Will Lab Diamonds Pass a Diamond Test?

Lab-grown diamonds are a modern marvel, created using advanced technology to replicate the natural formation of diamonds. Their rising popularity comes with many questions, especially about their ability to pass standard diamond tests. Let's explore how diamond tests work and whether lab-grown diamonds measure up.

Understanding Diamond Tests

What Are Diamond Testers?

A device that ascertains a diamond is a diamond tester, working with measuring the diamond's physical properties mainly through the thermal and electrical conductivities; these are different only in the case of a diamond. Most used kinds are:

1. Thermal Conductivity Testers: These measure a principle about diamonds dispersing heat better than most substances to be told apart from its simulates.

2. Electrical Conductivity Testers: These determine if a diamond is a Type IIb diamond, natural diamonds with boron impurities that are conductive. Advanced testers can sometimes distinguish the difference in synthetic diamonds.

   
   

What is interesting is that diamond testers were originally created to find cubic zirconia simulants. However, lab-grown and natural diamonds often look identical, so determining if a diamond is one of these often requires advanced testing.

How Diamond Tests Work

Thermal tests check the flow of heat and electricity through the stone. In terms of thermal tests, natural and cultured diamonds are the same because the carbon in both is the same. Cubic zirconia and other simulants break the test because they do not conduct heat as well as diamonds do. Testers give instant results, but these are not failsafe and cannot distinguish between cultured and mined diamonds.

Will Lab-Grown Diamonds Pass?

Thermal Conductivity Test

Lab-grown diamonds pass tests on thermal conductivity because they are chemically and physically identical to mined diamonds. That is to say that, in comparison, their heat-diffusion capabilities are equivalent. The average thermal tester cannot differentiate a mined from a lab-grown diamond but can only identify whether a stone is indeed a diamond.

Electrical Conductivity Test

While natural diamonds can sometimes exhibit electrical conductivity due to trace elements like boron, most lab-grown diamonds, especially those made via Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), do not. Advanced electrical tests, however, can sometimes identify these subtle differences, particularly in Type IIa diamonds (which most lab-grown diamonds are). This makes electrical conductivity tests a useful, though limited, tool for gemologists.

Advanced Testing Techniques

Professional gemological labs, such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), use spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, and observation of growth patterns. These methods can identify inclusions or growth patterns unique to lab-grown diamonds, such as metallic inclusions left behind by the High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) process or growth striations from CVD.

A remarkable fact is that more than 98% of natural diamonds are Type Ia (nitrogen-containing), and most of the lab-grown diamonds are Type IIa (nearly nitrogen-free) and, therefore, require special techniques for distinction.

Popular Misconceptions

Many people believe lab-grown diamonds are fake. In fact, that couldn't be further from the truth. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, with identical hardness, refractive index, and brilliance as their mined counterparts. Misconceptions arise through confounding lab-grown diamonds with simulants.

• Cubic Zirconia: A popular diamond simulant that fails all thermal and electrical tests because it doesn't have the carbon structure of a diamond.

• Moissanite: Moissanite can perfectly imitate the brilliance of a diamond but conducts heat more efficiently than diamonds, causing false positives in some tests. Advanced testers easily detect it.

  
  

Lab-grown diamonds are not simulants and substitutes; they are real diamonds, but grown in a laboratory setting.

Practical Tips for Buyers

Buy from Authorized Dealers

Make sure your diamond comes from a reputable jeweler who states if it is lab-grown or not. This is important since inspection and tests in the physical world will not show its origins. Additional certification through legitimate sources may also be required for authentic items.

Ask for Certification

Certifications from institutions such as GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or IGI (International Gemological Institute) are also important. Certificates clearly state whether a diamond is mined or lab-grown along with its specific grading details.

Know Testing Limitation

Basic diamond testers indicate a diamond's authenticity. It does not differentiate between the diamond being natural or lab-grown. Only advanced methods conducted by gemologists determine if a diamond is original or not.

Certified documentation is your most reliable tool for knowing what you're buying. It ensures clarity and confidence in your purchase, whether natural or lab-grown.

Conclusion

Lab-grown diamonds pass most standard diamond tests, such as thermal conductivity checks, as they are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds. However, distinguishing between lab-grown and mined diamonds demands advanced techniques, which is usually done in professional labs. While lab-grown diamonds may present an ethical and cost-effective alternative to mined stones, learning their origins can go a long way in getting the best deal. Natural or manufactured, the brilliance and beauty of a diamond never go out of style-a true symbol of love and commitment.