky’s analysis is particularly interesting because it looks at the next 10-15 years. The analyst’s first consideration is that, of course, the supply of artificial diamonds is unlimited. Just produce them. And, given the trend, the production of synthetic diamonds should continue to grow to 25 million carats by 2030. A large amount, but much less than natural diamonds, which in 2021 reached 120 million carats. The increase in supply, combined with the often scarce possibility of evaluating synthetic stones, will further lower the price of laboratory diamonds. The analyst gives an example: in mid-2018 a generic 1-carat diamond, G VS1, grown in the laboratory retailed for $ 3,625, compared to $ 6,600 for a natural diamond of the same size and quality. But today, a synthetic diamond of the same size and quality sells for $ 1,615, while the natural equivalent has increased in value to $ 6,705.

He deduces that synthetic diamonds are destined, if the trend is confirmed, to lose value. As opposed to natural ones. But it would be wrong to reduce everything to a question of price. The seller’s brand weighs a lot. Zimnisky takes as an example a brand like Hèrmes: if it sold a good synthetic diamond, it would be perceived first of all as a high-class jewel and then as an unnatural gem. This reasoning leads the analyst to a prediction: most synthetic diamonds will lose value. But there will also be a small number of brands that will be able to use them by leveraging their reputation, as long as they choose very large and excellent quality gems. In short, the synthetic jewelry market could be divided into two classes, normal and premium. The latter may be competitive with natural diamonds but, of course, they will also be more expensive.

Un diamante grezzo emerge dal reattore al plasma CVD di De Beers

A successful example for medium quality synthetic diamonds is, for example, the recent Pandora Brilliance line. But a card to play for manufacturers of artificial gems could be the possibility of personalizing the gems with unusual shapes, an aspect that would allow them to stand out from natural products. The match between the two teams will last a long time.

Rendering degli anelli della collezione Pandora Brilliance

The truth about synthetic diamonds according to Assogemme

Published on September 13, 2022

news

Are diamonds produced with sophisticated machines the same as those that are millions of years old and extracted from the depths of the Earth? Is it right to modestly define the diamonds created by a company with the term “grown in the laboratory“, as if they were greenhouse tomatoes that you buy at the supermarket? And, again, to what extent are diamonds created with an industrial process environmentally friendly? All questions that should be asked more often by those who want to buy a diamond jewel (the same goes for other gems). Each choice has pros and cons but, probably, it is a stretch to identify diamonds resulting from complicated technological procedures (which require a lot of energy) as green gems. Even if few know it.

Il talk a Vicenzaoro. Da sinistra: Marco Carniello, direttore della divisione Jewellery & Fashion Italian Exhibition Group, Guido Damiani Grassi, presidente del Gruppo Damiani, Raffaele Ciardulli, consulente del lusso e Paolo Cesari, presidente di Assogemme e di Futurgem, Claudia Piaserico, presidente di Federorafi

That natural and true are synonymous with authenticity, also desirable when choosing a precious object destined to represent our emotions of greatest value such as love, gratitude, celebration of a success, is certainly a personal opinion, but I believe it is widely acceptable. . It is above all by starting from the use of clear and shared terminology that it is possible to correctly describe the world of diamonds to its customers. The commitment of manufacturing companies, industry professionals and trade associations already active in this regard must be increasingly oriented in this direction. Only in this way can we talk about the ethics of natural diamonds.
Guido Damiani, president of the Damiani Group and of the Assogemme Ethics Committee

An opportunity to deepen the topic was given to Vicenzaoro by the comparison organized by Assogemme, the Italian national organization that represents the companies that embrace the jewelery supply chain, made up of the main operators in the field of colored gems, precious stones , semiprecious and hard, diamonds and corals. Objective: to clarify a concept that seems trivial, but that marketing operations have helped to confuse. In other words, there is a difference between what is the result of nature, or more precisely, the contribution of powerful geological upheavals, from what is the result of a technical procedure, as if it were a smartphone. Even if the composition of the two stones, natural and laboratory, is identical from a chemical point of view.

