Real Diamonds Vs. Synthetic: What’s the Difference?

Shown with 4.03 Round, F-color, IF-clarity

Synthetic diamonds can be very difficult to distinguish from real diamonds. Certainly a layman would not be able to tell them apart and even some professionals may be bamboozled. But the difference between the two is that synthetic diamonds are created in a lab, mimicking the process by which natural diamonds grow. This is why they are so difficult to separate. Lab-grown diamonds ARE real diamonds…more or less. So how can you tell if your diamond is real or synthetic, and what’s the difference anyway?

For starters, synthetic diamonds are not really the same as the genuine article. Real gemstones are formed under the surface of the Earth over billions of years before they are mined, cut, and polished to perfection. Everything about them can be traced back to the heat of their environment, the rocks surrounding them, and the chemicals and minerals present that give them their unique properties such as color, size, and clarity. Lab created diamonds, on the other hand, are processed in canisters over the course of several days, hardly making them the rare commodity that real diamonds represent.

However, there are some benefits to buying a “fake”. For starters, you will receive all the same certification papers as you would with a real diamond (they just won’t say “natural” on them). In addition, companies that produce these stones are lobbying to have them accepted as natural gems since they are, in fact, real diamonds. The major upside, though, is in the cost, which is roughly half of what you would pay for stones straight from the ground. If you’re jonesing for a sparkly purchase but can’t put together the scratch, this is a great way to get something nice that is well within your budget. Plus, no one will be the wiser (unless you tell them). Identifying these clones requires the use of sophisticated instruments used by professional gemologists, so your girlfriends certainly won’t be calling shenanigans when you waggle your brilliant new diamond under their noses.

View our collection of loose diamonds here.