Revolutionising with lab grown diamonds
Certified diamonds, grown in a lab. Identical in every way, chemically and visually.
Genuine and beautiful
Our lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically and aesthetically identical to mined diamonds; and they're cut to the same high standard.
They come certified by the same authority that certifies mined diamonds. They are absolutely the real deal.
Excellent Value
Lab diamonds are more affordable than mined diamonds, which means we can sell you a higher quality stone for your budget. The decision to buy a lab diamond is a decision to get a superior product for your money.
- Savings of 30% to 60% on white diamonds
- Savings of 60% to 90% on coloured diamonds
Supremely Ethical
Lab grown diamonds are an ethical choice with little environmental impact. We can absolutely guarantee no traces back to conflict diamonds and we're not mining our fine earth to extract them.
Imagine two diamonds. Both are stunningly beautiful, with identical physical and chemical properties. It is only the journeys these stones have taken to arrive before you that are different. In one diamond's case, over 200 tonnes of soil had to be shifted to unearth it - a massive feat of brute force. It was not strength, but scientific brilliance, that gave us the newer of the two; a young stone whose journey begins with you.
Available in a wide array of cuts, clarities and colours.
Lab grown diamonds are grown from 'seeds' - tiny diamond fragments that flower into flawless mature stones.
How are diamonds grown?
Lab grown diamonds are grown from 'seeds' - tiny diamond fragments that flower into flawless mature stones, thanks to the attention and expertise of skilled technicians working in cutting edge laboratories.
A complex mix of gases is applied to the seed under high temperature, causing the diamond to grow, atom-by-atom, until a perfect gemstone as good as any mined diamond is formed. Only a few labs around the world are capable of producing gem-quality diamonds at the present time.
Nightingale is one of the first businesses to sell lab grown diamonds in the UK. These are the very same diamonds you've always known and loved, but they tell a new and remarkable story.
How do our lab grown diamonds compare?
The table below shows there is an enormous difference between our lab diamonds and the stones known as diamond simulants.
| Diamonds | Other Simulants | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mined | Our Lab Grown | CZ | Moissanite | White Sapphire | YAG | |
| Chemical Composition | C | C | ZrO2 | ZrO2 | AI2O3 | Y3AI5O12 |
| Crystalline Structure | Cubic | Cubic | Cubic | Hexagonal | Hexagonal | Cubic |
| Refractive Index | 2.42 | 2.42 | 2.20 | 2.65 | 1.77 | 1.83 |
| Dispersion | 0.044 | 0.044 | 0.066 | 0.104 | 0.018 | 0.028 |
| Hardness | 10 | 10 | 8.25 | 9.25 | 9 | 8.25 |
| Density | 3.52 | 3.52 | 5.70 | 3.21 | 3.97 | 4.60 |
Our grown diamonds are made up of carbon atoms arranged in exactly the same structure you'd find in a mined diamond. Cubic zirconia, moissanite and other diamond simulants are not true carbon crystals - rest assured we never work with these diamond look-alikes. When you buy our lab diamonds you get the real thing.
Certified Origin
As our lab diamonds are almost impossible to differentiate from mined diamonds, we always provide a certificate of origin with our stones. This certificate is an assurance of ethical and eco-friendly manufacture.
The certificate also ensures that the customer is not misled, if they want a lab grown diamond the certificate confirms that is what they have purchased, and equally, if a mined diamond is their choice the certificate confirms this is what they have purchased.
Speak with an expert
Our lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically and aesthetically identical to mined diamonds.
Dedicated to ethical sourcing
Further to our lab grown diamonds, we are dedicated to ethical sourcing of mined diamonds.
Proud to pioneer a revolution
Nightingale is the first British brand to sell jewellery made with lab grown diamonds. The Sunday Times picked up on our ground breaking story in May 2016, and since then we've had coverage from The Guardian, the Mirror and many others. In some parts of the world - especially the United States - lab diamonds are everywhere, but the UK has been slow to catch up.
We're deeply proud to be at the vanguard of a shift in the British jewellery industry that's going to see man made diamonds take their rightful place in the jewellery boxes of the nation! We offer our customers the choice to buy lab diamonds loose, or have them incorporated into a piece of jewellery. However at Nightingale we are happy to offer customers a choice of lab grown or mined diamonds, personal choice is important to us and we are happy to support our customers with their purchases.
