How Long Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Last?
Spoiler: They’re diamonds – they’ll last forever.
The only kind of “aging” ANY diamond can suffer – natural or lab grown – is chipping but this can be mitigated by correct setting of sharp corners.
This article covers all the common questions (read: myths) about lab grown diamonds aging.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Go Cloudy Over Time?
No.
They do not become cloudy. They are made of pure carbon with the same structure as natural mined diamonds, chemically and physically identical. There is no way they can possibly cloud.
This misconception might come from cubic zirconia or moissanite, diamond alternatives often sold as diamonds or lab grown diamonds by unethical jewellers/resellers. Those two have are softer than diamond, meaning they can absolutely get their surface scratched over time and turn “cloudy”.
Real diamonds (lab grown or natural) are virtually unscratchable, you have to try very hard to scratch a diamond, and you have to use special diamond tools. Lab grown diamonds shine for life.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Change Colour Over Time?
No.
White diamonds (colourless, D-F grade) will keep whatever colour they were produced with. There is no mechanism for them to change colour in their finished state. Just like natural diamonds.
Colored diamonds like yellow, pink, blue, red, green, anything and everything in between are also stable, with no way for them to change their color or fade over time.
Diamond’s atomic structure means you need to put in ridiculous energy and effort to change anything about the colour which is mostly produced by the presence of minute “impurities” such as nitrogen, boron, etc. This is only possible with specialised machines replicating the temperatures and pressures found in the center of the earth. There is NOTHING in everyday life that can cause a diamond to change its color (whether white or fancy colored) even 0.0000001% from the original.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Turn Yellow?
No.
Even though we just answered the general color question, this is such a common one it needs its own answer.
Only if a lab grown diamond was produced as a yellow diamond, that is the only way for a lab grown diamond to be yellow.
There is no way for any diamond to turn yellow over time. It’s simply not possible, physically or chemically.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Tarnish?
No.
Diamonds cannot tarnish. Natural or lab grown. Tarnish, such as that found on sterling silver over time, or stainless steel and similar, occurs because of chemical reactions and physical damage to the surface of the material.
Diamond’s surface cannot be damaged. And they are chemically very inert (unreactive). There is nothing in everyday life that can tarnish a diamond.
Can a Diamond Chip or Crack After Years of Wear?
Yes.
This is the only type of “aging” that a diamond can suffer. However this effect does not discriminate between lab grown or natural diamonds. Any diamond can chip.
The good news is – most diamonds chip because of improper setting, such as exposing the sharp corners of a marquise or a pear cut diamond.
With proper care and setting, your lab grown diamond jewellery will never chip or crack.
Cracks are far more rare than chipping but can also happen. Generally a diamond has to suffer some tremendous blunt force to generate a crack.
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Become Less Sparkly Over Time?
No.
Your diamond jewellery can get exposed to oils, grime, dirt, and all sorts of buildup that needs to be cleaned. However the lab grown diamond itself remains untouched.
A lab grown diamond cannot lose its internal sparkle without extremely unlikely damage like cracking (at that point, sparkle is your least concern).
Just like natural diamonds, the sparkle of a lab grown diamond is untouchable.
Conclusion: Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Age Well?
Yes.
Lab-grown diamonds have exactly the same properties as natural diamonds when it comes to aging: They don’t age.
They don’t go cloudy, they can’t tarnish, they can’t change color, it is very unlikely to chip or crack it. Lab grown diamonds are forever.