A lot of jewelry collectors may be familiar with De Beers, as the primary mining giant in the world of natural diamonds. Last May, the company shocked the world with its announcement of a direct-to-consumer subsidiary called 'Lightbox', which would sell laboratory-grown diamonds to consumers. This controversial move by the natural diamond trade's number one supplier, added to the concern of traders and buyers alike.




Now, De Beers is said to be partnering with retailers like Bloomingdale's, in an initiative to finally have its lab-grown counterpart; Lightbox, participate in brick-and-mortar jewelry showcases. This new move also comes with some uneasy reactions from the jewelry trade, which has already seen the natural diamond market flounder a bit this year, due to several factors including the trend of man-made diamonds rising to historical highs.

De Beers markets its Lightbox lab-grown diamonds as alternatives for less-formal purchasing reasons, such as gifts for sweet-sixteen birthday celebrants, debutantes, or even for everyday wear by teenagers and youngsters. This might be an effort to help the public understand the difference in current value between this class of product and natural mined diamonds. Chemically speaking, lab-grown diamonds are still diamonds with essentially the same chemical composition (carbon) and crystal structure (cubic) as natural counterparts. This makes most diamond testers that rely on older technology (like thermal testers or electric conductivity testers) virtually useless in separating the two. Advanced photoluminescence spectrometry, and other laboratory tests are needed for the verification of natural diamonds today. One might wonder if this new foray by De Beers is going to further affect the mindset of buyers into accepting lab-grown diamonds as potential jewelry gifts for their loved ones.

Lightbox's prices for its lab-grown diamonds are modest enough to say the least. An earring pair we've seen on their website shows a price of 1000 USD for a total carat weight of 1ct., which basically means two LG diamonds weighing about 0.50ct each. The company's message in pricing is clearly heard- lab-grown diamonds are cheaper, because they're a different class of product. They are still diamonds though, and therefore maintain price ranges well above any diamond imitation used today- such as cubic zirconia or moissanite.

While some people are learning to love lab-grown diamonds, especially in the Western countries, it's really up to the personal taste of a jewelry buyer as to whether or not this product is something that he or she would consider purchasing in place of a natural earth-mined gemstone.

In the following years to come, De Beers is said to have plans for a manufacturing facility located in Oregon that would be able to produce about 200,000 polished carats annually, which calculates to around $200 million worth of merchandise for selling. The complex may be estimated to cost about $94 million. Where will the diamond industry take it from here?

This comprehensive article talked about many things within the diamond industry, but probably the most notable section was chapter 6 - “Recent developments in the lab-grown market” which was the spotlight statement we read on the JCK December article. Below, we have a quote from the Bain & Co. report, regarding the matter of lab-grown diamonds:

“Today, it costs $300 to $500 per carat to produce a CVD lab-grown diamond, compared with $4,000 per carat in 2008.”


Further down, they elaborate on general price trend observations. (You can read the entire report here as well.) or (read the JCK article, which may be easier to digest).

“As production costs have dropped, retail prices have followed. The retail price of gem-quality lab-grown diamonds nearly halved in the past two years, while wholesale prices dropped threefold. Prices are expected to decrease even further as production efficiencies increase, new competitors enter the market and the segment commoditizes.”



There is an enormous hype around lab-grown diamonds, with US-based millennial seeming to lead the current demand pool. Despite this, there is an equally large sector of the population that expresses uncertainty about the product class. We don’t really know how the value trend of lab-grown diamonds will pan out, as here in the Philippines, they are just beginning to emerge in larger quantities and carat weights (since early 2018). Much of our industry relies on the information provided by forecasts and reports from international trade firms.

This recent report for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre may cause concern for worry among the supporters of lab-grown diamonds. On the opposite side though, the reception for these products continues to grow, and we may see more lab-grown diamonds here in the Philippines by 2019. Our visitor base is still divided over whether these diamonds are investment worthy or not, but we clearly explain that a lab-grown diamond is still a diamond by chemistry. The difference between a lab-grown diamond and a natural stone at this point in time, is origin and overall price (both wholesale and retail prices of created diamonds are substantially lower than natural counterparts).

