Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by Rolf Hartmann
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This comprehensive guide to red lab-grown diamonds will teach you everything you need to know about red lab-created diamonds. We’ll talk about the differences between mined and lab-grown red diamonds, how red diamonds are created in a lab, and how they get their attractive red hue. You’ll also discover how to save money when purchasing a red lab-grown diamond, as well as where to buy red lab-grown diamonds.
3 best places to buy red lab-grown diamonds
Why are red diamonds so rare?
Many people aren’t aware that red diamonds exist. That’s because red is the rarest and most valuable diamond color of all fancy-colored diamonds. There are a few different reasons why red diamonds are the rarest of fancy colors.
How do red diamonds get their color?
Red diamonds are a more intense hue than pink diamonds. And just like pink diamonds, scientists don’t have any definitive proof of how they get their color. But they’re reasonably sure about it.
Both pink diamonds and red diamonds achieve their hues due to a deformity in the crystal lattice of the diamond. The traditional carbon atoms are replaced by iron atoms, which results in the crystal deformity. The crystal deformation changes how the diamond’s color is viewed from pink to red. If a diamond has a strong deformity in its crystal structure, it results in an intense, fancy red color.
What are red lab-grown diamonds?
Like other fancy color diamonds, scientists can create red diamonds in a lab. Red diamonds usually have secondary hues of brown, orange, or purple. Pure red diamonds are extremely rare. It’s almost not existent in mined red diamonds.
The lab-grown red diamond colors are more intense and saturated than a natural red diamond color. They cannot precisely replicate the red hues of a mined red diamond. But on the flip side, lab-grown red diamonds are around 60-80% less expensive than mined red diamonds.
The red lab-grown diamond creation process
The primary source of mined red diamonds comes from the Argyle mines in Australia. But as of 2020, the Argyle mines have closed down production, making mined red diamonds rarer. Though Australia was the main source, red diamonds are still found in India, Russia, and Brazil.
Finding red lab-grown diamonds, too, can prove to be difficult. At least compared with other lab-grown fancy-colored diamonds. Many people don’t know they exist, and they tend to be on the more expensive end of the lab-grown fancy colors.
Aside from the saturation and intensities between mined and lab-grown red diamonds, they look the same visually. This is because lab-created red diamonds have the same optical, chemical, and physical properties as mined red diamonds.
The red hue of a red diamond grown in a lab will be different from what a mined red diamond hue would be. Unlike other red gemstones, like garnet and ruby, red diamonds don’t have a bright blood-red color to them.
Lab-created red diamonds are often bright and saturated, whereas mined red diamonds are muted and not as saturated. So you’ll get a lot more color for your money with red lab diamonds.
How are red lab-grown diamonds graded?
Red diamonds are graded the same way, whether created in a lab or within the earth. That means both a red lab-grown diamond and a red mined diamond will have a clarity grade and carat weight.
Diamonds other than round don’t have strict cut grades, and color grading for fancy-colored diamonds differs from colorless diamonds.
Colorless diamonds are graded as Colorless, Near Colorless, Faint Yellow, and Light Yellow.
Fancy-colored diamonds are named by their different hues and intensities. Some fancy-color diamonds have many intensities starting from Fancy Light all the way to Fancy Deep colors. But red diamonds officially come in just one color intensity: Fancy red. It doesn’t matter how strong the red hue is, as long as it’s not pink!
How much do red lab-drown diamonds cost?
To know how much red lab-grown diamonds cost, you’ll need to know how much mined red diamonds cost.
A 1-carat fancy-red diamond can cost well over 1 million dollars. Yes, one million dollars! That puts mined red diamonds out of the league for anyone that are not excessively rich.
Luckily, lab-grown diamonds come to the rescue of ordinary people. A 1-carat lab-created red diamond will cost you upwards of $3,000. While that is still very expensive and certainly not an impulse buy for most people, it’s 0.3% the cost of a fancy-red mined diamond.
