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Lab-grown diamonds have many advantages over mined, including being more sustainable, environmentally friendly, ethical, and costing much less than a mined diamond. Read on for the best places to buy lab-grown diamond earrings in 2023.
Let’s start with why you should go with lab-grown diamond earrings instead of mined ones. Lab-grown diamonds are an environmentally better choice that does not involve the harmful processes and ethical practices that often follow the mining of diamonds. In fact, lab-grown diamonds are the only way to be sure you’re purchasing an ethical stone that doesn’t compromise the earth and its people.
The harsh truth about mined diamonds is that the process isn’t nearly as glamorous as the diamond industry heavyweights want customers to believe. As research and media have long documented, ‘there is almost no way to know for sure that you’re buying a diamond without blood on it.’ TIME
With lab-grown diamonds and lab-grown diamond earrings, you can rest assured that no wildlife has been harmed, the earth destroyed and that mined diamonds haven’t been used to fund corruption, war, or conflicts.
On top of that, lab-grown diamonds are less expensive than mined diamonds (learn why lab-grown diamonds are better) and come with a price tag that is usually 60-80% less than their mined counterparts. This means that you can either keep money in your pocket or go for bigger or higher-quality diamonds for your lab-grown diamond earrings.
3 best places to buy lab-grown diamond earrings in 2023
Suffice it to say, lab-grown diamonds have become increasingly popular with more conscious consumers, including celebrities such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Penelope Cruz, Emma Watson, and Meghan Markle, who have all been spotted wearing eco-friendly lab-grown diamond jewelry.
Learn why lab-grown diamonds are the more sustainable and eco-friendly choice.
SALES ALERT! Save at the best places to buy lab-grown diamonds online:
- 10% off ALL lab diamonds and up to 50% off jewelry at Ritani!
- Up to 50% off the Black Friday sale at James Allen!
- Free gift & $200 off first $1000+ purchase at Grown Brilliance!
- Free gift & $100 off at Clean Origin w/code: LABGROWNCARATS! (US only)
- Black Friday promo with free gift with all purchases at Brilliant Earth!
What is the difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds, also known as man-made or lab-created, have the exact same optical and chemical properties as mined diamonds. They are graded on the same cut, clarity, color, and carat weight scale by the same reputable grading institution, such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI).
The only difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds is their origin.
Mined diamonds were created billions of years ago and are dug up from the earth in a process that often has enormous human and environmental costs and severe consequences for local communities.
In contrast, lab-grown diamonds are created in a highly controlled, clean, and transparent way in laboratories. In fact, lab-grown diamonds are guaranteed conflict-free. In addition, many (incl. most diamond laboratories in the US and Europe) are created using renewable energy, making them significantly more eco-friendly than their mined counterparts.
That’s why lab-created diamonds are the better choice for your diamond earrings.
Learn more about how lab-grown diamonds are created.
How much do lab-grown diamond earrings cost?
Lab-grown diamond earrings are available for every budget. Starting from a few hundred dollars and up to several hundred and thousands, depending on the diamond’s size, quality, and style.
That said, lab-grown diamonds are still much more affordable than their mined counterparts because they have a much shorter supply line. In fact, lab-grown diamonds are 60-80% cheaper than mined diamonds. And, as an added bonus, they do not come with a heavy carbon footprint.
A standard set of lab-grown diamond earrings with a total carat weight of 1 (that’s 0.5 carats per earring) should cost between $1,000 to $1,500 with a diamond cut grade of ideal (if graded by IGI) or excellent (if graded by GIA). We recommend that you build your own diamond earrings by picking the diamond stones from the jewelry loose diamond inventory (instead of pre-set earrings).
See tips for picking the perfect lab-grown diamonds and our intro to the diamond 4Cs.
How to pick a reputable online seller?
It can be overwhelming if you’re buying diamond jewelry for the first time. We suggest you read our guide to buying a lab-grown diamond. But if you’re in a hurry, take note of the following criteria when picking an online diamond retailer for buying your lab-grown diamond earrings:
- Selection: If you’re customizing your own lab-grown diamond earrings (which we always recommend), then you want to make sure that your online seller has a good selection of loose stones. The biggest (and best) diamond retailers have large inventories that allow you to browse and compare hundreds and hundreds of lab-grown diamonds, so you can be sure that you find just the right diamond cut, diamond color, diamond clarity, and diamond carat for your diamond earrings. And always choose the highest cut grade!
- Imaging: It’s crucial that the online diamond seller offers HD images and high-quality videos and lists all the information you need to carry out detailed inspections of any stone or pair of preset diamond earrings you’re considering.
- Customer service: Premium service and expert support are critical when buying diamond jewelry and lab-grown diamond earrings online. That’s why many of our favorite retailers have gemologists on staff that will help you clarify any questions to ensure that you find the perfect diamond jewelry.
- Certification: Unfortunately, often pre-set diamond earrings don’t come with a diamond certificate. If you customize your own diamond earrings, be sure that the diamonds come with a certification. For instance, all diamonds purchased through James Allen, Brilliant Earth, Clean Origin, and Ritani are graded and certified by the top laboratories GIA, IGI, and AGS.
- Return policies: Double-check return policies and terms. Always choose a retailer that offers a good and transparent return policy. For instance, Clean Origin offers a market-leading generous 100-day completely free return policy.