It's been notoriously known that many shady manufacturers of jewelry these days tend to con people by mixing both natural and man-made stones into the same piece of jewelry. Sometimes they use a lab-created diamond for the center stone, but other times people want to hide the deception much better.

Here at the laboratory, we have seen some people bring jewelry pieces (to be examined only), where up to 34% of the melee accent-stones turned out to be HPHT lab-grown diamonds. It should be noted that most of the pieces were purchased by their owners from sellers outside of the Philippines. This can be quite a concern though, as the value of an entire jewelry piece changes once you know that many of the stones came from being grown artificially at a lab or factory. Likewise the demand for a certain piece can also change once this realisation comes into play.




Side stones are generally melee-sized diamonds, often times not getting larger than .10 carats (in weight). These stones are often overlooked by clients, however the trends in jewelry design currently favor pieces that are highly encrusted by rows and rows of pave-set diamonds. Just imagine the cost that manufacturers would save if they used lab-created stones for 30-40% of the diamond melee batch.




Man-made or lab-created diamonds, again have the same chemical composition and structure as natural stones. The words "real", "authentic" and "genuine" do not really define the difference anymore between these stones and natural earth-mined stones. Despite this though, man-made diamonds can be easily detected and separated by experienced gemologists that possess the proper scientific equipment setup.

These stones are also cheaper than their natural counterparts, by anywhere from 40-60% at wholesale, but sometimes 30-40% through retail as far as we've observed during our research trips to country fairs like those held thrice a year in hong kong.


If you're particular about whether or not your diamond is man-made or naturally mined from the earth, feel free to set an appointment with our gemologist via our facebook page. Gemcamp Laboratories use advanced luminescence spectroscopy, aside from other gemological techniques and practices to help identify if your diamond is indeed a natural stone by chemical trace-element type analysis.

Needless to say, we are also capable of separating imitations and simulants from diamond. Imitation generally means something that is not a diamond, in crystal structure and essential chemistry. The only similarity it has to diamond is in visual semblance.

The growing concern over separating man-made or lab-grown diamonds from natural ones is well grounded on the fact that this gem species is one of the hardest ever to segregate visually, even for gemologists. In fact, for stones that are grown using the HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) method, exposure to the trade and processes involved with manufacturing man-made diamonds allowed laboratory gemologists to take note of certain characteristics observable in grown stones. These include specific types of metallic looking flux residues, and peculiar looking growth marks that showed the difference in a stone's crystal-development history.



The HPHT method has been the staple of the jewelry industry for many years, and still accounts for the production of many of the world's man-made diamonds today. Despite this, more and more technologically advanced companies have been working on (and developing proprietary advancements) the other method of diamond growing called Chemical Vapor Deposition or CVD for short. This type of laboratory-grown diamond is much less likely to show visible traces of its synthesis today. The diamonds themselves are grown from flat sheets, by depositing material layer by layer from a carbonaceous cloud of gas (like methane).



Lab-grown CVD diamonds have finally reached the point where their colors and clarities produced can be directly comparable to those of high quality natural diamonds. While lab-grown / man-made diamonds sold on with open disclosure and honest documentation are very beautiful products, the problem lies in the sale of these stones under the guise or label of 'natural diamonds'. These are two different categories of salable gems with two different price points in the trade, and therefore should not be mistaken for one another.

For natural diamond identity checks, we combine the use of scientific spectrometric equipment with the many years of experience held by our gemological staff through their involvement in the global diamond trade. For visits to our laboratory, you can set up an appointment with us through our official facebook page.

It's no secret to the jewelry-buying community that synthetic (a.k.a. man-made, cultured) diamonds have been growing in market reach, with more and more producers creating lab grown diamonds every year. The challenge of gemological institutes grows stronger as time passes, due to the barriers of entry weakening for this industry.




