Just like in mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds will exhibit variations across the 4Cs and range from poor to Ideal quality. Don’t worry if you have no clue about lab diamonds and how to start. In this blog, you will be able to understand better on how to pick the best lab-grown diamond for your price range!

We have also noted down how each characteristic affects the lab-grown diamond appearance and price.

Effect on diamond appearance – How much this diamond characteristic improves the diamond appearance
Effect on diamond price – How much this diamond characteristic affects the diamond price

High effect on diamond appearance + Low effect on diamond price = Best Value

RELATED: Why choose Ch’ya by ZCOVA Lab-grown Diamond?

#1 Choose your lab-grown diamond shape

Effect on diamond appearance: Low
Effect on diamond price: High

The cut of a diamond is important as it determines how much light the stone reflects. Round brilliant is the most sought after diamond shape for an engagement ring but there are many brides who are getting more adventurous and are exploring alternative shapes such as Emerald, Pear or Oval. The latter are more unique and they can get a higher specification for the same price since the price of fancy shaped diamonds is lower.

#2 Carat Weight

Effect on diamond appearance: High
Effect on diamond price: High

The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. One carat = 0.2 grams and one carat equals 100 points.

Carat weight is the most important and noticeable of the 4Cs. The carat weight defines the size of a diamond, therefore the larger diamonds tend to be more expensive. Not sure how many carats is enough? Give us your price range and our Curators will recommend the best diamond specifications without compromising on its quality!

#3 Ideal Cut

Effect on diamond appearance: High
Effect on diamond price: High

A diamond’s cut grade is how well its facets interact with light. It is the beauty factor of diamonds; without it the diamond will look dull and dark. Hence, we offer Ideal-cut for Ch’ya Lab-grown diamonds at ZCOVA.

#4 Lab-grown Diamond Clarity

Effect on diamond appearance: Low
Effect on diamond price: Medium

Clarity refers to the blemishes or inclusions in the diamond. The lower the clarity of a diamond, the more imperfections in the diamond. Clarity is graded on a range from Internally Flawless to Included, the same as mined diamonds.

We advise customers to choose lab-grown diamonds that are between Internally Flawless ( IF ) and VS2 clarity to balance between clarity and price. Inclusions in this range are eye clean and table clean, which you won’t be able to see with your naked eyes.

Internally Flawless ( IF ) – Does not have any inclusions in the diamond
VVS1 and VVS2 – Very very slightly included; the inclusions are the size of a speck of dust
VS1 and VS2 – Very slightly included, but the inclusions are only visible under 10x magnifications or more

#5 Lab-grown Diamond Color

Effect on diamond appearance: Medium
Effect on diamond price: High

A lab-grown diamond that has no impurities and no defects is a colourless diamond. Impurities such as nitrogen cause undesirable yellow or brown tones in the diamond. Hence, colour is graded on a range of letters from D to Z – while ZCOVA only offers diamonds from colour D to J!

F colour – To the untrained eye, D/E/F are almost identical; F colour is good enough unless you would like to invest in a more colourless lab-grown diamond.

G & H colour – While the slight yellowness can be seen when compared side-by-side with a D/E/F diamond, it’s almost unnoticeable by itself. G & H diamonds are a good balance between colour and value.

#6 Lab-grown Diamond Fluorescence

Effect on diamond appearance: Medium
Effect on diamond price: High

Just like mined diamonds, some lab-grown diamonds emit a bluish or yellowish light when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays like sun or fluorescent light. A strong fluorescence lab-grown diamond may result in a milky appearance even if it’s in a diamond colour range from D to H.

At ZCOVA, we only offer lab-grown diamonds without fluorescence.

The first photo shows a group of seven diamonds under daylight-equivalent illumination. The second photo shows the same diamonds fluorescing under long-wave UV illumination. Photo: Kevin Schumacher/GIA

Need assistance to choose your lab-grown diamond? Speak to our Curators to choose your Brilliant Lab-grown Diamond or drop us a message on our Facebook page!