Guido Damiani, for example, pointed out that it is wrong to consider the production of synthetic diamonds as ecologically sustainable. If only large amounts of energy are needed to produce diamonds. And most of these gems are produced in China, where most of the electricity is obtained from polluting coal-fired plants. Of course, the mines are not a pleasant place and natural oases. But, given that for years they have come under the lens of the media, they have adopted measures to contain environmental damage and respect for the protection of those who work. Among other things, in many countries the gem mines are a source of livelihood for local populations.

Also in the meeting organized by Assogemme another aspect emerged that should not be underestimated. While a natural diamond is a safe haven asset, that is, it has a value that is preserved over time (albeit with variations, as for gold), a synthetic gem is an artificial product that is destined to lose economic appeal, also because quantities are produced. always increasing.

Having said all this, what is the solution? It seems obvious: to inform more and better those who want to buy a diamond jewel. Knowing can help you make an informed choice, as Claudia Piaserico, president of Federorafi, argues. Also because the boom in so-called lab grown diamonds, supported by lower prices than natural gems and the misunderstanding that they are more environmentally friendly, has created uncertainty. If we then add that the company that identifies itself with the diamond, De Beers, also produces synthetic gems, the confusion is complete. For this Federorafi, presses on the European Federation of Jewelery, with the aim of obtaining clearer rules, perhaps with an EU law. It would be precious, it must be said.

Green breakthrough with Pandora Brilliance

Published on August 17, 2022

Pandora/Showroom

Anelli in oro bianco e oro giallo con diamanti di laboratorio

The wind of sustainability, respect for the environment and, more generally, the green has long affected the world of jewelry. This push convinced Pandora to launch a collection with lab-created diamonds and 100% recycled silver and gold. The first collection with synthetic diamonds, called Pandora Brilliance, was announced as early as 2021 and sold as an experiment only in Great Britain. After this taste, Pandora has now decided not to use any more mined diamonds and to extend the sale.

The future of luxury is here today. Lab-created diamonds are as beautiful as mined diamonds, but available to more people and with lower carbon emissions. We are proud to expand the diamond market and offer innovative jewelry that sets a new standard for how the industry can reduce its impact on the planet.
Alexander Lacik, CEO of Pandora

Alexander Lacik, presidente e Ceo di Pandora

According to the Danish firm, the global diamond jewelry market is approximately $ 84 billion. Forecasts are for growth and lab-created diamonds are outpacing the industry’s overall surge. The United States is currently the largest diamond jewelry market in the world. Lab-created diamonds, Pandora recalls, are identical to mined diamonds, but are created in a lab rather than mined from a mine.

Bracciali della collezione Pandora Brilliance, bozzetto

They have the same optical, chemical, thermal and physical characteristics and are classified according to the same standards known as 4C: cut, color, purity and carat. The diamonds created in the laboratory by Pandora are made, cut and polished using 100% renewable energy and, again according to the Danish giant, have a carbon footprint of only 8.17 kilograms of Co2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) per carat. 5% of that required to obtain an extracted diamond.
Lab-created diamonds are created in the United States. Looking ahead, Pandora also recalls, if all diamonds were mined with the same reduced carbon footprint as diamonds created in the laboratory by Pandora, more than 6 million tons of CO2e would be saved per year, which is equivalent to replacing all cars. of New York City with electric vehicles.

100% recycled silver and gold
To further reduce the climate impact of jewelry, Pandora also launched the first collection with 100% recycled silver and gold. This also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of the entry product of the collection, a silver ring with a laboratory created diamond of 0.15 carats (costs $ 300) to 2.7 kilograms of CO2e, equal to the average emissions required to produce a shirt. The flagship product, a 1-carat lab-created diamond set in a 14-karat solid gold ring (costs $ 1950), has a footprint of 10.4 kilograms of CO2e, less than the average emissions needed to make a couple of jeans.

The new collection represents a significant turning point for Pandora, as the company is committed to making all of its jewelry from recycled silver and gold by 2025. The 33-piece collection is called Pandora Brilliance and includes rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings, each featuring a lab-created solitaire diamond, VS + clarity, hand-set in sterling silver, 14-karat solid yellow gold or 14-karat solid white gold . The collection will be available for purchase from 25 August in 269 Pandora stores in the United States and Canada and online at pandora.net. Prices start at $ 300 and each stone ranges from 0.15 to 1 carat.

