The choice is yours! There are more than 4 Cs!
More!?
There is already so much to consider when choosing a diamond.
I know - it’s a lot - but we will break it down for you at Northwood Jewelers and be your biggest asset when purchasing the perfect diamond! Have a seat with us in person and we will take our time one-on-one to help!
There is a whole Category many are choosing first before we even get into Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color!
Now before we begin let's dig in - literally -
LET’S LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL EARTH MINED DIAMONDS AND MAN MADE/LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS.
It is always important to know who to trust when it comes to selecting the perfect diamond that you have all options available to you - because essentially YOU are the one who is choosing. There is a Type of R O M A N C E that comes with selecting the perfect diamond - and the one YOU choose is in the eye of the beholder. Like we will Mention in the Do’s and Dont’s of buying an Engagement Ring below, DO NOT just go merely off price or the information that is on a Diamond Certificate.
Even though a specific Diamond Certification may tell you the diamond is SI1-2 clarity and G-H in color in comparison to another - what diamond is more beautiful to you. There are many labs including GIA, EGL and IGI that may call a diamond a specific grade, but it is the way it calls to you. Set aside the paperwork and use your judgement along with discretion for pricing.
Use the Grading as a starting point - But do not get stuck on it.
Diamond has visual symmetry, Polish, Depth, and factors such as fluorescence that determine color variation. Where are those characteristics, what are they- wisps, clouds, pinpoints, surface graining. Can a characteristic be hidden by a prong so the feather is close to the girdle of the diamond? The layout is so important!
But What about the Diamond - It is near impossible to know if a Diamond is Natural Earth Mined or Lab by just the Naked Eye…. That is where we come in for a little more assistance.
Let's talk about the 2 most popular lab growing techniques - HPHT and CVD.
Throw on your lab coat, we are getting scientific!
Developed in the 1950’s HPHT or High Pressure High Temperature was the first method developed for diamond synthesis! The process begins by a carbon starting material-usually graphite (a mined material) , a mixture of metals called a metal flux, and a small diamond seed.
Heated to 1,300º to 1,600º C and pressed to pressures up to 59,200 atm. The makeup of the metal flux varies. The dissolved carbon source can then pass through the molten metal mixture to crystallize around the diamond seed, forming a lab-grown diamond. The HPHT process can take from hours to weeks, depending on the desired size and quality of the stones.
Later another process, CVD or Chemical Vapor Deposition that is now most popular. The CVD process begins by filling a chamber with a mixture of gasses,
Next, a substrate is added to the chamber, usually a thin sliver of diamond seed, although graphite can also be used. The chamber is then heated to temperatures of 800º to 900º C, using microwaves, lasers, or a hot filament. The energy from the heat source causes the carbon to precipitate out of the gaseous mixture and stick to the substrate, which begins to crystalize into a diamond. CVD process must be paused frequently, so they can remove any graphite that crystalizes around the diamond. CVD can take from days and weeks, depending on the desired size and quality of the stones. However, dozens of stones can be grown at the same time. Later the CVD diamonds can be perfected further with additional treatments.
Lab-grown fancy-colored diamonds, whether produced via HPHT or CVD, are much more affordable than their natural counterparts. (information provided by: Lab-Grown Diamond Production Methods - International Gem Society)
In comparison with Quality the more perfected Diamonds are CVD Lab Grown Diamonds, HPHT can throw more of a gray tone. Many do favor Man Made or Lab grown diamonds for price and others prefer them because they understand them to be more “eco-friendly” than the mined diamonds. In many studies the carbon footprints are similar.
How are Northwood Jewelers Lab & Earth Mined Diamonds different from other jewelry stores?
Earth Mined diamonds have the possibilty of a Lifetime Upgrade program.
True Love Guarantee
This means any earth mined diamonds purchased from Northwood Jewelers ever will have a 100% return value when upgrading! When you bring the original diamond in, no matter if it was a recent purchase or bought 20+ years ago, you will get the exact amount of money back you put down towards the entire value towards a bigger and better diamond!
Northwood Jewelers will give a fair market value trade with Lab diamonds but over time there is a possibility of them depreciating because they can be made over and over again with no rarity to them to keep their original value like an earth mined diamond.
So if you are like many, and you want your love to be symbolized by a Diamond, which one would you choose?
Does the prices it was made matter to you? It may or may not but that is why it is so important that we want it to be.
YOUR CHOICE!
