Buying a diamond separately from its ring or jewellery setting gives you more control over the final piece. With loose lab grown diamonds, you can compare individual stones cut, colour, clarity, carat weight, shape grading information before deciding how the diamond should be set.
This works especially well for engagement rings. Rather than choosing a ring based mostly on how the whole ring looks, you can look just at the diamond choose a ring that complements your taste, lifestyle budget.
What Is a Loose Lab-Grown Diamond?
A loose lab grown diamond refers to a diamond that has been created artificially in a lab but has not yet been set in a ring, pendant, earrings, or any other jewelry.
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. They are comprised of the same fundamental carbon crystal structure found in naturally occurring diamonds. The atoms, chemical properties, optical properties are all similar to that of a natural diamond.
The two types of diamonds are different in terms of origin.
Lab-grown diamonds should not be confused with diamond alternatives such as cubic zirconia or moissanite, which are made from different materials.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Created?
Most laboratory created diamonds are formed using either High Pressure High Temperature or Chemical Vapour Deposition.
HPHT
High Pressure High Temperature also known as HPHT, uses high pressures temperatures in order to make the diamond grow.
CVD
Chemical Vapour Deposition, CVD for short, grows diamonds in a chamber with carbon containing gas.
They both can produce beautiful diamonds, but neither method is better than the other. Two diamonds created in the same lab can still have a different value.
Therefore, judging the diamond on its own rather than buying a CVD or HPHT diamond is more important.
Why Buy the Diamond Before Choosing the Setting?
The choice of centre stone separately makes it easier to choose where the budget is best spent.
For example, a customer may want a smaller diamond with good light performance rather than going for carat weight. Another buyer may want an elongated oval shape due to the cosmetic appeal that it offers to the eye on the finger.
UK shoppers who are searching for loose lab grown diamonds can compare the individual stones find out which are right for a solitaire, halo, pavé, bezel or any other UK-based setting.
A retailer such as novitadiamonds.co.uk can also give a useful reference for how the loose laboratory-grown stones compare to diamond jewellery in the UK market.
Compare the 4Cs Carefully
The 4Cs are one of the simplest ways to compare the qualities of diamonds, but each individual feature tells the buyer different things.
Cut determines the value of a faceted crystal according to specific standards.
It’s what makes many buyers focus on this particular quality since it can largely impact the appeal of a stone. Colour refers to the degree to which a precious stone has a tint or does not have it based on the system used to grade it. A high colour grade is not necessarily preferred in all jewelries as the overall look is impacted the shape of the crystals as well as the metals used in settings. Clarity takes into account the presence of foreign materials on the surface or inside a mineral. With extremely high levels being costly, it’s not always advised to invest into stones with higher clarity than needed since they do not impact attractiveness in an obvious way. Carat weight is the only measurement that defines the amount of material in a diamond. Two one-carat pieces can vary in size due to the shapes of their surfaces edges.
Shape Changes More Than Style
Diamond shape affects appearance, facet pattern how the stone spreads its weight.
Round brilliant diamonds are lab created diamonds for a facet arrangement designed around strong light return. Oval diamonds provide an elongated outline, while emerald cuts use broad step facets that create a different, more geometric appearance.
Other options are cushion, radiant, pear, princess, marquise asscher.
Shape also can play a role in how easy to see any inclusions may be, as well as what type of setting will look best. Emerald-cut diamonds are a good example of a style that may showcase any internal characteristics.
There is no right or wrong shape, it comes down to a matter of personal style what setting will compliment the stone as well as fit the desired purpose.
Check the Diamond Grading Report
An independent grading report helps you compare stones using documented characteristics rather than relying only on photographs or product descriptions.
Depending on the laboratory report format, it may include:
- carat weight measurements
- colour clarity grades
- polish symmetry
- proportions
- fluorescence
- laboratory-grown origin
- identifying characteristics
- a grading report number
Recognised laboratories such as IGI GIA grade laboratory-grown diamonds.
Where a report number or laser inscription is available, check that the identifying information corresponds with the diamond being offered.
A grading report should not be confused with a financial valuation. It describes diamond characteristics according to the grading laboratory’s methodology; it does not guarantee retail price, future resale value or investment performance.
Look Beyond Carat Weight
One common mistake is to judge diamonds carat only.
If you have two diamonds that are equal in carat weight, one may have more weight underneath the surface, while the other may have wider dimensions, creating a bigger face up appearance, plus different proportions cuts will create different appearances.
Check measurements, proportions cut in addition to carat weight.
The same goes with clarity. Paying much more for a higher grade of whiteness may not be worth it if a lower grade diamond will appear equally clean to the naked eye at a distance.
Match the Diamond to the Ring
By choosing the loose stone first the setting can be chosen to fit around it.
A solitaire setting focuses attention on the centre diamond, while a halo setting surround the centre with smaller stones to change the overall visual footprint, bezel settings surround a larger surface area of the diamond. Pavé settings also surround the diamond but with smaller stones along the band.
The choice of metal also affects the overall appearance with platinum, white gold, yellow gold rose gold each providing a different contrast to the stone.
The profile of the ring, width of band, ease of maintenance, ease of resizing the need to fit an engagement ring to sit alongside a future wedding band are also considerations.
Compare Retailers as Well as Diamonds
A detailed diamond specification is only part of the purchase decision.
Before ordering, check how clearly the retailer explains its products policies. Confirm whether the stone is disclosed as laboratory-grown whether a grading report accompanies it where stated.
You may also want to check:
- return conditions
- resizing arrangements
- precious-metal specifications
- whether accent stones are natural, lab-grown or another material
- warranty or servicing terms
- how customer support can be contacted
Keep the grading report, purchase documentation other important records after buying.
Comparing stones this way gives you a much clearer picture than simply choosing the largest diamond within your budget. A well-matched combination of cut, shape, colour, clarity, dimensions setting can matter far more to the finished jewellery than one specification viewed in isolation.