With Aether Diamonds the zero environmental impact diamond

Published on February 26, 2022

news

Synthesis diamonds that have zero or negative environmental impact. Aether Diamonds is the first company that can boast true environmental sustainability for its laboratory-produced stones. A goal that is not, as many believe, easy to achieve. Diamonds produced in the laboratory, that is, in high-tech factories, are always offered as gems that have no impact on the environment, unlike those extracted in mines. Too bad it’s not true: producing diamonds consumes a lot of energy. And the energy is produced in many cases with coal (for example in China most of the power plants are still of this type), or gas and petroleum derivatives. Only a small part of energy is produced thanks to the wind or the sun. In short, synthetic diamonds or, according to marketing storytelling, “grown in the laboratory” (as if they were vegetables) are not zero-impact.

Aether Diamonds, which is based in New York, appears to be different. It is, in fact, the first company in the world that produces diamonds to obtain the B Corp certification. The acronym, also referred to as B Corporation or B Lab, is a certification issued to virtuous companies for their social and environmental performance. It is awarded by B Lab, a global non-profit organization with offices in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and a partnership in Latin America with System B. To obtain and maintain certification, companies must receive a minimum score and pay an annual fee based on annual sales. Companies must also repeat the certify every three years.

Orecchini con diamanti di laboratorio di Aether Diamonds: sono venduti a quasi 40.000 dollari

The B Lab has assigned Aether Diamonds an impact score of 96.5 (the minimum is 80) after a long evaluation of the company’s business. Aether has committed to removing 20 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere for every carat sold, effectively offsetting the carbon footprint of the average American customer of 1.25 years. According to Ryan Shearman, co-founder and CEO of Aether, the B Corp certification reassures customers that by purchasing an Aether diamond they are helping to create a better future for themselves and the planet.

This synthetic diamond necklace from Brilliant Earth costs $ 100,000

Published on December 19, 2021

COLLANE/Showroom

Question: Would you buy a synthetic diamond necklace that costs $ 100,000? Brilliant Earth, a San Francisco-based brand that has been offering ethically and sustainably sourced jewelry since 2005, believes the price is right. And he proposes this jewel, which is part of the Solstice collection. The necklace, in white gold and diamonds created in the laboratory for 75 carats, with different shapes (round, pear, marquise), is accompanied by 15 other jewels, always made with the same materials.

Brilliant Earth was founded by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg and has been proposing since the beginning to use conflict free diamonds, selected for their ethical and environmentally friendly origins. The Maison was also among the first to use the blockchain to trace the origin of stones and is part of the Responsible Jewelry Council, a leading ethical standard in the jewelry sector. To make its synthetic stones, Brilliant Earth uses a process known as High Pressure High Temperature (Hpht), with no post-treatment. This process, the company specifies, mimics the conditions for the formation of natural diamonds in the laboratory.

Anello in oro con diamanti di laboratorio della collezione Solstice

Orecchini Brilliant Earth con diamanti sintetici

Collana Brilliant Earth con diamanti sintetici

The jewels of Matilde Mourinho

Published on October 24, 2021

Rings/bracciale/Showroom/COLLANE

Anello Celestial in oro riciclato e diamanti prodotti in laboratorio

The father works with jewels (given the earnings of the players) in flesh and blood. The daughter with 14-karat recycled gold jewels and lab-made diamonds. He is Josè Mourinho, one of the most famous football (the soccer in Usa) coaches in the world, she is Matilde Mourinho, a young designer based in London, who a year ago launched Matilde Jewelery, a jewelry brand that has sustainability as its banner, as well as aesthetics. Now the brand has also introduced a line of jewelry for men, also sponsored on Instagram by the father.

Matilde Jewelery offers a rather simple and linear design, with rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces composed of thin gold bands or chains and lines of small synthetic diamonds. A choice that, according to Matilde Mourinho (name she shares with her mother and grandmother) is determined by the urgency in addressing the environmental issue and respecting the value of sustainability. In short, Matilde Jewelery wants to make goals with fair prices thanks to transparent processes, fair environmental and social treatment thanks to sustainability.

