![]() When we refer to a diamond’s flawlessness, we are in fact referring to it’s clarity. Technically, flawless diamonds do exist - they are just extremely rare. These are the four most important factors which determine the quality & price of both lab & mined diamonds. Lab grown diamonds have mostly the same flaws as a man made diamonds, which are graded by the 4C’s, cut, colour, clarity & carat weight. What Kind of Flaws Can Lab Created Diamonds Have? This diagram shows the carbon structure of both lab grown diamonds & mined diamonds this special pattern of carbon bonding is what makes them identical. As you can see each carbon atom is bound by four extremely strong covalent bonds, this unique way of carbon bonding is what makes diamonds such an exquisitely beautiful & extremely durable material. When we see this pattern form between carbon atoms, this is what we refer to as ‘carbon crystallization’ - the formation of a diamond. Their main challenge was to replicate & speed up the process in which diamonds are formed under the Earth’s Crust - to achieve the formation of covalent bonds between carbon atoms. It was over 60 years ago when scientists started experimenting with creating diamonds in the laboratory. Each carbon atom forms four extremely strong covalent bonds, which are bound to another four carbon atoms - resulting in one of the hardest materials known to man. In this extreme environment, the carbon atoms are able to bond together and crystallise, thus creating a diamond. In nature, diamonds are created when the carbon dioxide gas is put under extreme pressure and temperature approximately 150-200km below the earth’s surface. This gas contains carbon atoms, which are the building blocks of diamonds. Natural diamonds are formed deep under the earths’ crust where carbon dioxide gas is present. We will also discuss how a diamond is certified and graded - to ensure that you purchase a top quality diamond for your budget. In this article we will outline how mined diamonds & lab diamonds are created & why this process makes it extremely difficult to produce flawless diamonds in the laboratory. These imperfections in both mined & lab created diamonds are graded by the 4C’s, cut, colour, clarity & carat weight. Both lab-created diamonds & mined diamonds undergo a similar process during their creation - there are many variables which can occur in this process (both in nature & in the laboratory), which can cause the diamonds to have imperfections. If you only want the best of the best and you would like to consider the engagement ring as an investment then a flawless diamond would be a good choice.The short answer is no! Although lab grown diamonds are man-made, they still have the same imperfections as natural mined diamonds. If you are simply looking for a beautiful diamond ring to surprise your beloved, the attribute flawless makes the ring unnecessarily expensive without adding extra value to its appearance. Whether an engagement ring should be flawless or not is a very subjective decision. The price on the other hand, differs quite considerably a flawless stone can easily cost twice as much as an eye-clean diamond or even more. ![]() ![]() In everyday life, an eye-clean diamond of the grade SI1 (small inclusions) or VS2 (very small inclusions) in an engagement ring is simply not distinguishable from a flawless engagement ring not even on close inspection. This is also referred to as " eye clean". a diamond in which birthmarks are visible with a loupe, but not with the naked eye. However, from a visual point of view, a flawless diamond is no different from an eye-clean stone, i.e. ![]() From an investment perspective, flawless diamonds are certainly a good choice. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |