What You Need to Know About Russian Lab-Made and Natural Diamonds

Russian diamonds are mined in Russia, but are no different from other types of diamonds. The name was derived from the country of origin and not from the way it was made.

The diamond mines supplies many Russians with well-paying jobs. If you decide to purchase a Russian diamond, or are in possession of one then there are ways in which you can ascertain whether or not it is a real Russian diamond. The chemical composition can in no way let a person know if it is, or not. Many are sold with documents, or what is called a diamond grading report, which gives information on where it was originated and that can help with identifying where it is from. This document sometimes gives the name of the mine where it was mined. Not every diamond producer provides this document, so it is solely dependent on the retailer from which the diamond was purchased.

Environmental & social concerns

The mining industry formally seeks to balance its social, economic and environmental responsibilities, while it also strives to make a positive impact on the community and environment. Diamond mining involves a lot of alluvial digging. This activity is not being regulated currently, so the impact it can have on the environment is not yet known.

For Russia, diamond mining accounts for a high percentage of metals, oils, minerals and commodities, in the world. Approximately 20% of their investment is in metallurgy and mineral extraction. The Russian economy is hugely impacted by the mining industry. Both the republic of Russia and Alrosa mining have collaborated and in so doing, aim to make diamond mining more sustainable, or environmentally friendly. They have come together to develop a few of the largest reserves in the world. With the establishment of the nature reserves and forests, the fragile ecosystems and biodiversity that exist in the region will be protected.

Benefits to buying Russian diamonds

For the planned economy of the Soviet Union, their diamonds were supposed to meet the GOST standard. There were the Russian diamond and other manufacturers who cut their diamonds commercially. With the Russian method, the cost would be expensive, so Cartier began to purchase Russian diamonds as they had a market for it.

Their reputation was in line with the standards for world famous jewelry, so they marketed high end jewelry. Initially diamond cutters would question the Russian diamond price, but they realized that buying a Russian diamond would result in them getting a product that would last for a lifetime, spanning generations to come.

Russian diamond buying concerns

Even though Russian wedding ring with diamonds are being bought by wealthy Russians, based on research, approximately a half of the diamonds produced in that country are being sold to De Beers, following an agreement they had signed with Alrosa, which is the biggest Russian diamond mine. The diamond market is still largely unregulated, with a pricing system all of its own. As a result of that, the price is very high, compared to other diamonds.

How viable an alternative option are Russian lab diamonds?

One of the leading lab grown diamond producing countries in the world is Russia. In times past, the diamonds were unable to be copied with the same color, or Russian diamonds quality. Russian scientists, however, have discovered processes in which they can produce lab-made diamonds which look like natural gems. The scientists created a machine that was capable of cost effectively producing high quality Russian lab diamonds.

To be clear, lab created diamonds are real diamonds. They're just not natural diamonds because they're created and not mined from the ground. Chemically, there is no difference as they are produced with the same materials and only specialized equipment can tell the difference. Whereas synthetic diamonds are fake but look real (i.e. cubic zirconium and moissanite).

Some background on lab-made diamonds

General Electric was the first producer of lab-created diamonds. They were created by giving carbon four hundred tons of pressure. At first, scientists were only able to use dust or really small stones and that was better when used during the process of tipping the drill bits and not for placing in jewelry. By the time the seventies rolled around, the machines that General Electric used were able to produce up to 2 carat diamonds. The process was tedious, expensive and required vast amounts of electricity, but there is hardly any way to distinguish between the two types of diamonds.

One way to test is by performing the breathing test, in which you breathe on the diamond to see if there is fog. If it is real, there will be none. Lab created diamonds can fool even a gemologist, because again they are real diamonds. They have SP3 carbon bonds, are equally hard, are rated with the four C’s, are polished and cut in the same way and refraction of light is the same in both gems. Getting a lab created diamond will result in the buyer getting a similar product which cost less, having a conflict-free diamond and one that is more environmentally friendly than Russian cut diamonds.