Anello Blossom in oro 14 carati e diamanti sintetici

Collana a catena, in oro 14 carati e sette diamanti di laboratorio

Orecchini a catena, in oro 14 carati e sei diamanti di laboratorio

Orecchini Lua, oro 14 carati e diamanti di laboratorio

Bracciale Link, oro 14 carati e diamanti di laboratorio

Bracciale Harmony in oro 14 carati e diamanti di laboratorio

Freelight Diamond, the free interpretation of luxury

Published on September 3, 2021

Rings/Showroom

Anello trilogy in oro bianco con diamanti cresciuti in laboratorio

From coral to gold, from gold to diamonds. But those created in the laboratory. The story of Lux Coral, an Umbrian company founded in 1986 on the initiative of Domenico Antonio Cosentino, who is still the president, continues with the Freelight Diamond brand, entirely dedicated to synthetic stones. Alongside traditional jewelry, therefore, the goldsmith company founded a new brand for a couple of years, with the aim of winning the growing interest in gold jewelry, but with more affordable diamonds.

It must be remembered that, from a chemical and optical point of view, the diamonds made in the laboratory are completely identical to the natural ones, found in the depths of the earth. Even the diamonds resulting from the technology are Igi certified and described according to the classic 4C (cut, color, clarity and carat). The demand for diamond jewelry that is indistinguishable from natural ones, if not subjected to a thorough analysis in specialized centers, is growing. For this Freelight Diamond aims to satisfy the demand with traditional jewels, such as the classic solitaire rings, but also with colored stones such as emeralds, sapphires and rubies, always created in the laboratory.

Anello eternity in oro con diamanti lab grown

Orecchini a bottone in oro con diamanti lab grown

Orecchini con diamanti e zaffiri artificiali — Orecchini con diamanti e zaffiri sintetici

With Courbet the artificial diamonds in Place Vendôme

Published on February 27, 2021

Rings/bracciale/Showroom/COLLANE

Anello in oro bianco con diamanti lab grown

x

Perhaps some jewelers experienced it as a provocation, who knows. But for a couple of years in Place Vendôme in Paris, the capital of high jewelery, there has been a new Maison specializing in jewelry with laboratory-grown, that is, synthetic diamonds. The brand has an equally provocative name: Courbet. It is the name of the French painter of the nineteenth century also famous for being the author of a painting, The origin of the world, which portrays a female sex in the foreground (today it causes less scandal, but then it was a shock), Courbet, curiously , during the Paris Commune he was among the promoters of the destruction of the bronze column of Place Vendôme, considered an anti-pacifist monument (but it was later rebuilt).

The brand is headed by Manuel Mallen, who spent 20 years as a manager of Piaget and Baume & Mercier. The designer is the Swedish Marie-Ann Wachtmeister, former marketing manager in Europe for Procter & Gamble. The Courbet shop is located on the fifth floor of Cour Vendôme, just behind the square. The jewels have as their flag the label of sustainability, of an ethical product. In addition to lab grown diamonds, Courbet emphasizes the use of recycled gold. And not only from other jewels: it also uses gold present in obsolete computer and industrial material. While a very good mine produces only about 5 grams of gold per ton of ore, one ton of e-waste can contain up to 1 kilogram of yellow metal.
In short, jewelry with synthetic diamonds, a stone’s throw from the boutiques of Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Damiani, Piaget… the world is really changing.

Orecchini a cerchio con diamanti lab grown

Bracciale in oro giallo con diamanti lab grown

Anello in oro rosa con diamanti lab grown

Anello in oro bianco con diamante sintetico

Three rings for Valentine’s Day by Live Diamonds

Published on January 29, 2021

Rings/Showroom

Anello tipo eternity con diamanti lab-grown

In the United States, lab-grown diamond sales now account for 1.5% of total diamond purchases at specialty jewelry retailers (stores such as Kay Jewelers and Tiffany, specializing in fine jewelry). In short, synthetic diamonds are still a market niche, but their diffusion is expanding, also thanks to two factors. The first is that these diamonds created in ultra-technological factories are considered environmentally friendly even if, in truth, they need an enormous amount of energy to be produced. The second factor is, however, the price, which is lower than the stones extracted in the mine.

