It`s a daunting task for anyone who is considering making a commitment to their significant other to purchase an engagement ring. Is there a better way to symbolize love than with a diamond ring? As the saying goes, "Diamonds are forever". There is no doubt that many people have preconceived notions about diamond rings, of which the majority are true. On the other hand, lab grown diamonds are the ultimate solution to those lingering questions. In every aspect, they beat their mined counterparts, yet they are significantly less expensive!

There are many who are unfamiliar with lab-grown diamonds because they do not fully understand what they really are: lab grown diamonds are absolutely genuine diamonds. It`s impossible even for professionals to tell the difference between man made diamonds and mined diamonds because they have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties. It is important to note that they are not diamond simulants like cubic zirconia, despite what some unscrupulous sites might lead you to believe. Despite resembling diamonds, cubic zirconia and diamond simulants are fundamentally different. They cannot last as long as real diamonds; most importantly, they are missing the signature spark that real diamonds are so well known for. Diamond simulants, better known as synthetic diamonds, have physical properties so different from real diamonds (mined and lab grown) that any professional test can easily reveal the difference. In fact, they appear quite different even to the untrained eye.

Since lab diamonds are created in laboratories under strict quality controls, they result in brighter, whiter diamonds with fewer flaws. As for the environment where natural diamonds are formed - deep within the earth`s crust - is filled with a plethora of other elements which naturally leak into the growing crystal and become impurities.

Further, lab-grown coloured diamonds have better uniformity and vibrancy than their equivalent coloured mined diamonds. In order to achieve this remarkable feat, trace chemicals are dosed very precisely into the diamond crystal as it forms. To illustrate, nitrogen is responsible for the yellow colour of diamonds, whereas boron is responsible for the blue colour.

There is also a far more sinister aspect of natural diamonds that is important to discuss. Environmental damage, child labour, and diamonds being traded for arms (conflict diamonds) are all ethical concerns associated with the purchase of mined diamonds. When buying a diamond, it`s important to know where it comes from and its effects on the people and the planet on its journey to reach you. Gifting a symbol of love and commitment to your beloved is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it cannot be done in a way that reflects tragedy and suffering on others. Lab grown diamonds, however, do not suffer from these issues since they are both conflict-free and not mined, instead created in sterile labs by trained engineers.

Furthermore, mining causes massive environmental damage and consumes a staggering amount of fossil fuels. Mining often permanently contaminates soils and groundwater, which is devastating to humans and animals that rely on it for survival.

Unlike diamonds mined in conflict regions in Africa under brutal conditions and earning the ignominious moniker "Blood Diamonds", man made diamonds are created in sterile high-tech labs without child or slave labour. No forests are cut down or groundwater poisoned since all labs are located in dense urban areas.