Lab-Grown vs. Natural Diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds versus natural diamonds. Are they really equal to each other? Will lab-grown diamonds be the next cubic zirconia? Should you invest in one over the other? These topics are being heavily debated by jewelers and shoppers around the world. At William Jeffrey’s Jewelers, we offer both and our staff is here to help you make the best decision for now and down the road. 

First, let’s get the basics out of the way.

What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?

Here is the quick answer. Lab-grown diamonds are manufactured in a factory environment built for mass production. The two core techniques for creating these diamonds in the lab are Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT). Chemical Vapor Deposition is similar to 3-D printing where layers of carbon are deposited on top of a “seed diamond” (normally a piece of another synthetic diamond) inside of a high-pressure chamber. The high-pressure, high-temperature process attempts to recreate the natural process of forming a diamond in the Earth by crushing natural graphite in a large machine with extreme pressure and temperatures until it forms a diamond.

Currently, 60 percent of lab-grown diamonds are manufactured in factories in China using high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) technology rather than the ‘cleaner’ chemical vapor disposition (CVD) technique popular in the US and India. 

These lab-grown diamonds look like natural diamonds, contain the same chemical and physical attributes and even come with diamond certifications. While they can be cut to look amazing they do come with a downside which we’ll touch on next

Lab-Grown Diamonds are more affordable but will they hold their value?

This is a question that we are asked a lot. The resale market for lab-grown diamonds isn’t very strong and continues to drop every month. As more lab-grown diamonds continue to be mass-produced from overseas factories, the prices and resale values will continue to drop further. This is based on simple economics. If more of a product can be mass-produced faster and for less money, then the less special it is and the more the value drops. A similar thing happened with the introduction of synthetic rubies, emeralds, and sapphires; as mass production increased their price and resale value went down significantly.

But What If I Can Only Afford A Lab-Grown Diamond?

We are here to help you find the impressive lab-grown diamond ring that you can afford now and the even more gorgeous Natural Diamond down the road. If you search you’ll see that a lot of jewelers are choosing to sell only Natural Diamonds. At William Jeffrey’s Jewelers Fine Diamonds and Jewelry, we are choosing to not only offer both Natural and lab-grown diamonds but are the only jewelry store in the country that will guarantee the value of your newly purchased lab-grown diamond as a part of our “Beginnings” collection.

Yes…You Read That Right.

This means, the lab-grown diamond center stone in your new ring will be always worth what you have paid for today toward its Natural diamond replacement should you choose to upgrade down the road. The future Natural stone must fit your mounting, and be exactly the same replacement quality (color, cut, clarity & carat) as your Lab Grown. Plain and simple.

At William Jeffrey’s Jewelers, we live up to the responsibility that is promised in our slogan, 

“We Don't Sell Jewelry. We Help You Buy It.” 

We are a family-owned fine diamond and jewelry store in Richmond, VA. We are proud to offer engagement rings, anniversary gifts, necklaces, bracelets, rings, loose diamonds (both natural and lab-grown), and custom jewelry. 

While the traditional 4Cs are important when picking out a diamond, at William Jeffrey’s we promise a higher level of “4Cs:”

Curated - While most jewelry stores sell whatever comes in the mail to them, we hand-select every piece of jewelry. We choose all our gems and jewelry with one thing in mind, quality. Our collection is the finest available in every category.
Custom - Bring us your dreams! We focus on helping you find or craft just the perfect treasure. Our full-spectrum design services take you from preliminary sketches to the finished product. 
Committed - The right jewelry should last a lifetime and be passed to the next generation. Our entire team is here to help you make the best decision just as we have for over 30 years.
Caring - Our well-trained and experienced staff listen to your needs and look out for you as if you were part of our own family.

So stop in, call us, or send us a message below and we’ll help you find the perfect diamond for today and down the road!