More!?
There is already so much to consider when choosing a diamond.
I know - it’s a lot - but we will break it down for you at Northwood Jewelers and be your biggest asset when purchasing the perfect diamond! Have a seat with us in person and we will take our time one-on-one to help!
There is a whole Category many are choosing first before we even get into Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color!
Now before we begin let's dig in - literally -
LET’S LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL EARTH MINED DIAMONDS AND MAN MADE/LABORATORY GROWN DIAMONDS.
It is always important to know who to trust when it comes to selecting the perfect diamond that you have all options available to you - because essentially YOU are the one who is choosing. There is a Type of R O M A N C E that comes with selecting the perfect diamond - and the one YOU choose is in the eye of the beholder. Like we will Mention in the Do’s and Dont’s of buying an Engagement Ring below, DO NOT just go merely off price or the information that is on a Diamond Certificate.
Even though a specific Diamond Certification may tell you the diamond is SI1-2 clarity and G-H in color in comparison to another - what diamond is more beautiful to you. There are many labs including GIA, EGL and IGI that may call a diamond a specific grade, but it is the way it calls to you. Set aside the paperwork and use your judgement along with discretion for pricing.
Use the Grading as a starting point - But do not get stuck on it.
Diamond has visual symmetry, Polish, Depth, and factors such as fluorescence that determine color variation. Where are those characteristics, what are they- wisps, clouds, pinpoints, surface graining. Can a characteristic be hidden by a prong so the feather is close to the girdle of the diamond? The layout is so important!
But What about the Diamond - It is near impossible to know if a Diamond is Natural Earth Mined or Lab by just the Naked Eye…. That is where we come in for a little more assistance.
Let's talk about the 2 most popular lab growing techniques - HPHT and CVD.
Throw on your lab coat, we are getting scientific!
Developed in the 1950’s HPHT or High Pressure High Temperature was the first method developed for diamond synthesis! The process begins by a carbon starting material-usually graphite (a mined material) , a mixture of metals called a metal flux, and a small diamond seed.
Heated to 1,300º to 1,600º C and pressed to pressures up to 59,200 atm. The makeup of the metal flux varies. The dissolved carbon source can then pass through the molten metal mixture to crystallize around the diamond seed, forming a lab-grown diamond. The HPHT process can take from hours to weeks, depending on the desired size and quality of the stones.
Later another process, CVD or Chemical Vapor Deposition that is now most popular. The CVD process begins by filling a chamber with a mixture of gasses,
Next, a substrate is added to the chamber, usually a thin sliver of diamond seed, although graphite can also be used. The chamber is then heated to temperatures of 800º to 900º C, using microwaves, lasers, or a hot filament. The energy from the heat source causes the carbon to precipitate out of the gaseous mixture and stick to the substrate, which begins to crystalize into a diamond. CVD process must be paused frequently, so they can remove any graphite that crystalizes around the diamond. CVD can take from days and weeks, depending on the desired size and quality of the stones. However, dozens of stones can be grown at the same time. Later the CVD diamonds can be perfected further with additional treatments.
Lab-grown fancy-colored diamonds, whether produced via HPHT or CVD, are much more affordable than their natural counterparts. (information provided by: Lab-Grown Diamond Production Methods - International Gem Society)
In comparison with Quality the more perfected Diamonds are CVD Lab Grown Diamonds, HPHT can throw more of a gray tone. Many do favor Man Made or Lab grown diamonds for price and others prefer them because they understand them to be more “eco-friendly” than the mined diamonds. In many studies the carbon footprints are similar.
How are Northwood Jewelers Lab & Earth Mined Diamonds different from other jewelry stores?
Earth Mined diamonds have the possibilty of a Lifetime Upgrade program.
True Love Guarantee
This means any earth mined diamonds purchased from Northwood Jewelers ever will have a 100% return value when upgrading! When you bring the original diamond in, no matter if it was a recent purchase or bought 20+ years ago, you will get the exact amount of money back you put down towards the entire value towards a bigger and better diamond!
Northwood Jewelers will give a fair market value trade with Lab diamonds but over time there is a possibility of them depreciating because they can be made over and over again with no rarity to them to keep their original value like an earth mined diamond.
So if you are like many, and you want your love to be symbolized by a Diamond, which one would you choose?
Does the prices it was made matter to you? It may or may not but that is why it is so important that we want it to be.
YOUR CHOICE!