Lab Diamonds FAQ
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What is a lab grown diamond?
A lab grown diamond is a diamond that is created by man rather than nature.
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Is a lab grown diamond better value?
Your money can go further if you choose a CVD lab grown diamond. The saving can often be between 30-40% against a mined diamond of similar specifications.
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Where are lab grown diamonds made?
The CVD diamonds that Nightingale retail are grown in the USA. Lab grown diamonds made by the HPHT method are grown in Russia and India but, in our opinion, the CVD lab grown diamonds are superior so we only retail stones grown by this method.
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Does a lab grown diamond have the same lifespan as a mined diamond?
CVD lab grown diamonds are diamonds and have identical chemical, physical and optical properties of mined diamonds. If subjected to the same conditions the life span will be the same for both.
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Do lab diamonds have the same sparkle?
Lab grown diamonds are cut to the same high standards as mined diamonds and have the same finish.
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Are lab diamonds, real diamonds?
CVD lab grown diamonds are diamonds. They have the same atomic structure and the same physical, chemical and optical properties as mined diamonds. The lab grown diamonds that we retail are all certificated by the IGI. To enable the stones to be easily identifiable they have a laser mark on the girdle with the certificate number and “Laboratory Grown in the USA” which is only clear under under extreme magnification. A certified jeweller or gemologist will not be able to tell the difference between a CVD lab grown diamond and a mined diamond without this identification. Testing equipment is needed to be able to tell the difference but this only available at testing laboratories such as the IGI and GIA.
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How are lab diamonds made?
By growing a diamond in a laboratory the whole process of carbon being transformed into diamond has been accelerated. Lab diamonds begin life in a chamber as a diamond “seed”. In the CVD chamber the same heat and pressure that create mined diamonds are replicated. The chamber is then filled with a hot plasma which has been electrically charged whereby atoms are freed with a positive charge and will attach to the diamond seed. This is the first step of growing the lab diamond seed into a beautiful diamond.
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Do lab grown diamonds come in a range of colours?
Only pink, blue and yellow lab grown diamond can currently be sourced. They come in different grades from intense to vivid colours.
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Are lab grown diamonds popular?
CVD lab grown diamonds are becoming more popular as public awareness increases. Some are excited by the science behind these stunning stones. Others are driven by the ethical advantages of buying a lab diamond. The carbon footprint is significantly reduced by creating diamonds in a laboratory. The negative impact on the environment of mining is no longer an issue and exploitative labour practices and creation of conflicts are avoided.
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Do lab diamonds come in a range of sizes?
Lab grown diamonds are cut in a variety of weights. The diamond cutter will look at the rough crystal and cut the best quality stone that he can achieve from the rough diamond. This is exactly the same process for mined diamonds.
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Do lab diamonds come in a range of cuts?
Lab diamonds come in the same cuts that are available for mined diamonds.
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What are the environmental impacts of lab grown diamonds?
Lab diamonds have a much smaller carbon footprint than mined diamond. Mining diamonds is an intense and destructive process. Mines can often be more than 3 miles in diameter and on average over 5 tonnes of earth must be removed for every 1 carat of diamond that is extracted from our planet. This is a similar story for precious metals such as gold. Every year, millions of tons of greenhouse gasses are emitted in the mining process, partially by the heavy diesel machinery used.
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What are conflict free diamonds?
Lab diamonds are essentially conflict free. Conflict diamonds are mined diamonds that are used either directly or indirectly as a currency to purchase arms and fund armies in and around their country of origin.
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Are lab grown diamonds the same quality as mined diamonds?
CVD lab grown diamonds are diamonds, they are chemically, physically and optically identical to mined diamonds. They are not diamond simulants. A jeweller or a trained gemologist cannot tell the difference just by examining the stones, it takes specialist equipment at the grading laboratories to tell which may be lab grown. This is why the CVD lab grown stones that we retail all come with a certificate and all have the certificate number lasered on the girdle along with the words Laboratory Grown in the USA.
