lab-grown Archives | gioiellis.com

The waves of Lark & Berry

Published on March 19, 2024

Lark & Berry points out that it was the first jewelry brand to offer only lab-created diamonds. And, of course, he hasn’t changed his mind over the years. Now that artificial stones are even offered by those who mine natural diamonds in the earth (we are talking about you, De Beers), the London company founded by Laura Chavez can boast of being ahead of its time. Lark & Berry also points out that the way in which diamonds and stones are produced in the laboratory is a little more sustainable, less harmful to the environment and 100% guaranteed without connection with conflict zones.

Anello in oro e diamante di laboratorio — Gold ring with laboratory diamond

The brand has a flagship store in Marylebone, London, but its jewelry is also sold in New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, as well as online. And it has a double mission: to sell, but also to disseminate the world of synthetic diamonds. The proposed jewels are original, but without exaggerating. As in the case of the Wave collection, in 14-karat gold and laboratory diamonds, which uses a design that recalls the movement of water in the sea.

Veto Crescent, orecchino a bottone in oro 14 carati con diamanti e zaffiri di laboratorio — Veto Crescent, 14k gold stud earring with diamonds and laboratory sapphires

Star Diamond Pavé, orecchino a bottone in oro 14 carati — Star Diamond Pavé, 14k gold stud earring

Shimmering Star Chain, orecchino a bottone in oro 14 carati — Shimmering Star Chain, 14K Gold Stud Earring

Anello in oro 18 carati con diamanti e zaffiri creati in laboratorio — 18k gold ring with laboratory-created diamonds and sapphires

Anello in oro 18 carati e diamante sintetico — 18k gold and synthetic diamond ring

The V Rai jewels with laboratory diamonds

Published on August 26, 2023

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Avello V in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio

The laboratory-created diamond jewels of the American brand V Rai have a special history. They are made with the fruit of the production of the American company Diamond Foundry, which produces diamonds using the method of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The company was founded in 2015 and among its investors there was also Leonardo DiCaprio, a veteran of the film Blood Diamond, convinced in supporting a technological way to diamond. And Vrai is the Da Diamond Foundry-backed, consumer-facing jewelry brand. The brand has collaborated with Balmain, Givenchy and Dover Street Market. Now launches the V jewelry collection.

Choker in oro 18 carati e diamanti di laboratorio — Choker in 18 carat gold and laboratory diamonds

With V, I wanted the design to focus on the setting rather than the multitude of diamond cuts normally available in our collections. I hope you offer V Rai customers a highly distinctive, elegant yet bold look that feels like a bold celebration of your authentic style, with every edgy line reflecting the individuality of the wearer.
Mona Akhavi, president of V RAI.

Anello in oro bianco e diamanti di laboratorio — Ring in white gold and laboratory diamonds

The jewels of the V RAIVè collection are characterized by angular lines and a setting that uses the V shape, which houses brilliant-cut laboratory diamonds and alludes to the brand logo. The company, which sells online worldwide, also highlights the introduction of the Flex bracelet, the first with spring wire, which flexes easily to allow for easy wear. The tennis necklace and the choker both have invisible clasps: a solution that highlights the design.

Bracciale V Rai V in oro bianco e diamanti — V Rai V bracelet in white gold and diamonds

Bracciale tennis in oro bianco e diamanti di laboratorio — Tennis bracelet in white gold and laboratory diamonds

Anello in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio — Ring in yellow gold and laboratory diamonds

Bracciale in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio — Bracelet in yellow gold and laboratory diamonds

Lab-created one-third of diamonds for engagement rings

Published on May 3, 2023

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In the United States, more than a third of solitaire engagement rings sold last year were made with lab-created diamonds. This is indicated by an online survey conducted on almost 12,000 US couples by the company specializing in wedding planning The Knot. The number represents double compared to 2020. The survey proposes the duel between artificially created diamonds, which from a chemical point of view are identical to natural ones, and traditional gems extracted in mines.
Are Lab Diamonds Sustainable?
What are Lab Diamonds?