(These are different from simulant diamonds, which atomically, are not diamonds at all. Simulants, or imitation diamonds are actually chemically composed of another material altogether, like moissanite or cubic zicronia. Pictured above is a simulant diamond)

Man-made diamonds on their own, present a legitimate opportunity for both buyers and sellers, IF disclosed properly. There's nothing fraudulent about selling one of these stones, as long as they are sold as synthetic gemstones or laboratory-made gemstones. The problem is, because there seems to be an influx of these products flowing into the international jewelry markets, some shady sellers try to move their items in an underhanded fashion, sneaking man-made gemstones into parcels of natural diamonds. Even store owners often fall prey to this scheme, as you need advance spectrometric equipment to detect a fake.



Despite their monetary values being very different, visually a synthetic diamond is almost impossible to separate from a natural one, even for experienced jewelers. The cause for concern is starting to hit many, as the public starts to gain awareness on the reality of this issue and what it means for security in the diamond trade.

According to news sites in the US, a subsidiary retail brand of Diamond Foundry will be shutting down their physical store in Los Angeles branch after just six months in business. The manufacturer legally produces or grows synthetic diamonds using controlled machinery.

The closure of their establishment is occurring for reasons we can only speculate from halfway around the world, but the company isn't out of the ballgame just yet. Reports say that the brand will continue with its online business activity, as they still state that fast-paced movement of their lab-grown diamond products is prevalent throughout many digital markets.

It's unclear whether the public's reception of synthetic diamonds would be similar in other localities, but the fact that these artificially made products are being sold online to millions of people across the world, should stir up the possibility of gradually diffused security in the overall diamond trade.

Are these buyers acquiring the stones for personal jewelry, or are they re-selling them to unsuspecting people who do not yet know of the technology to produce diamonds with machines? Here in the Philippines, synthetic diamonds have also made their way into our community. We actually applaud the local retailers who openly disclose their items as synthetics, but hold fear regarding the small-scale traders that may be too tempted to gain a quick buck at someone else's expense.




Hopefully the ethics and open disclosure stay true for businessmen here in Metro Manila, as the separation of natural VS synthetic diamonds is currently a fast-growing issue. Gemcamp Laboratories has already encountered several synthetic stones at our facility, some of which had owners who were not aware of their production from machines. It's a pressing matter, and we hope to always do our best in helping the Filipino people stay away from any possible fraudulent purchases.

Although man-made diamonds have been a prevalent topic of controversy in many western countries, the trend has caught up to the jewelry trade of Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Buyers now are much more cautious and have gained awareness of the possibility that their diamonds may have been grown in a factory. Synthetic, cultured, or man-made diamonds are all identical terms for these materials that have been made from pure carbon, using state-of-the-art technology.

The growing, televised features on synthetic diamonds and the capability of companies to produce them by the hundreds- have caused some concern among the local jewelry collectors in our society. Many who have visited the laboratory fear that the gem trade is becoming more "loose" and scary in terms of undisclosed diamond authenticity.

Fox News has recently aired a segment about an American company that grows synthetic diamonds ethically. Leonardo Dicaprio, the famous Hollywood actor has even invested in this progressive diamond growing operation with the hopes that their product may lessen the current plague of 'conflict' diamonds that are also a cause for concern in the industry. In essence, any item can be good or bad if used or sourced the wrong way.

The same company was said to be able to create hundreds of man-made diamonds in a span of just two weeks, as told during the news segment.

Despite the two opposing sides that are constantly battling between the pro's and con's of synthetic diamonds in the trade, we do have to consider the facts beyond the bias of sales.

With regards to artificially grown diamonds- their value is not the same as that of natural diamonds, and despite the near-impossible difficulty in telling them apart with your naked eye, our gemologists can separate the two kinds of materials with ease.



More and more news articles regarding the advent of synthetic diamonds are making headlines this quarter, with some commentaries stating that millennials are especially prone to falling victim to synthetic diamond scams. Some fraudulent vendors and suppliers aim to take advantage of the younger generations' lack of awareness in "heritage-type" items like jewelry and diamonds.

Here in the Philippines, it's extremely important to always be sure of your item's authenticity. Third party laboratories like Gemcamp help to support the trade by minimizing the chances of diamond fraud, and encouraging a safe and ethical environment for the Filipino jewelry collectors.

Synthetic diamonds are not inherently bad, they are just a different type of product. Many people actually appreciate their beauty and appeal. The only concern that poses a threat to the public, is when synthetic diamonds are sold as natural gemstones.



