Timeless Treasures

Estate Jewelry from around the world

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“Synthetic Diamonds”, the Hot New Trend?

So where do I begin...  

Well, you might have seen an uptick in advertising for lab created or synthetic diamonds within this past year.  Maybe you’ve seen these in magazines, your Instagram, or maybe while browsing at an online or brick and mortar store.  Keep in mind...lab created gemstones (diamonds included) have been around since the 1800′s, and were readily used in both high-end and costume jewelry. So, the use of synthetic stones is not a new phenomenon, but the rise in marketing definitely is.

Here’s a quick guide to synthetic stones and where exactly they previously fit into the jewelry market:

Man made stones (synthetics) have found a solid fit into the world’s jewelry industry, as well as, being utilized for other various industrial purposes.  This is simply due to the fact that they are created with the exact same chemical structure as their natural gemstone counterparts.  As natural stones became a higher priced commodity, these lab created stones gained momentum as a more affordable means for the average person to enter into the luxury jewelry market.  There are many mid level jewelry designers and retail outlets who incorporate these synthetic stones in their jewelry pieces: Effy, Jared’s, Kay’s, and Helzberg, to name a few.  This was usually limited to high end colored stones, such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds.  Diamonds, however, tended to have a more finicky market.  Even though the trend of a diamond engagement ring is fairly new, starting only in the mid 1930′s; most around the world today still consider the diamond the most appropriate gemstone.  Most clients felt that a lab created stone for such an important milestone was not as respectable as an unearthed natural diamond.  More importantly, marketing for lab created diamonds was almost non-existent, as diamond manufacturers like De Beers (Anglo American plc), had limited themselves to strictly selling only natural diamonds for the jewelry market and synthetic stones for industrial use.  Well....times have changed.

If you where to walk into any of the above mention retail stores today, you would see that your options for lab created diamond jewelry, engagement rings included, have widened drastically.  Why this sudden change?  Well, the grumblings that we in the jewelry industry heard a couple of years back came to fruition.  One of the largest diamond manufacturers, De Beers, entered into the synthetic diamond jewelry market.  In 2019, De Beers retracted it’s age old policy of selling only natural diamonds for the jewelry industry.  They not only began selling synthetic diamonds on the open market, but invested in itself by creating “Lightbox”, a retail market for lab created loose stone diamonds and finished jewelry items. They are also in the last stages of construction on a $94 million dollar laboratory in Gresham, Oregon, designed specifically for the lab creation of synthetic diamonds.  These lab created stones are being marketed as...... you guessed it....... lighter on your wallet and more importantly, a way to enjoy a more responsibly sourced diamond.  These are both extremely important marketing points, as jewelry clientele are more budget conscious and knowledgeable of the adverse affects mining has had not only on our plant, but also on the local mining populations.  

The shift in the market that occurred, and the no doubt large amount of money that De Beers has invested into these synthetic stones has created an even more competitive synthetic diamond market.  Prices for synthetic diamonds have dropped by approximately 60% since De Beers entered the market this year alone.  So, are you wondering why such a large corporation would take such a bold step into a market that they are negatively affecting?  Is it just to diversify and gain a stake in the synthetic jewelry market?  Do they think that in the long run, synthetic jewelry will be an even more profitable venture?

After pondering these same questions, speaking with other jewelry professionals and doing a bit a research, I have come to a conclusion.  The negative effects on the market value of synthetics is exactly what De Beers wanted to accomplish.  If the market is flooded with these beautiful synthetic diamonds and more and more people are inclined to purchase jewelry items made of lab created stones, the more rare and sought after a natural diamond becomes.  Within the past few years diamond wholesale prices have stagnated and even began to drop.  This can be contributed to many modern day vices that can be tackled in another article.  The lesson learned is that corporations like De Beers have been able to create, influence and even change what we as a society wants or thinks it needs.  The fact that they now have a large hold on both the natural diamond market and the synthetic market is one we should watch carefully.  Gaining a foothold into the fairly new synthetic diamond market allows De Beers and the handful of other large diamond manufacturers to set pricing on both the natural and synthetic diamond markets.  Thus, they can control and manipulate both markets at a whim for their gain.

Bottom line: there are three diamond markets that you as a customer can buy into.  If you prefer knowing that a synthetic, conflict free, more environmentally sourced diamond sits within your jewelry items, then take pride in that and invest in those pieces.  If you prefer a new natural unearthed diamond and feel that the mining industry has achieved great improvements in the way diamonds are sourced, then take pride and enjoy your diamond jewelry.  If you are someone who prefers the beauty and history of an Antique or Art Deco piece, then take your time hunting for that special estate diamond that speaks to you. It is up to each individual to make the decision on what it truly important and beautiful when it comes to the jewelry they own. 

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Creating Colored Diamonds - A History.

There are diamonds of every color, for every taste in our current market.  Naturally colored or fancy diamonds, are very rare and in most cases extremely costly.  As mentioned in our last blog, most colored diamonds sold in retail stores are either lab created or heat treated to enhance, or change the depth of color, allowing for a larger customer base.  It is difficult for the untrained eye to detect any type of enhancement, thus opening the door for unscrupulous vendors to take a price advantage over their clientele.  We suggest that any major purchases of colored stones or diamonds be accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America - (GIA) report, to ensure that you are in fact getting what you paid for.

