All Grown Up
DAZZLERS FROM THE LAB
Yes, diamonds are forever. But these days they needn’t take forever. What do celebrities Meghan Markle, Lady Gaga and Penelope Cruz have in common? For one thing, they’ve all embraced a glittering new
Earth creates a diamond. In one popular
trend: man-made diamonds. For them, as for
method, small bits of natural diamond are used
many others, diamonds grown in a laboratory
as diamond “seed.” They’re combined with
have become a way to combine the passion for
methane and hydrogen gases and superheated
that special sparkle with a respect for the planet
to temperatures of 900 to 1200 Celsius. The
and its future.
diamond “grows” by bonding with carbon
The lab-grown diamond measures up in stellar looks and in physical and chemical composition too. Just like a mined diamond,
atoms that the gases help release. The whole process takes weeks, not eons. Lab-grown diamonds can be as much as
it is graded for cut, color, carat and clarity. Yet
30 percent cheaper than natural ones, but
all this comes without the humanitarian and
for most of their advocates that’s not the big
environmental concerns that are associated
draw. Instead, it’s the dazzling manufactured
with diamond mining. It’s no surprise,
diamond itself—and the way it fits
then, that man-made diamonds are hotter
today’s belief in sustainability. If
than ever with Gen Z and millennial folks,
you’re a couple committing your
those most likely to be in the market for an
lives to each other, you want
engagement ring.
to bring your best selves to
Speaking of heat, that’s part of the secret.
the occasion. Why not
You may wonder how a lab can replicate the
honor your values
magic by which—over millions of years—the
with the most precious symbol of your love?
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