Diamante di laboratorio prodotto da Aether Diamonds

Factory-created diamonds, mostly in China or India where energy comes mainly from large polluting power plants, cost a third of natural ones and, if you don’t have to resell the jewel in a few years, hardly anyone will be able to distinguish the difference between a natural gem and one artificial, at least to the naked eye. Currently, wrote The Wall Street Journal, a one-carat lab-grown diamond retails for about $1,430, while a traditionally mined gemstone of the same size retails for $5,635.

Anello in oro con diamanti di laboratorio della collezione Solstice di Brilliant Earth

However, many large jewelery houses remain against the use of laboratory diamonds. Cyrille Vigneron, CEO of Cartier recently reiterated his opposition and sided with traditional diamonds, at least for engagement ones: “There is a difference in having something created by the Earth in 4 million years and something made in four minutes in your garage, when you want to express a symbol of eternity,” he said.

Meanwhile, however, artificial diamonds are now also used by major watch brands. For example, Tag Heuer (LVMH group) has used lab grown diamonds in the Carrera Plasma model: the crown is made up of a whole diamond, while the rest of the watch is encrusted with irregularly shaped stones. Doing the same with the quarried stones would have been wasteful, given the cutting and shaping that would have been required, according to the company.

Tag Heuer Carrera Plasma con diamanti lab grown

Gucci and Breitling have also used laboratory stones. Not only that: Breitling has announced that all of its watches will use only lab-grown diamonds within the next year. And he has already presented the first timepiece with artificial stones, the Super Chronomat 38 Origins.

Breitling Super Chronomat Automatic 38 origins, con diamanti di laboratorio

Are lab grown diamonds sustainable?

Published on April 23, 2023

Campus

Il diamante da 110 carati con cui è stata realizzata la collana

Are natural diamonds or lab-grown ones better? Which diamonds are more sustainable? And which ones have a greater value over time? Questions that, presumably, will continue to be topical even in the coming years. Because especially in China and India, diamond factories created with sophisticated machines and at ever lower prices have multiplied. Furthermore, those who produce and sell synthetic or laboratory diamonds can argue that these gems are completely identical to natural ones, at least in terms of chemical composition. So who is right?

Lesotho Legend, grande diamante grezzo di 910 carati — Lesotho Legend, large natural rough diamond of 910 carats

Natural diamond producers are concerned about the spread of jewelry made with lab-created stones. For this reason, the Natural Diamond Council, an association that brings together companies such as De Beers Group, Dominion Diamonds, Lucara Diamond, Petra Diamonds, RZM Murowa and Rio Tinto, has decided to explain its reasons. And to dispel some myths that accompany laboratory diamonds. These are answers, from the point of view of mining companies, which above all contest the idea that synthetic diamonds are green, friends of the environment. Even if it cannot be ignored that De Beers has been selling synthetic diamonds for some years through the Lightbox Jewelry brand…
Let’s see what the arguments of the Natural Diamond Council are.

Un diamante grezzo emerge dal reattore al plasma CVD — A rough synthetic diamond emerges from the CVD plasma reactor

Are lab-grown diamonds the same as natural ones?
In fact, explains the Natural Diamond Council, diamonds created in the laboratory can be distinguished from natural diamonds through the use of professional verification tools. Lab grown diamonds are produced on a large scale in a few weeks, while natural ones are billions of years old, and have specific characteristics and patterns linked to their growth system (there are two methods for creating synthetic diamonds).

Are lab-grown diamonds sustainable?
According to the Natural Diamond Council, lab-grown diamonds replicate the natural process of creating diamonds, which requires a considerable amount of electricity, mainly from the national grid. More than 60% of lab-grown diamonds are produced in China and India, where 63% and 74% of electricity grids, respectively, are coal-fired. Furthermore, the production of diamonds in the laboratory can require very high temperatures approaching 20% of the solar surface temperature.

Controllo del reattore al plasma CVD che produce diamanti in laboratorio — Control of CVD plasma reactor producing diamonds in De Beers laboratory

Does natural diamonds mean they are a limited natural resource?
Formation takes place over millions, sometimes billions of years, and occurs in limited areas of the earth’s mantle, under extreme temperatures and pressures. Global recovery of natural diamonds peaked in 2005, then declined by 30% over the past 16 years.

