Lab grown diamonds are a great option for a number of reasons.

Firstly, they are near-identical to a mined diamond. In fact, because they are chemically and optically so identical, almost no jewellers are able to tell them apart.

Secondly, lab created diamonds are ecologically friendly, since they are not mined directly from the earth. Because of this, they are also guaranteed to be conflict free.

Finally, man made diamonds are great value for money. This allows you to choose either a much larger stone for your ring, or a stone of much higher quality for the same budget. Lab grown diamonds are approximately 40% cheaper than a like-for-like mined diamond.

There are many alternatives to getting a real diamond for your engagement ring. Unfortunately, almost all of these are exactly that — alternatives. Whether a cubic zirconia, moissanite or anything else; these simply are not diamonds. The beauty of a lab grown diamond, is that at the end of the day, it is still a real diamond that you are purchasing — just one that has been made in a lab instead of occurring naturally in Earth. Even GIA, the leading global authority on diamonds, state that lab grown diamonds are identical to natural occurring diamonds, made of the same material, and comprised of the same chemical properties. This has also been backed up by the US Federal Trade Commission, which classifies lab grown and mined diamonds as being exactly the same. The only difference is their place of origin.

How does it work? Over a 8-12 week period, in a controlled laboratory setting, a growing chamber simulates the exact conditions that natural diamonds undergo over thousands of years. Condensing thousands of years of heat and pressure into a few short weeks with the aid of unprecedented technology allows for a crystallisation to occur, which is then preceded with a cut and polish process no different to naturally occurring diamonds.