The color enhancing of diamonds is not a new phenomenon; in fact, manipulation of diamond color has been around for thousands of years.  India is believed to be the first location where diamonds were used as a decorative gemstone, well before contact with Western cultures. Color of a diamond was used to classify one in a very structured caste system; this would allow for an underground market of altered diamonds to help one’s family be more successful and respected within the community. There is no direct link to date just when diamond color enhancing began; but it is assumed that some enterprising Indian jewelers would have most likely used techniques such as painting or coating, which was common practice with other sought after stones. 

It has been noted that diamond coating became more prevalent during the 14th century, as diamond cutting and shaping improved greatly.  One of the earliest recorded examples of diamond coating was by famed Italian master jeweler, Benvenuto Cellini.  Cellini was commissioned by Pope Paul III to mount and enhance a very large diamond that was a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.  This early recorded example details how Cellini was so excited to show off his talents, that he demonstrated this process in front of various colleagues.  A mixture of pure gum mastic, linseed oil, almond oil, turpentine, and lampblack was applied to the base of the diamond, which masked all of the stones natural imperfections.  

Another antiquated process that gained some ground for a short time, was the irradiating of diamonds.  In 1904, Sir William Crookes discovered that diamonds would turn green in color after being encased in radium salt for a year; with a more concerning side effect of becoming radioactive.  Irradiated diamonds have been known to cause illness and are still a danger if worn against the skin to this day.  These diamonds are not readily available, but can still be found in some antique jewelry.  

It wasn’t until the 1950′s that these age old processes were replaced with more modern techniques.   Experiments with sputter-coated fluoride thin films (CaF2, BaF2, MgF2) in combination with a titanium oxide substrate and a protective silica top coating were tried in order to increase light transmission, brilliance, and color appearance in gems, including diamond. These optical coatings had been developed for military purposes during World War II in order to obtain improved performance from binoculars, bomb-sights, periscopes, and similar optical devices (GIA, “A History of Diamond Treatments).

The most common and still practiced method of enhanced diamond color is “Heat Treating”, or HPHT Annealing.  This simply means exposing diamonds to high pressure and temperature.  This procedure was discovered to remove yellow tints from light yellow diamonds and turn deeper yellow and light green diamonds to a more green saturated diamond.  Experimentation has lead to a more diverse palette, with colors such as blue and pink becoming more common place.  This process, however, did not become popular in the diamond retail market until the 1990′s.  These heat treated diamonds are safe to wear, beautiful and a cost effective way for the masses to enjoy the beauty and variety of colored diamond jewelry.   

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Are diamonds with visible color better or worse than those without?

As a jewelry professional we get asked this on a daily basis.  Here is a quick guide to help you understand what color in a natural diamond really means.

Many people are under the impression that a diamond with visible color means it is a “bad” diamond. Short answer...not true.   The whiter, or less color a diamond has, does not always mean a better or more expensive diamond.  There are various factors to consider when looking at diamond jewelry items; color is simply one of them.  

Most natural diamonds found in jewelry items are near colorless, with light variations of yellow, brown and gray tones (most being in the yellow range).  Diamonds are an inorganic mineral that also happen to be the only gem made of a single element: carbon.  These natural properties or impurities allow for variations in color and clarity in a diamond.  There are very rare natural fancy colored diamonds (a higher saturation of color beyond the Z grade) that are much higher in price.  Some of these rare colors are red, purple, pink, green and blue.  Most diamonds of these colors found in retail settings are heat treated to heighten the natural color within, making them a more affordable option.  (View our upcoming June blog “Creating Colored Diamonds - A History”

Marketing for colored diamonds has been on the rise since the 1980′s as diamond mine owners, manufactures and vendors all want a little extra piece of the pie. In the past, most diamonds that had dark color, but did not reach a fancy level were used for industrial purposes.  Now, these black, brown, yellow and gray diamonds have found a way into our jewelry markets and have been a real hit. Those who have an affinity for antique jewelry will find it hard to acquire these darker and colored diamonds in true period pieces, as they were not readily used during these times.  There are however, many diamonds that have eye visible yellows, browns and grays in antique and vintage items that can be found on the market today.  

So the ever remaining question:  are diamonds with visible color better or worse that those with little color?  Overall, color that is visible to the naked eye tends to lower the value a bit.  However, other factors, such as, clarity, gem weight, cut and age also affect price.  Truly, it is all in the eye of the beholder.  Some like the fact that there is a little visible color, around J - M rated diamonds; they feel it helps to make a diamond look more natural and not a costume piece.  There are those who would prefer to have a very white diamond or a dark fancy colored diamond, yet there are others who would rather have a larger single diamond and not linger on color or clarity when purchasing.

In general a whiter or less colored diamond, with very good clarity is still going to be a higher priced diamond in the market place as most still consider it a sign of wealth and love. Natural fancy colored diamonds with very good clarity tend to be even more expensive, with substantial sized stones usually sold at auction. 

My best advice is: if a piece of jewelry makes you take a second look, or makes you stand a little taller when you try it on, then color, clarity and carat weight are all secondary.  Jewelry is an extension of your personality and should be enjoyed and worn for pleasure or sentiment.