Anello trilogy in oro bianco con diamanti cresciuti in laboratorio — White gold trilogy ring with lab grown diamonds

Have lab-created diamonds depreciated in recent years?
From 2016 to 2023, the average price of a 1.5-carat lab-created diamond fell by more than 74%, the Natural Diamond Council insists. Conversely, although the prices of natural diamonds have fluctuated over the past 35 years, on average they have increased by 3% per year.

Diamante blu di laboratorio — Laboratory blue diamond

Is mining natural diamonds ethically sustainable?
Thanks to the Kimberley Process, promoted by the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, the trade in rough diamonds, diamond producers add, is regulated to ensure that it is conflict-free. The Responsible Jewelery Council (RJC) ensures responsible sourcing through third-party verified certifications. And brands, retailers and jewelers are increasingly implementing ethical sourcing protocols and policies to ensure transparency in their supply chains.

Un impianto di produzione di diamanti sintetici

Does mining for natural diamonds harm the environment?
According to the Natural Diamond Council, natural diamonds help protect biodiversity over an area the size of the cities of New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas combined. De Beers Group, for example, is working with Kelp Blue to study the potential of algae to store carbon while improving marine health. Diamond Route is a network created by the De Beers Group to protect threatened natural habitats in South Africa and Botswana.

Are natural diamonds harmful to the countries where they are mined?
The natural diamond industry, producers say, supports the livelihoods of 10 million people worldwide. Up to 80% of the rough diamond’s value remains in local communities in the form of local purchases, employment benefits, social programs, infrastructure investments, taxes, royalties and dividends paid by the industry to their respective governments. For NDC members, 85% of all procurement is local. And in Canada, the natural diamond industry contributes 24% of total GDP in the Northwestern Territories, where $17 billion went to businesses (NWT) and $7.5 billion to Indigenously Owned Businesses (NWT).

La nuova miniera: l'impianto di produzione in Oregon di diamanti artificiali — The new mine: the Lightbox artificial diamond production plant in Oregon (De Beers)

Affordable diamond jewelry from Grown Brilliance

Published on April 20, 2023

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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

How to recognize a diamond created in the laboratory

Published on March 22, 2023

Campus

Lab-created diamonds, or synthetic diamonds, are increasingly used: they cost less than natural gems and are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye. However, they have less value than those extracted from the earth and, at the time of a hypothetical sale, they will have a much lower price. But is it possible to recognize if a diamond is natural or is it artificial, created in a laboratory? It’s not easy, but it can be done. If you want to know how lab diamonds are created you can read this article first.

Orecchini con diamanti di laboratorio ovali e taglio smeraldo

There are several ways to tell if a diamond was created in a lab. Here are some:

1. Check the certification of the diamond
A lab-created diamond typically comes with a certification from the lab where it was created. The certification should state that the diamond is “lab grown” or is “synthetic”. The certificate will also provide information about the quality of the diamond, including carat weight, color, clarity and cut. It is important to ensure that the certificate is from a laboratory reputable and that matches the diamond you are buying.A reputable jeweler should be able to provide you with all the necessary paperwork.

2. Examine the diamond for inclusions
Inclusions are tiny blemishes within a diamond that can affect its appearance and value. Natural diamonds often have inclusions scattered throughout the diamond, while lab-created ones may have fewer inclusions, which are typically concentrated in a specific area. However, some lab-created diamonds may contain inclusions not found in natural diamonds. A qualified gemologist will be able to examine the diamond under a microscope and identify any inclusions which could indicate whether the diamond is lab created or natural.

3. Test the electrical conductivity of the diamond
Diamonds are excellent electrical insulators, but some lab-created diamonds are created using a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which can lead to diamonds with high electrical conductivity. A diamond tester is a device that can detect whether a diamond is a natural or lab-created diamond by measuring its electrical conductivity. This method is extremely accurate and diamond testers are commonly used in the jewelry industry to verify the authenticity of diamonds.

4. Look at the color
Natural diamonds often have slight color variations, while lab-created diamonds are typically more uniform in color. This is because lab-created diamonds can be created with specific colors, such as pink or blue, which are rare in natural diamonds. If a diamond appears too perfect in color, it may be lab created. However, it’s important to note that some lab-created diamonds can also have slight variations in color, so this method alone isn’t always reliable.

