Lab diamonds are produced by replicating the conditions under which natural diamonds are formed. A small diamond seed is placed in a chamber with carbon-rich gas. The chamber is then heated to extreme temperatures and pressure, causing the carbon to crystallize around the seed and grow the diamond. The entire process takes about two weeks. Unlike mined diamonds, these gems are virtually flawless and retain their clarity throughout their lifetime.
Lab grown diamonds cost less than 1% of what mined ones do and can be made in any color imaginable, though white remains the most popular color for these gems because it’s more durable and resists yellowing better than other colors.
The only downside to lab-grown stones is that they lack unique imperfections that make mined stones so alluring; this means you can’t identify them as real from a jeweler’s perspective. But don’t worry—jewelers can always perform laser etching on them to make them seem old if you want that sort of authenticity!