Pink Lab-Grown Diamonds – The Complete Buying Guide
Last Updated on January 31, 2023 by LabGrownCarats
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What are pink lab-grown diamonds?
For years, gemologists were baffled at pink diamonds because they don’t get their color from impurities like many other natural fancy colored diamonds. To this day, we don’t have clear evidence of their origin, though we’re pretty sure it’s due to a structural defect in the crystal lattice of a diamond.
On the flip side, we know precisely how lab-grown pink diamonds get their color. That’s because scientists are the ones creating them. If you know anything about lab-grown diamonds, you’ll know that they are created in laboratory environments instead of within the earth.
How are pink lab-grown diamonds created?
Colorless lab-grown diamonds are created by one of two processes the majority of the time: High-pressure high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition. Lab-grown pink diamonds are always the product of lab diamonds created using the CVD method.
The CVD process of creating lab diamonds uses a small fragment of a diamond (natural or grown) called a diamond seed. Both CVD and HPHT processes do. However, the CVD diamond creation method uses carbon-rich gasses instead of replicating the HPHT process that simulates natural diamond origin.
The methane gasses fill a vacuum chamber where the diamond seed is held. Microwaves are sent through the chamber resulting in the molecules in the gas breaking down. The result is a plasma-like substance that coats the diamond seed. The heat causes the plasma-covered diamond to break down, leaving nothing but pure carbon crystals.
That’s how lab-created colorless CVD diamonds are made. To make a fancy-colored lab-created diamond, the colorless lab diamond has to be irradiated to change the crystal structure to change color to pink. Irradiation is permanent.
Are pink lab-grown diamonds real diamonds
Due to many misconceptions, lab-grown diamonds sometimes get a bad reputation. For example, many people think lab-grown diamonds aren’t real diamonds (they are).
A lab-created fancy pink diamond is still just as much a real diamond as a mined pink diamond is, even if it’s created in a lab. It has the same physical properties, optical properties, and chemical composition.
Which pink diamond is lab-grown, and which is mined?
Pink lab-grown diamonds of similar hues and different origins look identical. The majority of jewelers can’t distinguish between a lab-created pink diamond and an earth-mined pink diamond. It requires advanced lab equipment to tell if a diamond is lab-grown or mined.
Lab-grown pink diamonds are just as durable as mined fancy pink diamonds. They reach a 10 on the Mohs scale, exactly the same as a mined diamond, and they’re almost impossible to scratch. And unlike mined diamonds, you don’t have to worry about losing a $100,000 diamond. That makes them perfect gemstones for daily wear.
In summary, you won’t find any physical difference between a lab-grown pink diamond and a natural pink diamond. The only difference is that lab-grown diamonds are much more affordable. price. And that lab-grown diamonds don’t sustain environmental damage, conflict, or corruption, as mined diamonds can.
Which pink diamond is lab-grown, and which is mined?
Why pink lab-grown diamonds are cheaper than mined pink diamonds
Lab-grown fancy pink diamonds and earth-grown fancy pink diamonds may be identical, but there is one big difference between them that everyone will notice: Price!
Typically, a lab-grown colorless diamond can be between 60 to 80% less expensive than a mined diamond. Often, it can be more (especially during a lab-grown diamond sale). The same goes for a lab-created fancy-colored diamond.
You might wonder why there’s such a big price difference if they have the same structural composition. The answer to that is value and rarity.
It’s excruciatingly difficult for diamond cutters to cut large fancy pink diamonds with high clarity and saturation throughout the entire crystal. The pink color has to be strong and fill every angle of the diamond.
The structural defect that creates natural pink diamonds in the earth is a very rare occurrence. That’s why you’ll see even the lightest shades of fancy pink diamonds under 1 carat can go for tens of thousands of dollars.
It’s a more difficult process for scientists to create fancy pink diamonds in the laboratory than other lab-grown colored diamonds. But – it’s a LOT easier than finding a high-quality pink diamond of center stone size in the ground.
Guess the lab diamond color?
Not only that, but scientists are able to control the intensity and saturation of the pink shades in lab-grown pink diamonds. As a result, they can create pink diamonds with intensities you’d have to pay hundreds of thousands for if they were mined.
Still, even large lab-grown pink diamonds with high grades can go for more than many can afford. For example, celebrity Camila Mendez (from the popular Netflix show Riverdale) wore the most impressive lab-created pink diamond to the People’s Choice Awards in 2018. The stunning 5.01-carat lab-created pink diamond costs $175,000 (see a slightly more affordable but equally stunning 5-carat pink diamond below).
Why you should buy pink lab-grown diamonds
Lab-grown pink diamonds are the way to go if you’re dying to own your own pink diamonds but can’t afford a mined one. They come out with higher intensities and strong pink hues than if you were to empty your wallet on a mined one.
If you care about the environment and the potential damage inflicted by mining operations, then pink lab-grown diamonds are also the way to go.
Lab-grown pink diamonds give customers the opportunity to have a fancy pink diamond they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford naturally. Because of their controlled environment, the intensities, clarity, and carat weight are all higher in lab-grown pink diamonds.
You’ll find lab-grown pink diamonds also sell for a much cheaper price per carat than mined pink diamonds. They may not hold the same value or rarity, but they are an ethical alternative to buying natural diamonds.
And, frankly, they look much better than many natural pink diamonds on the market.
Pink lab-grown diamond engagement ring ideas
Tips for saving on pink lab-grown diamonds
We have learned that pink lab-grown diamonds are much cheaper than mined pink diamonds. But it’s possible to save even more on lab-grown pink diamonds if you follow our tips below:
- Look for lab diamonds with lower clarity and cut grades, reducing the diamond cost significantly. Unlike colorless diamonds, the most critical diamond factors for lab fancy-colored diamonds are color, hue, and saturation.
- Find a smaller diamond. Large fancy-colored lab diamonds are much rarer, which means they are much more expensive. As noted above, this is particularly true for pink lab diamonds. We recommend finding a smaller diamond allowing you to go up on color quality and saving.
- Consider a less pricey color. Some fancy-colored lab-grown diamonds are rare (and more costly to create), and others are more affordable and more abundant. For example, yellow lab-grown diamonds are typically much cheaper than pink lab-grown diamonds but can be just as stunning.
- Purchase pink lab-grown diamonds online at one of our recommended best places to buy lab-grown diamonds. You can save and get a larger and better lab-created pink diamond if you do.
- Get lower prices using discount codes and deals on pink lab-grown diamonds. See our list of all of the best lab diamond discounts!
- And, of course, buy a pink lab-grown diamond rather than a mined stone. Lab-grown diamonds are much cheaper compared to mined stones but are precisely the same. Especially fancy-colored diamonds, such as pink, are significantly cheaper. See how much in our price comparison of lab-grown diamonds vs. mined.
Where to buy pink lab-grown diamonds
At LabGrownCarats.com, we review lab diamond jewelers to help you find the best diamonds and the lowest prices. Not all diamond jewelers carry fancy-colored lab diamonds, but the pink lab-grown diamond is one of the more popular and common.
We recommend buying pink lab-grown diamonds at Ritani, Brilliant Earth, Clean Origin, Grown Brilliance, and James Allen. They have the largest selection of pink lab-created diamonds and pink lab-grown diamond jewelry. Importantly, they also have the lowest price, fantastic customer service, and the best shopping experience. Read our reviews of them and learn why they are the best places to buy pink lab-grown diamonds.
- Read our Ritani review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Read our Clean Origin review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Read our Brilliant Earth review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Read our James Allen review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Read our Grown Brilliance review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