Anello con diamante sintetico a quattro griffe

The Live Diamonds line by Morellato, for example, summarizes these two characteristics: it offers jewelry with diamonds created in the laboratory considered ecological and, of course, a very competitive price. For Valentine’s Day, for example, Live Diamonds proposes a solitaire in white gold with a Valentino setting and a diamond of 0.30 carats at 899 euros, a solitaire in white gold with a four-prong setting and diamond, also of 0.30 carats at 849 euros. and an eternity-type ring in white gold and diamonds for 1.12 carats at € 1,199.

Alarm fake diamonds

Published on March 16, 2020

news/Diamanti

Beware of fraud: the number of synthetic diamonds that are fraudulently proposed as natural is increasing ♦

Diamonds alarm. Experts report a surge in synthetic diamonds passed off as real. Time ago, a good number of these fake diamonds have been identified by the Gemological Institute of America in India. Gia, in fact, discovered an unusually large number of undeclared synthetic diamonds, which were mixed with natural diamonds.

To be precise, 101 synthetic diamonds were identified in a pack of 323 stones from the Mumbai laboratory of Gia. All small: 0.014 to 0.015 carats. The problem is that the analysis service has been offered since last years: how many fake stones have been certified as authentic before? It is not, in fact, the first time that a fraud falls on the network: the first major discovery of undeclared synthetic stones occurred in May 2012, when several hundred CVD diamonds were sent to the Gemological Institute (IGI) of Antwerp and Mumbai, with the aim of being certified as natural diamonds.

Even these fake diamonds were created with the technique called CVD (it is not the only system): it is an acronym that indicates the technique that allows you to manufacture diamonds with the deposition of chemical vapor. Basically, a mixture of hydrogen and methane is subjected to very high temperatures (about 900 degrees). At that point the molecules split and transformed into carbon elements are deposited on a tiny element of silicon, tungsten, molybdenum, silicon carbide, silicon nitride or quartz glass. The crystals that are formed have the same texture and appearance as those of a natural diamond. The process is expensive, but for small diamonds it is extremely convenient. Except for those who believe in buying a natural diamond.

That discovered in India was not the only case of fraud: in accordin to BBC, on the Alibaba e-commerce site, for example, advertisements were discovered that offered synthetic diamonds as natural.

This type of fraud worries large mining companies. The answer could be the use of blockchain, a technology that guarantees the authenticity of any transaction and allows us to trace the origin of any object or sale that is registered on this platform. Everledger in Australia and De Beers’ Tracr are examples of the use of blockchain technology. Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa also announced last fall that it will join the Tracr platform. Problem solved? Unfortunately not: not all diamonds mounted on the jewelry on sale come from these big manufacturers. Federico Graglia

De Beers synthetic diamonds, right or wrong idea?

Published on November 2, 2019

news/Diamanti

New laboratory diamonds from Lightbox, trademark of De Beers. But what if it’s a strange idea? ♦

Are synthetic diamonds, from a chemical point of view indistinguishable from natural ones, the future of jewelry? Opinions are divided. However, it is possible to reflect on what is happening. As we have already reported on gioiellis.com, the largest diamond trading company, De Beers, has decided to sell laboratory-created diamonds, that is synthetic. Thanks to a very substantial investment he therefore started producing and marketing non-natural stones.

Pendente in argento placcato oro con diamante sintetico da 1 carato

The result is called Lightbox, a brand that in some countries, like Great Britain and the United States, has begun to make its way on the jewelry market. The diamonds are very similar to the natural ones, they are offered with different cuts (the last proposal is of cushion-cut stones) and also in color. And while a natural pink diamond could cost thousands to millions of dollars, Lightbox’s synthetic diamonds are sold for a few hundred euros. A bracelet with a pink diamond, for example, is sold in the US for 600 euros. More generally, these diamonds are sold for $ 800 per carat. An incredibly low price even for artificial diamond standards. Also because the stones are often mounted on silver and not on gold, to keep the price low.

