Washington Diamond Corp Will Sell First US Lab Grown Diamonds

In a recent press release from Washington DC area diamond company, Washington Diamond Corp., the company announced their plan to team up with The Carnegie Institute of Washington to produce ‘a few thousand 1 ct. lab-grown diamonds per year, or about 150 per month, with production beginning sometime in 2013.’ The stones are hyped up to be some of the most colorless to hit the market from a synthetic birthplace—ranging in clarity from G to I color, and SI clarity.

While this is a vast improvement in the world of synthetic diamond growing, I still say the synthetics should be used for power tools and the real diamonds should be the only players in the jewelry market.

Lab grown diamonds are inferior to naturally occurring, mined diamonds for a number of reasons. First of all the naturally occurring diamonds were mined, through a process and by real people. They’re certified, rated, cut to order, and guaranteed to be one of the hardest materials on Earth for the next thousand years or more.

Lab grown diamonds, however they’ve been around for over 60 years for the use in construction industries and other industries demanding the use of hard stones, are too ‘perfect.’ Without the usual inclusions and flaws of a naturally occurring diamonds, gemologists can tell that they’re synthetic and therefore worth much less in price.

Washington Diamonds Corp is said to be selling their Synthetic, Lab-Grown Diamonds for 20 to 25% less than comparable natural stones. This price is still too high considering there is much less resale value and long-term investment in a synthetic stone.

Gorgeous, lightly used [but naturally occurring] diamonds are available at a discount every day from reputable jewelers like Raymond Lee Jewelers in Boca Raton, FL.