Many synthetic diamonds and gemstones unfortunately, are also being misused by illegal sellers and con-artists to fool buyers into paying more, with the guise that the products are natural gems. A man-made flame-fusion ruby for example can be bought at around 5-20 US dollars in high qualities, but a natural ruby counterpart may fetch over a thousand dollars due to its factual rarity.

These HPHT synthetic diamond machines (pictured below) are still being used today, despite the invention of many smaller sized growing machines (like those used for CVD synthetics). HPHT machines mimic the extreme heat and pressure needed for diamonds to form deep beneath the earth's landmasses.



Please also note that synthetic diamonds will fool the automatic diamond testers often used in pawnshops and jewelry stores. These testers are often based off of electrical and heat conductivity, which synthetic diamonds will be able to possess in similarity to their natural counterparts. Some other materials, such as cubic zirconia coated with synthetic diamond, and some types of Moissanite will also be able to fool even the most advanced thermal testers out there on the market.

In our efforts to spread awareness and education across the Philippine public sector, we are currently developing a workshop curriculum that will teach people about gemstones, gemology, diamonds and synthetics. It will be made available mid-2018, and you can join our updater's list by inquiring on our facebook page.

While diamond synthesis isn't something new to the trade, it's still a hot topic all around the international jewelry industry. "Will synthetic diamonds influence the prices of earth-mined stones in the long run?". "How do we protect ourselves from man-made diamonds being peddled as natural gemstones?". There are a lot of questions that many experts are currently concerned over.



Laboratories can detect the vast majority of natural diamonds using advanced instruments that read spectrometric emission and absorption patterns, but to people who are just looking to buy (or sell) diamonds, it can be daunting to realize just how many ways they can be fooled by unscrupulous individuals.

Synthetic diamonds grown using the chemical vapor deposition process, or CVD for short, are almost impossible to distinguish without specific gemological equipment. Many visitors to our laboratory here in Quezon City, have already submitted diamonds that turned out to be man-made through controlled, artificial growth methods. Around 60% of them did not know, or were not sure about the nature of these stones, which causes some concern over honesty in the jewelry trade.

In the US, a company called WV Lab Grown Diamonds uses the CVD technique to pursue ultra-high qualities of synthetic diamond. Their products have now been elevated in size ranking, as the lab has just announced its most recent 6 carat production through trade sites like Rapaport.

Their facility, located in Washington, D.C., aims to pursue forward leaps in the field of diamond synthesis, remarking that the future will probably hold even bigger sizes of CVD man-made diamonds for the public to enjoy.

A 6 carat, colorless diamond was recently created at facet-grade quality. The company stated that their product would price similarly to a 3.5 carat natural diamond in the same color and clarity grade levels, but that's still their own appraisal on the item. (We do not endorse nor confirm their estimate.)

As far as Gemcamp's independent research shows, synthetic diamonds were often priced at 75% the value of their natural counterparts back in 2009. Now, during last year's March expo in Hong Kong, our team of gemologists asked around to find out more regarding the current prices of CVD synthetic stones. One large manufacturer (brand shall remain private), was willing to sell its products initially for 60% the price of a natural counterpart, but later settled for 50% after negotiation.



Man-made diamonds can be a great product for jewelry buyers who are looking for a specific set of criteria in their stones. We will not however, comment on their investment worth, as our position still remains neutral. Research publications from our laboratory only publishes data gathered by our gemologists in and outside of the Philippine market.

We can only attest to the investment appreciation of natural diamond, as it has been stable appreciative asset when evaluated throughout the past decades. Much of the public's interest in natural diamond has paved the way for labs like GIA to create and fortify the grading systems we all follow today, creating a way for industry experts to price and essentially commoditize natural diamond, similar to gold, platinum or other precious metals traded internationally.

Half a decade ago, there were issues that began plaguing the international jewelry trade, hitting it's most lucrative market- diamond jewelry buyers. Synthetic, a.k.a. man-made or cultured diamonds, have been around for quite a while now, however these days the manufacturers have already mastered the quality and size creation necessary to rival the representation of most natural high grade diamonds.