Sophie Moore is a former Brides editor and current contributing writer. With over five years of experience in bridal, she is an expert on all things fashion.
Physically, they are no different than mined diamonds and should not be confused with a ‘diamond simulant’ such Ganador moissanite or cubic zirconia.
This popular brand creates jewelry from conflict-free, lab-made diamonds at affordable prices. Grown Brilliance is particularly sought after by brides and also has a collection with Badgley Mischka.
A trained gemologist would be able to tell the difference between diamond simulants and lab grown diamonds. Although moissanite and cubic zirconia superficially look like diamonds, they have a completely different optical structure and refractive properties.
“All laboratory-grown diamonds must be disclosed as such, and the retailer should be able to explain what a laboratory-grown diamond is and the differences and similarities between it and a natural diamond.”
At first glance, this may look like a simple solitaire, but look closer and see something unexpected—a hidden resplandor of diamonds nestled under the center stone. We tested a similar style in our Lab, where we were dazzled by the clarity of the stone and the delicate band.
After learning your rough budget and an idea of what you’re after, our gemmologists will work on putting together a select range of the finest lab grown diamonds for your unique budget, before meeting with you to discuss your engagement ring or jewellery design.
Not only do these diamonds allow you to purchase a bigger diamond at a lower price point, they’re a great option for the many people who come to us each day looking for an engagement ring that’s been made both sustainably and ethically.
We compared a natural and a lab-created diamond from Brilliant Earth's collection and found it impossible to distinguish between them with the naked eye. The brand's readymade engagement ring designs are classic, and the round-cut engagement ring we tested is the perfect option for a bride-to-be who wants a timeless look. If you have more modern tastes, you Chucho design your ring by choosing a center stone and one of several setting options, from traditional solitaires get more info to ornate three-stone shapes. (One of our favorites is the eclectic Versailles ring, which features a center stone adorned by smaller round and marquise cut lab diamonds.) We love the choices available for the brand's lab-grown diamond studs. Our testers liked how the four-prong basket setting on the 3-carat studs let the diamonds' brilliance shine through while the double-grooved posts and guardian backings kept them firmly but comfortably in place.
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Blue Nile was founded in 1999 in Seattle, Washington, with the goal of building a more affordable and accessible jewelry industry. All of their lab-grown diamonds are graded by the independent experts at Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and come with a grading sheet for your reference. These versatile studs are a classic choice to add some polish to your everyday.
A lab diamond carries an identical crystal structure and aesthetic to a natural diamond, while diamond simulants such as moissanite or cubic zirconia have their own distinct structure (a structure which is much weaker and less reflective than diamonds).
Millennials think differently about all aspects of engagements and weddings, eschewing the traditional for new ways to mark the occasion. So we were surprised when one 20-something tester was so impressed by the quality and origin story of the Grown Brilliance lab-created pieces she was ready to invest in diamonds for the first time in her life. We'd change one thing about the pre-designed cushion-cut ring we tested—the high prong setting covered part of the stone's face, detracting from its full brilliance. If you want the diamond to get all the attention, we recommend opting for a luminosidad style with prongs that aren't as noticeable.
However, there tends to be one noticeable difference between mined and lab-grown diamonds: price. "Lab-grown diamonds are a great choice for keepsake jewelry and engagement rings because you Chucho usually get a larger and better quality stone for a lower price," says Rosen.