Lab Diamonds vs Mined Diamonds (FAQ)

Our best customer at Tulsa Lab Diamonds is an informed customer. 

Call 918-327-6971 (M-F, 8AM - 4PM CST)

Let's answer some questions you might have. 

Are Lab Diamonds different from Mined Diamonds?

• NO. Lab Diamonds are real diamonds.

Are Lab Diamonds the same as Moissanite, or Cubic Zirconia? 

• NO. They are not the same at all. 

• Check out the chart below to see the differences.

In the above chart we can see the various differences of the more common stones. 

• Note that the major physical properties of a Lab Diamond are the same as Mined Diamonds - except for price. 

Is the chemistry, hardness and durability of a Lab Diamond equal to, or better than, a Mined Diamond?

• The physical properties between a Lab Diamond and Mined Diamond are the same. Both are made of ultra-pure carbon atoms in a lattice type structure. Mined Diamonds may contain traces of Boron and other elements. Lab Diamonds are essentially a pure diamond. 

• Both a Lab Diamond and Mined Diamond have the same hardness. 

• There's no difference in durability between a Lab Diamond and a Mined Diamond.  Lab Diamonds are just as durable as a Mined Diamond. 

• Lab Diamonds wear extremely well and are nearly indestructible.

What about the price difference between Lab Diamonds and Mined Diamonds?

• Mined Diamonds cost far more than Lab Diamonds - as a general rule, 10 or even 20 times more. 

• The substantial difference in price between Lab and Mined - grade to grade, carat to carat - is monumental.  

• Choosing a Mined Diamond restricts your purchase options. That restriction is the size and quality of stone you can buy. At Tulsa Lab Diamonds we want you to have more for less...far less. 

• (See the chart at the bottom of this page showing mined diamond prices.)

Isn't the best argument FOR Lab Diamonds, really about "Value?"

• Everyone is concerned about getting the most value for their hard earned money.  

• Why spend say $5,000 or even $10,000 a carat for a Mined Diamond when the same money could buy a much larger and far better quality Lab Diamond? 

• The extreme value of Lab Diamonds is unsurpassed. 

• You seek the "highest buyer value" when choosing a house, or car. Why not a diamond? 

What about Form and Function?

• When it comes to form, both diamond types are cut, ground, polished and finished exactly the same way. 

• Both diamond types are set (mounted) the exact same way. 

• No one can tell the difference between a Lab Diamond and a Mined Diamond excpt an expert gemologist. Even Experienced Jewelers have difficulty identifying a Lab Diamond over a Mined Diamond of the same color and grade. The heat transmission between the two is almost identical. Only the electrical conductivity is minutely different and it takes special and expensive machines to perform these tests. 

I've heard about HPHT and CVD. What are these technologies?

• High Pressure - High Temperature (HPHT) technology was the very first technology that created a Synthetic Diamond. HPHT is still widely used today (China, Russia, India, Scandinavia, etc.) for cutting materials and as jewelry grade diamonds. As the name implies - ultra high pressure and high temperature are used to convert high quality carbon and a seed diamond into a HPHT diamond. HPHT has created some of the largest synthetic diamonds ever formed (over 100+ carats). In the Lab Diamond world, some 60% of the world's total carat production in synthetic diamonds come from HPHT. It is a chosen technology for diamond grinding powders and small diamonds used in core drilling, metal cutting and grinding tools. All these tools benefit from this technology. 

• CVD stands for Chemical Vapor Deposition. The technology is newer than HPHT technology and is mainly reserved for "jewelry grade" diamonds. In a vacuum chamber a seed diamond wafer (0.5-1 mm thick) is anchored on a substrate. The substrate might have 20 or so seed diamond wafers on it. At the top of the chamber a carbon filled gas is introduced. High power microwaves are directed towards the seed wafer causing the entrained carbon to split from the gas and deposit on the seed, layer by layer, atom by atom. It is a long process and can takes 6-8 weeks of 24/7 operation to produce a single finished diamond wafer. Under extremely controlled conditions, atom by atom, your diamond is formed. No two finished diamond wafers are ever exactly alike. 

• Both technologies produce a unique diamond crystal. One which must be cut, ground, polished and finished just like a mined diamond. 

Is there an "ecological reason" to buy Lab Diamonds from Tulsa Lab Diamonds?

• Yes. The earth is not strip-mined and deep mined in third world nations. In spite of the pretty mining pictures of great earth moving processes, the reality is a lot of labor goes into finding, extracting and sorting raw diamonds. It takes tons of earth moved to find even a few carats of natural diamond. In some countries, mined diamond mining is performed by hand using child labor. 

• For perhaps 100 years, a few very large diamond mining companies have forced worldwide buyers to pay extremely high prices for Mined Diamonds. Prices and product release of mined diamonds are tightly controlled. This creates a false scarcity and raises prices to match. Diamond supply is throttled (reduced supply) to appear scarce in the market. 

• The introduction and domination of Lab Diamonds are diminishing the mined diamond cartel's power over the market and prices. 

• Lab Diamonds offer an ethical and eco-friendly alternative to mined diamonds. 

Lab Diamonds are changing the world...in your favor.

We hope we have answered above some of the more obvious questions. 

Feel free to drop us a line or send us an email. We are available by phone M-F 8:00am to 4:00pm, or better by email at support@tulsalabdiamonds.com. We will answer any question to your satisfaction.

Our staff will do our best to make sure you come to the same conclusion we arrived at many years ago...

All things being equal, Lab Diamonds are far superior to Mined Diamonds...especially when is comes to price and buyer value. 

At Tulsa Lab Diamonds our best customer is an informed customer. 

Price Point of Mined Diamonds:

People are always asking "What is the current price of mined diamonds?"

• We can answer this question best by offering the following table for prices of mined diamonds. This table below was generated by a leading diamond data and statistical company in the business.  Decide for yourself if these mined diamond prices (from Late 2024) are something you want to avoid. 

We will give a rough price comparison between Lab and Mined using the following table. 

Price Comparison - Mined Diamonds to Lab Diamonds. 

Tulsa Lab Diamonds can sell a beautiful 2ct. G color, VVS2, lab diamond for $650.00 or less.

Who wants to spend $7,292.00 for a mined diamond of exactly the same stone grade?

FYI: Mall Jeweler's will typically offer a VS1 and H color Lab Diamond for $2,500-$3,000 a carat. We won't. 

Be Careful. Wouldn't you want to have the best value from your purchase? Sure you do.

Tulsa Lab Diamonds offers the best diamond value. 

Better Diamonds - at far less prices. 

Call 918-327-6971 (M-F, 8AM - 4PM CST)