In summary, there are several ways to tell if a diamond was created in a lab, including verifying the diamond’s certification, examining its inclusions, testing its electrical conductivity, and looking for color variations. However, it is important to note that lab created diamonds are not fake or inferior to natural diamonds, but something else. Whether you choose a natural or lab-created diamond, it is important to purchase a piece of jewelry from a reputable jeweler and verify the authenticity of the diamond before making a purchase.

Vrai’s green choice

Published on December 9, 2022

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Anello Tori et Moi con diamanti di laboratorio a pera e taglio smeraldo

For some years the world of jewelry has been divided in two: on the one hand those who support the use of artificially created diamonds with sophisticated machinery, on the other those who do not want to give up natural diamonds, extracted from the earth. Vrai is a jewelry brand that has chosen to use diamonds created in the laboratory. At the base is the initiative of Martin Roscheisen, an Austrian-American entrepreneur. Roscheisen was among the first to understand the commercial potential of the Internet in the late 1990s, and he was also one of the first Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to focus on green energy technology. In 2015, Roscheisen launched Diamond Foundry, with backing from Leonardo DiCaprio, and in November 2016, Diamond Foundry bought jewelry brand Vrai.

Orecchini Huggie in oro 14 carati e diamanti

The brand is keen to underline the green aspect: Vrai diamonds are produced by Diamond Foundry in Wenatchee, in the State of Washington, USA, using 100% hydroelectric energy. The company has been Carbon Neutral certified since 2017. Vrai’s jewels are made of 14-karat gold, with a modern, fairly simple design. The 14 carats together with laboratory diamonds allows prices to be contained: a gold ring with a 0.5 carat stone, sold online, is offered at around 1500 dollars.

Orecchini pendenti in oro 14 carati e diamanti

Anello chevalier in oro 14 carati e diamante lab grown

Orecchini in oro 14 carati e diamanti sintetici con diverso taglio

Anello Toi et Moi in oro 14 carati e diamanti di laboratorio

Are Lab Diamonds Like Teslas?

Published on November 25, 2022

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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

The truth about synthetic diamonds according to Assogemme

Published on September 13, 2022

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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.

Who buys laboratory diamonds?

Published on September 4, 2022

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

Who buys factory-made diamonds? Synthetic diamonds, from a chemical point of view completely identical to natural ones, are a recent bet on the jewelry market. While until a few years ago these diamonds, produced with different methods, were confined for industrial use (for example, for cutting machines), now artificial diamonds are also more widespread in jewelry. Those who sell them define these stones as “grown” or “grown” in the laboratory. Pay attention to it: the two terms, chosen for marketing, suggest that the stones are like plants that grow or are cultivated in a kind of greenhouse. An idea that has thus been associated with the concept of sustainability: the diamonds that come out of a production plant are green, those extracted from the earth are not. An idea that does not all agree with. Certainly, however, they are cheaper diamonds.

In any case, marketing and advertising are powerful tools, as certified by a market research conducted in the United States by The MVEye. The research identified the buyer groups who, according to the analyst firm, are driving explosive global growth in the lab-grown diamond industry. The company has divided the customers of these synthetic diamonds into several groups. The first group is defined as In the Know (i.e. informed) and is made up of millennials between the ages of 25 and 38. In short, young people who have established that laboratory diamonds are truly green. The group, the survey specifies, includes multiple ethnic groups and non-traditional couples.

Orecchini con diamanti di laboratorio Lightbox di De Beers

The second group, on the contrary, has been described as In the Dark (that is, they are in the dark). This segment of people is also made up of millennials between the ages of 25 and 38 who, however, have not heard of lab-grown diamonds. On the other hand, according to The MVEye they can easily be persuaded to buy synthetic diamond jewelry. This group also includes multiple ethnicities and non-traditional couples.

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

The third group detected is that of Upgraders (ie those who like to update themselves on news). They are more mature consumers, aged 55 or over, but ready to buy engagement rings (if they are sprightly) or more easily for some anniversary. They often don’t have much knowledge about lab-grown diamonds, but they might be motivated to buy a larger size diamond if they find that man-made ones are cheaper. In short, it is a question of budget. Finally, another group has been defined as SPF, which stands for Self-purchasing females, that is, women who buy jewelry for themselves. According to the research, they too would be a type of customer ready to buy an artificial diamond thanks to the price advantage.