The best places to buy lab-grown diamond earrings
At labgrowncarats.com, we’ve tested and reviewed numerous online retailers and lab-grown diamond earrings. Throughout the years, we’ve consistently been impressed by a handful of lab-grown diamond retailers that excel in providing excellent customer service, expert gemologist advice, and of course, the very best lab-grown diamond inventories.
Read on for the best places to buy lab-grown diamond earrings so you can find the best lab-created diamond earrings at the best price in 2023.
James Allen
James Allen is one of the leading online jewelers and one of our all-time favorite places to buy diamonds. Founded in 2006, James Allen has grown into a go-to for all things bridal jewelry. While best-known for their diamond engagement rings, they also boast an incredible fine jewelry selection. They carry a massive inventory of loose lab-grown diamond pairs and mined diamond pairs so you can customize your own diamond earrings.
Why buy lab-grown diamond earrings at James Allen?
James Allen offers unrivaled diamond inspection features, including HD images and video, access to diamond certificates, and specifications. In addition, James Allen has a fantastic, knowledgable, and responsive customer service team with on-call expert gemologists who can all guide you through the process of choosing your own diamonds for your earrings.
Read our in-depth review of James Allen here.
Pros:
- Risk-free purchase
- Non-commissioned gemologists
- Fantastic customer service
- Low prices and high quality
- Huge selection of settings and stones
- Sophisticated diamond inspection features
- Free shipping and returns
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- A few sellers have slightly lower prices
- A limited selection of pre-set lab-grown diamond earrings
- Limited info about sustainability
Clean Origin
Clean Origin is our other favorite and best-rated lab-grown diamond seller. Clean Origin was founded in 2017 by three diamond industry veterans who wanted to disrupt the diamond industry by offering sustainable, conflict-free, consciously-created lab diamonds.
Why buy lab-grown diamond earrings at Clean Origin?
Clean Origin has one of the best customer service departments with responsive, courteous, and knowledgeable people (every member of their customer service team has a minimum of 5 years of experience in the diamond industry). They’ll go out of their way to ensure you get nothing but the best diamonds within your budget, and they’ll help you pick loose stones for your earrings.
One thing that sets Clean Origin apart from the other sellers on our list of the best places to buy lab-grown diamond earrings online is their very generous and unmatched 100-day, completely free return policy!
Read our in-depth Clean Origin review here.
Pros:
- Committed to purely selling environmentally friendly lab-grown diamonds
- Low lab-grown prices
- Knowledgeable, friendly, and customer-centric service
- Virtual appointments if you need assistance in your purchase
- Free FedEx shipping and an impressive 100-day no-questions-asked return policy on all products
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- The selection of fancy shapes is limited
- Limited info on environmental impact
Ritani
Ritani is another of our favorite diamond retailers. Founded in 1999 by a family of jewelers, Ritani is headquartered in New York, where all jewelry is handmade. While Ritani sells both mined and lab-created diamonds, they have a massive selection of lab-grown diamonds (at the time of writing, Ritani has almost 85,00 loose lab-grown diamonds).
Why buy lab-grown diamond earrings at Ritani?
Ritani is an excellent choice if you’re looking to create your diamond earrings because Ritani offers a massive selection of loose lab-grown diamonds. What sets Ritani apart from competitors is their “click-and-brick” preview program, which lets you see your customized product at a local jeweler or WeWork location before deciding to buy it (there’s no pressure to buy, so if you’re not satisfied with the diamonds or product then you simply walk away).
Read our in-depth Ritani review here.
Pros:
- Free diamond preview
- Live support by certified gemologists
- Very competitive diamond prices
- Transparent pricing and market data
- Superior service and great buying experience
- Free FedEx shipping and 30 days of free returns
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Return and exchange period shorter than what Clean Origin offer
- It is not as detailed and feature-rich online experience as James Allen
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth was founded in 2005 with a commitment to environmental responsibility. They have grown quickly into becoming one of the most prominent online diamond jewelers today. Brilliant Earth is a leader in the ethical and environmentally-conscious diamond business. They offer both mined and lab-grown diamonds. In addition, Brilliant Earth offers very competitive prices and a vast selection of lab-grown diamonds – currently over 105,000 in their inventory so you have no problem finding the perfect diamonds for your needs at Brilliant Earth.
Why buy lab-grown diamond earrings at Brilliant Earth?
Brilliant Earth aspires to be as environmentally friendly as possible, using 100% recycled precious metals in its jewelry and sustainable packaging. They also offset carbon emissions, making Brilliant Earth the go-to place for the conscious lab-grown diamond consumer. In contrast to most other online diamond sellers, Brilliant Earth has 15 showrooms across the US, so Brilliant Earth is a good choice if you prefer a personal in-store experience.
Read our in-depth Brilliant Earth review here.
Pros:
- Exceptional dedication to social and environmental impact
- Carbon offsets and sustainably graded diamonds
- Great buying experience and service
- Large selection of lab-grown diamonds
- Competitive prices
- Free FedEx shipping and 30 days of free returns
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Not all diamonds have images and 360-degree inspection
- Pre-set jewelry is a little expensive (pick your own diamonds)
- A limited selection of lab-grown diamond jewelry
