  Naturally Beautiful I thought it may be interesting for you to get a brief insight into a hot discussion in the industry at the moment; natural diamonds vs lab grown and my take on it. My values as a person and within my company are rooted around authenticity, longevity, uniqueness, transparency, beauty and excellence in design and craftsmanship and last but certainly not least, creating a wonderful experience for my clients. Only naturally sourced diamonds are therefore a fit for my jewels as only they adhere to our above ethics as well as having the perfect marriage of increasing rarity and celebration of inherent beauty. I mean Mother Earth spends over a billion years making a diamond, so it's no wonder the result is spellbindingly beautiful. I also love this side note one of my dear diamond friends once said when this topic first came up, he said "you'd never buy yourself a fake Porsche would you?" For the past year there has been much talk around lab grown diamonds and how they are infiltrating the market; their main marketing centred around "eco friendly" and "get the same look for less". Various key players in the diamond industry have made room to sell both natural and lab grown so they can cater to both markets. With their price already significantly dipping it is a question as to how they can hold their value and therefore how long they will be around for - will they just be the next cubic zirconia in years to come? Lab grown diamonds are grown either by chemical vaporisation or high temperature and high pressure. Both take from days to months to grow one diamond, depending on its size using huge amounts of energy. There are only a few lab grown companies using sustainable energy to create their diamonds. Every lab grown is also grown from a tiny (natural) diamond seed. So the argument for eco friendly diamonds is lost here. It is however a moving space and a discussion to be a part of. I have just spent the weekend looking through a microscope learning and looking at various lab grown techniques and diamond treatments. My stance is unchanged. Within any industry there is a need for a variety of markets, the lab grown diamond just isn't my story. As long as the industry can protect the consumer and people are aware what they are buying / are equipped with the correct knowledge, then there is always space. It is the protection in terms of certification and authenticity of the new lab grown diamonds and the education for the consumer that the industry is working hard to stay ontop of. A short snippet here but I'll continue my industry insights for you in the form of the AH Diamond Story we have created to demonstrate our unique diamond selection service and the journey of our diamonds from mine to your jewels over the next few months. If you ever have any questions I am only too happy to answer them. Love diamonds long time. Alice x  At the microscope - looking for that perfect diamond is a passion    |