With Aether Diamonds the zero environmental impact diamond

Published on February 26, 2022

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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

Collana con diamanti di laboratorio in vendita a 100.000 dollari

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.

Orecchini Brilliant Earth con diamanti sintetici

Collana Brilliant Earth con diamanti sintetici

Laboratory diamonds will double in three years

Published on November 4, 2021

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Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics is the name of an independent data analytics and consulting firm specializing in the global diamond industry and its foundations. The gha founded Paul Zimnisky, an expert who is recognized as one of the leading analysts in the sector. Its forecasts are used globally by financial institutions, public and private companies, consulting firms, governments, agencies and universities. And, of course, also from the world of jewelry. The latest report by Paul Zimnisky, for example, concerns synthetic diamonds, grown in the laboratory or, more precisely, in high-tech factories.

According to the analyst, therefore, the market for laboratory-created diamond jewelry is set to double by 2025. And while the current market for synthetic diamond jewelry is estimated at $ 2 billion by 3 million carats, by the next three years the sector will rise to 3.9 billion dollars. Laboratory diamonds, therefore, are destined to represent an increasing percentage of the overall diamond market.

Not only that: Zimnisky’s prediction comes to predict that over time there will be an overtaking between natural diamonds, extracted from the earth, and those created by man. The lab-grown gems, which have the same chemical composition as natural ones, will be mainly used for fashion jewelry. Companies such as Lightbox (owned by De Beers), Pandora and Swarovski are already among the brands that focus on this type of stone. In addition, the prices of laboratory diamonds will continue to decline, particularly for those sold without any brand names.

The expert also predicts that the end of synthetic diamonds sold at high prices, in the thousands of dollars., Also because many producers want to lower the price and improve quality. A trend that will lead to production at lower prices. Diamonds that are intended for a vast market, with a price area of less than $ 1,000, although it is not excluded that some famous companies may offer a higher price range, thanks to the strength of the brand. This phenomenon will also cause a drop in demand for moissanite and white sapphire jewelry.

Anelli in oro bianco e oro giallo con diamanti di laboratorio — Anelli in argento e oro giallo con diamanti di laboratorio by Pandora

Laboratory diamonds unknown to young people

Published on September 13, 2021

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While sales of lab-grown, ie synthetic, diamonds are on the rise, the concept of artificial stones may not be clear among buyers. Especially if the diamonds created by machines are considered green, ecological, green, biocompatible, sustainable. You can add the most environmentally friendly definition you prefer. A survey presented at Vicenzaoro September, in fact, puts the finger in the sore: young people, Millennials and Generation Z, have not understood the concept. Can you blame it? Evidently not. It is those who sell synthetic stones who have not communicated enough. In addition, there is an intense debate on how much synthetic gems, largely created in China, are truly environmentally friendly. For example, to be “grown” in the laboratory they need a large use of electricity which, in China, comes largely from coal-fired plants (natural, not synthetic).

In any case, in Vicenzaoro it emerged that over 90% of the interviewees do not know the issues of ethical sustainability of diamonds. And only for those who are aware of the environmental factor consider this aspect as relevant for the choice. Furthermore, the majority of the interviewees think that only the natural diamond also contains an emotional factor, due to its authenticity and rarity. Unlike the stones built in the laboratory. But the ideas of the young people interviewed are quite confused, given that only 60% are ready to buy a natural diamond, while 35% say they are indifferent.

Orecchini con diamanti blu creati in laboratorio

The qualitative research, curated by Laura Inghirami, entrepreneur and founder of Donna Jewel, with the collaboration of Igi (Italian Gemmological Institute) was presented as part of the Gem Talks together with Gaetano Cavalieri, president of Cibjo, Andrea Sangalli, vice president of Federpreziosi . Conclusion: everyone agrees that buyers need to be informed more and better, with Cibjo having created a Guidelines document that can be downloaded from the web. It will be enough?