While the two diamonds above do not have exactly the same hue, we think the red lab diamond from James Allen looks better without any visible inclusions or blemishes at almost double the weight but for 0.35% of the price!
And, just as a reminder. Lab-grown diamonds are real and exactly the same as mined diamonds. Except cheaper, more ethical, and better for the environment.
Obviously, red diamonds are much easier to create than to find by digging tons of earth up, which is why they’re also much cheaper. As a result, they may not hold the same rarity, but they are just as stunning. In fact, due to their more intense color, red lab-grown diamonds are even more spectacular than mined red diamonds.
Should I buy a red lab-grown diamond?
A red diamond is a unique diamond color and is sure to draw a lot of attention. A red lab-grown diamond center stone would look gorgeous as a center stone in any diamond engagement ring. The brilliance of a diamond mixed with a red hue is unlike any other red gemstone. Even rubies and garnets don’t carry the incredible brilliance of a diamond.
But red diamonds are the rarest fancy color diamond of all. Very few red diamonds are found per year, and the biggest source of natural red diamonds closed in 2020.
Because they are rare and often found in tiny carat weights, the price per carat and availability for a mined red diamond shoot up. Unfortunately, most diamond lovers will never be able to afford one.
Going for a red lab-grown diamond instead of a mined one allows unique gem seekers the opportunity to sport this rare color. Though red lab-grown diamonds don’t hold the same rarity or value as their natural counterparts, they have all the important features of a real diamond because they are indeed real!
Even among the traditional fancy colors that retailers with lab-grown diamonds sell, finding a red lab-grown diamond can be difficult. To help you, we have listed our recommended places to buy red lab-grown diamonds below.
And when you find a red lab-created diamond, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much more intense the hues are and how much lower the price is!
Tips for saving on red lab-grown diamonds
As noted, red lab-grown diamonds have more intensive hues than mined ones. And, importantly, they are so much more affordable. But did you know you can save even more on a red lab-grown diamond? Just follow these tips:
- Consider red lab-grown diamonds with a lesser clarity and cut grade. In contrast to colorless diamonds, the most important fancy-color diamond “C” is color. As a result, lowering clarity and cut (something you should never do with colorless diamonds) can save you a lot of money. And those savings can be applied to a higher color grade or a larger diamond!
- Choose a lower-weight (smaller) red lab diamond because the price of larger red lab diamonds rises rapidly (2 carats and up). It may be worth it to select a smaller diamond with a better hue (or save your money for something else).
- Buy red lab-grown diamonds online from our recommended lab diamond jewelers (see which they are below). You can save money while getting a far better red diamond if you buy from a reputable jeweler.
- Choose a lower-cost diamond color. Red lab-created diamonds are extremely rare (even when grown in a laboratory) and, therefore, very valuable. Some colors, such as yellow lab-grown diamonds, are less expensive.
- When shopping for red lab-grown diamonds, look for sales and use discount codes to get lower prices. To help you, we find the best lab-grown diamond deals for you to save more!
- If you’re still not sure, get a red lab-grown diamond. Red diamonds made in a lab are significantly cheaper, and the color is usually much better than with mined diamonds, but they are otherwise identical. Red lab-grown diamonds, in particular, are inexpensive compared to their mined counterparts.
Where to buy red lab-grown diamonds
At LabGrownCarats.com, we evaluate lab-grown diamond vendors to help you choose the best lab-created diamonds at the lowest price. Fancy-colored lab-grown diamonds aren’t available at every jeweler, and the red lab-grown diamond is one of the rarest. But you can find them at our recommended and top-rated lab diamond jewelers below.
We recommend these sites for red lab-grown diamonds because they have a vast collection of exceptional red fancy-colored lab diamonds at the lowest prices available. Furthermore, they all provide excellent customer service and the best diamond shopping experience. Discover why they’re the premier sites to buy red lab diamonds.