Orecchini con diamanti di laboratorio Lightbox

With the premise that no one will ever be able to distinguish a natural diamond from an artificial one, except with a complicated gemological laboratory test, it is not surprising that Lightbox can succeed.

Catena in argento con diamanti sintetici di Lightbox

But is it a success even for those who sell jewelry? According to an analysis by the USA monthly Forbes, it could be a sensational own-goal. Especially if the artificial diamonds like those of Lightbox will be sold in jewelry and not only on online sites. According to De Beers, Lightboxes at low prices turn to the fashion accessories sector and not to the jewelery world. The data quoted by the American newspaper, however, cast doubt on this statement.

In October, De Beers announced a decline in diamond sales of 39% compared to the quarter, and 44% compared to a year ago. The company has indicated the uncertain global economy and tensions in Hong Kong as a cause. Yet brands like Bulgari have not encountered the same problems. On the contrary, the jewelry of the LVMH group sold more. In short, selling diamonds created in the laboratory may have been an unbrilliant move.

Bracciale con diamante rosa creato in laboratorio

Orecchini con diamanti blu creati in laboratorio

Swarovski Atelier with Prince Dimitri

Published on June 5, 2019

Showroom

Anelli Atelier Swarovski Prince Dimitri con il nodo Savoia

Atelier Swarovski with Prince Dimitri for a collection of blue blood and synthetic diamonds ♦

Atelier Swarovski, the high jewelery brand of the Austrian company, announced the collaboration with Prince Dimitri at the Couture Show. Prince Dimitri founded his jewelry company in 2007 after 16 years as senior vice president of the jewelry department of Sotheby’s and later as head of the same area for the Phillips de Pury and Luxembourg auction houses. On his side the prince designer boasts an illustrious family tree: descends from Catherine the Great, Louis XIV, Charlemagne, the Medici, the Greek, Danish, Italian, Belgian and Yugoslav royal families. In short, nobody is missing.

The collaboration between Atelier Swarovski and Prince Dimitri is centered on romantic pieces, inspired by Prince Dimitri’s European royal heritage. But in step with the times: jewels, in fact, use synthetic diamonds, called Swarovski diamonds, and recycled or ethically proven gold. The watchword is Conscious Luxury, a jewelery that respects the environment and social issues.

The collaboration resulted in the Prince Dimitri Fine Jewelry Collection, which has two lines: The Knot of True Love Collection and The Dancing Halo Commitment Collection. The first includes rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets characterized by a knot design inspired by the historic Savoy knot, the insignia of the Savoy royal house from 1434 and part of the patrimony of Prince Dimitri. The intertwined knot is traditionally accompanied by the motto “binds but does not bind”. Dancing Halo includes a ring, earrings and pendant with graceful rotating diamond-shaped ringlets. The infinite circles are a celebration of eternal love. The pieces are made of white gold adorned with diamonds created by Swarovski.

“It was a pleasure to work with Atelier Swarovski in this collection that celebrates love through sustainable design. Sustainability is about love of nature and being good with it. My favorite quality in people is kindness, and this collection symbolizes the beauty of love and kindness “.
Prince Dimitri

Anelli Prince Dimitri con il nodo Savoia

Atelier Swarovski, orecchini a cerchio con doppio diamante firmati Stephen Webster

Anello Arc-en-ciel disegnato da Paige Novick per Atelier Swarovski. Diamanti creati da Swarovski per 3,8 ct e Topazio autentico Swarovski; set con 3,65 g di oro rosa 18 carati Fairtrade; creato in esclusiva per Atelier Swarovski Fine Jewelry

New scale for artificial diamonds

Published on March 21, 2019

news/Diamanti

Artificial diamonds classified as natural stones: the authoritative Hrd Antwerp has decided ♦ ︎

Hrd Antwerp has become today leading authority on diamond certification. In addition to Antwerp, this institution also has laboratories in Mumbai and Istanbul, which use the most sophisticated technology and rely on the vast experience of internal research department. Now Hrd Antwerp has decided to take a step that will make experts discuss: it has started to evaluate laboratory-produced diamonds using the same method as natural ones. In short, synthetic diamonds will be classified according to the criteria common to natural stones to establish color and clarity.