Il Talk sui diamanti sintetici a Vicenzaoro

Freelight Diamond, the free interpretation of luxury

Published on September 3, 2021

Rings/Showroom

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

PdPaola debuts in gold and diamonds

Published on August 16, 2021

Rings/Showroom/COLLANE

PdPaola, a Spanish brand that in a few years has conquered the European market, climbs the last step of quality and combines its collections at affordable prices with a new line made with the classic elements of jewelry: gold and diamonds. PdPaola’s new jewels are handmade in 18-karat gold, 100% recycled, and with laboratory-grown diamonds, i.e. without mining with the aim of reducing the environmental impact and, of course, keeping prices lower than jewelry with natural stones.

Within the collection, which includes rings and earrings with the essential style of the Maison, there are necklaces with a pendant in the shape of a letter of the alphabet, which usually coincides with that of the name of the wearer: a classic of jewelry and one of the drivers when it comes to gifts. The products of the gold jewelery line will for the moment be available exclusively in the online store pdpaola.com, with prices ranging from 100 to 1,400 euros, but will soon also arrive in stores. Alongside this new line, the extensive sterling silver collections are always available.

Collana indossata in oro e diamanti di laboratorio con lettera

Collana in oro e diamanti di laboratorio

Orecchini in oro bianco e diamanti di laboratorio

Orecchini asimmetrici in oro giallo e diamanti di laboratorio

Alarm for laboratory diamonds

Published on June 17, 2021

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Lab-made diamonds may be green, as those who sell them claim, but they certainly pose a threat to honest jewelers and, last but not least, to buyers. The alarm has been sounding for some time among gemologists: producers of synthetic diamonds are increasingly skilled in reproducing the appearance of natural gems extracted from the earth and there are those who sell them as natural gems. The latest example comes from Bangkog: a gem laboratory in the Thai capital, in fact, has discovered another diamond produced in the laboratory presented as a natural stone. And it is a gem that would have been sold at a very high price.

L'analisi sul diamante sintetico dell'International Gemological Institute per una gemma da 6,18 carati — L’analisi sul diamante sintetico dell’International Gemological Institute per una gemma da 6,18 carati

It is, in fact, a 6.18 carat brilliant cut diamond described as natural, which the International Gemological Institute has analyzed and classified after a verification request, presumably by those who bought it as a real gem or who was about to to do it. The diamond turned out to be perfect: D color, flawless clarity and excellent triple cut. With one small flaw: it was created in the laboratory. The most disturbing aspect, however, is the processing designed specifically to exchange the synthetic stone with a natural one. But don’t diamonds have an invisible initials engraved with the laser that allows you to identify their origin? Yes, but the problem is that the diamond in question had a counterfeit number. In short, laboratory-grown diamonds are not a problem if sold as such, but they also risk being used to deceive simple buyers.

Anello in oro bianco e diamante di laboratorio

Pandora changes strategy with the laboratory diamonds

Published on May 4, 2021

Rings/bracciale/Pandora/Showroom

Rendering degli anelli della collezione Pandora Brilliance

Pandora changes strategy and presents its first collection of jewelry with synthetic diamonds. The collection is called Pandora Brilliance and is made with laboratory diamonds. The goal is to offer affordable and sustainably manufactured products. Pandora Brilliance will initially be launched in the UK and will be released in other, currently undetermined markets starting in 2022.

Pandora continues in its mission to make incredible jewelry accessible to more people, so today I am very proud to be able to announce the launch of Pandora Brilliance. This is a new collection of elegantly designed jewelry featuring lab-created diamonds. They represent a symbol of innovation and progress as much as of timeless beauty and testify to our ongoing and ambitious sustainability program. Diamonds are not only forever, but for everyone.
Alexander Lacik, CEO of Pandora

Bracciali della collezione Pandora Brilliance, bozzetto

According to Pandora, the diamond jewelry market will continue to grow and lab-made diamonds are outpacing the overall industry growth. Lab-created diamonds are identical to mined diamonds, but are made in a manufacturing facility. The stones have the same optical, chemical, thermal and physical characteristics and are classified according to the standards known as the 4C: cut, color, clarity and carat (cut, color, purity and carat) before being set in the Pandora Brilliance collection.

