a DIAMOND by any other NAME

Lab grown diamonds and other sustainable jewelry pieces are gaining traction in the world of fine adornments

By Diane Krieger Spivak

hen people hear the term “sustainable jewelry” or “lab grown diamonds” they can often misunderstand what those expressions mean.

Firstly, lab grown diamonds are real, so consumers should not confuse them with cubic zirconia, or CZs, which are artificial and hold little to no value.

Lab created, or lab grown gems, including sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and, of course, diamonds are just what the name implies — grown in a lab, as opposed to mined from the earth.

“The first thing to know is that a lab created diamond is a real diamond, with all the same physical characteristics as a mined diamond,” says Rob Hollis, co-owner of K. Hollis Jewelers, Boutique and Wine Bar in Batavia. “The only difference is that one comes out of the ground, and one comes out of a machine. In essence, they take a seed diamond, put it into a machine where they are recreating what nature does in a matter of weeks instead of millennia.”

The process involves extremely high pressure and temperature, creating a gemstone that is unique, just like mined diamonds, with the same characteristics of color and clarity, and are cut just as mined diamonds are, adds Hollis. “No two are the same,” he says. Each lab created gem is inscribed with its own identifier, as well. “So, you should be able to tell the difference,” says Hollis. “In our store we also have a machine that can identify the difference between the two.”

Lab grown diamonds are also graded, according to clarity and cut, just as mined diamonds are. According to Hollis, 80 percent of the loose diamonds the store sells are now lab-created. “They’re more available and more affordable, and for some people they’re more ethically sourced,” he says.

“It does change the entire industry in that the supply of lab created diamonds is not as finite as lab created diamonds,” says Hollis. “You can get a lab created diamond at sometimes half the cost of a mined diamond.”

That said, some prefer mined diamonds because they are rare, and therefore more valuable.

“Because lab grown diamonds are mass produced, the value isn’t the same as a mined diamond,” says Laura Pinckney, sales manager at State Street Jewelers, in Geneva. “The earth has a finite amount of diamonds. We sell both.”

Whichever you choose, Hollis advises, “Be cautious of where you’re buying and buy from a reputable jeweler, and with a larger diamond, make sure you have certification.”

Sustainable jewelry includes more than just gemstones, however. “Precious metals, like platinum, gold and silver can all be recycled,” says Pinckney. “When our customers want to sell us a piece of jewelry, I always tell them this is like the ultimate recyclable. It’s less that we have to pull out of the earth. It gets melted down, the impurities come out, and they can reuse it in new jewelry. In some cases, if they have a sentimental piece, our customers can reuse their own jewelry, melted down into a new, custom-made piece of jewelry.”

Jan Barbeau Perfect Events by Jan