It is not a trivial initiative: it means taking another step towards equating synthetic diamonds with natural ones.

For the color, previously the synthetic diamonds were classified only in five degrees. A synthetic diamond was therefore classified as colorless, near colorless, faint, very light and light. Now, instead, we move on to the 13 categories used for natural diamonds, ranging from D (the most colorless) to M, plus NO, PR and SZ. The same goes for clarity: it goes from five degrees to the ten that are applied to natural diamonds.
The choice of the Belgian institute constitutes a new stage in the diatribe that concerns how to classify laboratory-born diamonds. Gemological Institute of America, Gia, for example, has so far continued to use a limited rating scale, which does not consider the 4C canonics, since the mix of the chemical composition of natural stone is slightly different. But it also studies a change in the near future. Will follow in the footsteps of Hrd Antwerp? Federico Graglia

Anello di fidanzamento Venus in oro giallo e diamante sintetico taglio brillante

Anello Tyche in oro bianco e diamante sintetico taglio smeraldo — Anello Tyche in oro bianco e diamante sintetico taglio brillante

Solitaire con diamante sintetico. Costa 252 dollari

Diamanti all'ingrosso — Diamanti all’ingrosso

The war of synthetic diamonds

Published on March 1, 2019

news/Diamanti

Pendente con diamante sintetico Lightbox, marchio di De Beers

The diamond lab war breaks out: De Beers cuts prices by 60%, the other producers accuse it of unfair competition ♦ ︎

When prices fall, buyers are happy, but those who sell are not happy. Not only that, they will be not happy even those who have bought down the product that is now sold at a lower cost. What if it’s about diamonds? It’s the same thing.
The news concerns the laboratory diamonds, synthetic, which are the disruptive phenomenon in the world of jewelry. The CEO of De Beers, Bruce Cleaver, told Reuters that the wholesale prices of diamonds developed in the laboratory have decreased by up to 60% since his company started selling synthetic stones for jewelry, that is, from September.

The manager compares the price of diamonds with that of flat-screen televisions: at the beginning they were very expensive, today they have prices for everyone.

Is this really the story of synthetic diamonds? Sold until recently with a price only slightly lower than natural stones, synthetic diamonds were driven by the marketing of producers as ethical products. To produce synthetic diamonds you do not need to dig mountains, move land, mobilize populations of the third world. But it could be argued that to produce synthetic diamonds a river of electricity is needed, which is not created from nothing, but from power plants that consume oil, coal or uranium. And that the work of miner is dangerous and tiring, but it is always better than nothing for some populations.

Any case, De Beers launched his Lightbox jewelry brand in September, with artificially produced diamonds, and described the decision as a success in his latest financial report. Other producers of synthetic diamonds, however, have questioned the strategy developed by De Beers, accusing the brand of selling below cost. In short, the lab diamond war seems to have just begun. Federico Graglia

Pendente con diamante sviluppato in laboratorio Lightbox

Orecchini con diamanti sviluppati in laboratorio Lightbox

Orecchini con diamanti rosa sviluppati in laboratorio Lightbox

Synthetic diamonds against natural. Here’s who will win

Published on January 20, 2019

news/Diamanti

Anello in oro bianco e diamante di laboratorio

The unstoppable spread of synthetic diamonds. It will lower the value of your natural diamonds? According to this analysis … ♦ ︎

Will the spread of synthetic diamonds compromise the value of natural diamonds? Your jewels bought years ago, with stones extracted from the earth, will have less value, since diamonds and synthetic colored gems will be practically indistinguishable from the real ones?
These are legitimate questions, now relaunched by Paul Zimnisky, an independent analyst and consultant for the diamond industry.

Forecasts on diamonds

According to Zimnisky’s idea, in the next few years the sale of synthetic diamonds will multiply. Already now diamonds of better quality are produced even in colors such as pink and blue. Diamond syntetic production for the jewelry market exceeds 1.5 million carats of diamonds a year. And the prices of quality synthetic diamonds sold for jewelry have decreased by 30-40% over the last two years. It’s a the trend set to continue: last year the diamond giant De Beers announced the entry into the market of synthetic diamonds. And estimates indicate that De Beers’ synthetic diamonds can have a 65-80% discount compared to current prices. More: the largest producer of equipment used to manufacture synthetic diamonds has back orders of one year.

diamonique ledaotto anello — Anello con diamanti sintetici, argento, placcato rodio

The great race

Read these figures well: it is estimated that the investment in the next few years to produce synthetic diamonds will be 1.9 billion dollars. So the laboratory diamond jewelery market is expected to grow 22% each year, up to $ 5.2 billion in 2023, and then rise again to $ 14.9 billion in 2035, with a long-term growth rate around 9%. And this also thanks to the improvement of production technologies, which should further push prices down. Summarizing: in the coming years there will be an invasion of synthetic diamonds, thanks to the reduction in prices, the increase in production and the positive image these stones have. Synthetic diamonds, that is, are seen as friends of the environment (even if to produce them in reality it takes a lot of energy consumption), since you do not have to scour the mountains or dig holes in the earth to get them.

Gli orecchini con diamanti sintetici indossati da Meghan Markle

How much do synthetic diamonds weigh

The world jewelery industry, again in the analysis of Paul Zimnisky, is valued at 270 billion dollars. The diamonds created by the laboratory currently represent 2% of the 87 billion market which includes jewels with natural stones. Even in the near future natural diamonds will continue to represent the majority of this market. But the diamond jewels created by the laboratory will increase to 3.4% in 2023 to 4.5% by 2035. Most of the jewels with synthetic diamonds will be sold at a price between 250 and 1000 dollars.

Colored stones

There are not only synthetic diamonds. From years the world of bijoux also uses rubies, sapphires, emeralds, etc. created in the laboratory. Unlike diamonds, these stones are very cheap. When you see jewelry with ruby-colored or sapphire-colored stones sold for a few tens of euros, you can be sure that these are synthetic imitations, even if in the description of the bijou this is not (unfortunately) specified. The current size of this market is estimated at around 40 billion dollars. Compared to synthetic colored gems, the diamonds created by the laboratory represent less than 1%. But, given that the price of diamonds will fall, their diffusion in the fashion bijoux sector will also increase: laboratory diamonds will represent 3% of the fashion jewelery market by 2023 and almost 7% by 2035, with prices under 250 dollars. And this is another reason that could depress the value of your diamonds.

Orecchini con granati creati in laboratorio, zaffiri rosa sintetici

Less nature

Natural diamonds currently represent more than 95% of the diamond jewelery market. But the production of natural diamonds is expected to decline over the next four years. And this also because the diamond mines continue to run out, though there may still be a few deposits not yet discovered. According to another point of view, however, this trend (ie the decrease of natural stones extracted) could add value to natural diamonds, despite the spread of laboratory gems. Also because, according to the analyst, consumers in countries like China and India may not perceive the diamonds created in the laboratory as substitutes for natural ones. In short, marketing will play an important part in convincing those who buy a jewel to choose one type of diamond rather than another. A diamond is forever? Yes, but what kind? Federico Graglia

Orecchini in vermeil, set con pietre create in laboratorio, tra cui due smeraldi a goccia da 5 carati, diamanti bianchi e brown , zaffiri rosa, citrini arancioni con fiori di madreperla intagliati e foglie smaltate dipinte a mano — Anabela Chan, orecchini in vermeil, set con pietre create in laboratorio, tra cui due smeraldi a goccia da 5 carati, diamanti bianchi e brown , zaffiri rosa, citrini arancioni con fiori di madreperla intagliati e foglie smaltate dipinte a mano

Anello Octagone, in oro rosa e diamanti sintetici

Orecchini della collezione Cachemire — Salvini, orecchini della collezione Cachemire con diamanti naturali

Suzanne Kalan, Starry night, anello in oro rosa e diamanti naturali colorati