The new collection includes rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings, each with a lab-created solitaire diamond hand-set in sterling silver, 14-karat yellow gold or 14-karat white gold jewelry. Like other Pandora jewels, the pieces can be collected or matched together, and the leitmotif of the collection, a reinterpreted symbol of infinity, is steeped in meaning. The concept is about the infinite possibility of forging the future while creative development is based on extensive market research carried out in North America, Europe and China.

Carbon neutral certification
Pandora Brilliance is a CarbonNeutral certified product under the global framework for carbon neutrality. The certification covers Pandora Brilliance jewelry, their packaging and transport. The diamonds created in the laboratory and used in the collection have been grown with more than 60% renewable energy, while the greenhouse gas emissions from non-renewable energy are offset through the CarbonNeutral certification. Next year, when Pandora launches the collection globally, the diamonds will be made using 100% renewable energy.
Pandora Brilliance is available for purchase starting May 6 in the UK only. Prices start at 250 pounds (about 290 euros) and the variety of stones ranges from 0.15 to one carat.

Survey: laboratory diamonds? Only if at a low price

Published on April 4, 2021

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De Beers produces diamonds created in a laboratory or, better said, in a production plant. De Beers synthetic diamonds are marketed under the Lightbox brand. In the idea of the largest producer of natural diamonds, those extracted in one way or another from the ground, the stones grown in the laboratory serve to expand the market to that segment of consumers who cannot afford a traditional gem. Even though now De Beers herself makes it known that the distrust of synthetic diamonds remains high. In fact, the company summarized customer sentiment in the sixth Diamond Insight Flash Report. The analysis contains an unflattering verdict for non-natural diamonds: only 6% of people surveyed associate the word “authentic” with stones grown in the laboratory. Natural diamonds, on the other hand, are trusted by 60%, which 41% are also stones associated with the term “romantic”. Lab grown diamonds, on the other hand, are only 6% romantic.

But there is also an investment aspect: consumers think that synthetic diamonds will not maintain their value over time. In short, a natural diamond ring can be easily resold, not so much a jewel with a synthetic stone. Seven out of ten consumers are unwilling to spend more than $ 1,000 for a lab-grown diamond jewel.

Bracciale con diamante rosa creato in laboratorio

Artificial diamonds, unstoppable race

Published on November 3, 2020

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Forget the depths of the mines where a diamond in the rough shines in the dark. Now diamonds are increasingly the children of anonymous machines, complex procedures and digitized calculations. In short, there are more and more artificial diamonds, created in the factory. And it is even more impressive to know that one of the companies that pushes the most on lab-grown diamonds is the best known brand for selling natural gems: De Beers.

It was an advertising campaign by De Beers, in 1947, that invented the claim “a diamond is forever”. Today, perhaps, it could propose another slogan: “a diamond is for everyone”. In fact, the company is pushing hard on artificial diamonds with the Lightbox brand. Years ago he set up the first laboratory-made diamond factory in Ascot, Great Britain. And today it doubles with the $ 94 million manufacturing facility in Gresham, Oregon. The factory has already started work and once fully operational, it will produce around 200,000 carats of lab-grown diamonds each year.

In addition to the Lightbox brand, the diamonds will be sold with online jewelry retailer Blue Nile, in an exclusive jewelry collection. No wonder: research from MVI Marketing sponsored by the International Grown Diamond Association indicates that in ten years, lab-grown diamonds have gone from zero to becoming the fastest growing category in the jewelry market.

Factory created diamonds have not been marred by criticism from those who believe natural diamonds are the only precious gems. Also because artificial stones have a price per carat that is about 30% lower than those extracted from the earth. And, from a chemical point of view, they are perfectly alike. Indeed, man-made diamonds are artificially perfect. In addition, they are increasingly popular with consumers, at least American ones. Result: in addition to De Beers, other brands, such as Swarovski and Richline, also use synthetic diamonds. In short, even for jewels technology wins.

Ingresso della fabbrica di diamanti sintetici

Orecchini con diamanti sviluppati in laboratorio Lightbox — Orecchini con diamanti sintetici sviluppati in laboratorio Lightbox

Orecchini con diamanti rosa sviluppati in laboratorio Lightbox

Pendente con diamante sviluppato in laboratorio Lightbox