Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, they are REAL diamonds! They are completely identical and have the exact same chemical and physical composition!

These beautiful diamonds are made of carbon and grown in lab-controlled conditions, much like flowers in a greenhouse. They are as real and beautiful as those mined from the earth with one big difference: they are ethically sourced. CVD Lab grown diamonds are eco-friendly, conflict-free and do not contribute to earth mining, ocean dredging or habitat destruction.

As CVD lab-grown diamonds and earth-mined diamonds are both composed of carbon, they display the same chemical, physical and optical characteristics, and therefore exhibit the same fire, scintillation, and sparkle. Exactly like earth-mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds will vary in shape, size, color, clarity, and cut – making each diamond exquisitely unique.

Just like a natural earth-mined diamond, a CVD lab-grown diamond’s price and value is dependent on its 4 C’s (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat size). Unless the shape of the stone is a traditional round, it will not have a cut grade. Cut grades are not used in “fancy shape cut” diamonds such as oval, princess, radiant, cushion (just to name a few) but instead are graded by polish and symmetry. As with natural diamonds, CVD lab-grown diamonds will vary in quality and value.

There are 3 main BENEFITS to buying lab-grown diamonds:

1. They are Eco friendly & Ethically sourced
   Lab-grown diamonds are a responsible choice given they are conflict-free and no earth-mining is required.
2. Their Beauty & Quality
   Lab-grown diamonds offer identical characteristics to earth-mined ones. They will vary in shape carat size, color, clarity, and cut making each one unique.And – last but not least…
3. They Offer the Best Value
   Due to the shorter supply chain, lab-grown diamonds offer excellent value, which also means you can purchase a larger diamond within the same budget.When comparing CVD lab-grown and earth-mined diamonds, there is no “better” – they bothgenerate beautiful and unique gemstones.In conclusion, you’ll be able to own your dream diamond jewellery without breaking the bank and all while taking care of our precious planet.

There are two methods used to create lab-grown diamonds – The HPHT and the CVD method. HPHT stands for ‘high-pressure high-temperature’ and was the first method used to grow man made diamonds. HPHT diamonds do not react to the diamond tester pen.

The CVD or Chemical Vapor Deposition process is a newer method and utilizes cutting edge

technology. CVD diamonds are grown from a pre-existing pure carbon natural diamond seed and possess the same chemical composition as natural earth mined diamonds. For this reason, CVD diamonds will react to a diamond tester pen – making them indistinguishable from their earth-mined equivalents. Due to their superior quality, I only work with CVD Lab-grown diamonds.

Henri Moissan, a French scientist, discovered the Moissanite mineral in 1893 while examining samples of rock that came from a meteor crater. Given the close hardness level to diamonds he first believed the crystals were diamonds. However, a decade later, he realized that they were made of silicon carbide and not carbon.

Natural Moissanite is extremely rare and has only been found in a few environments including meteors – and can sometimes even be detected as inclusions inside natural diamonds. Due to the rarity of naturally occurring silicon carbide, today’s Moissanite products are synthetic versions.

Moissanite varies from a CVD diamond in both composition and in appearance. Diamonds are graded on a GIA Color scale from D to Z, and clarity scale from IF to I3, while moissanites are not categorized by color or clarity. Moissanites all tend to cost the same price unless they differ in size or by moissanite material type – enhanced or unenhanced.

While moissanite is cheaper than CVD lab-grown diamonds, it is essential to realize that the characteristics, quality and beauty of CVD lab-grown diamonds and moissanites are incomparable.

Moissanites are not colorless and resemble the K grade on the GIA color scale used to grade the color of diamonds. Moissanite will reflect yellow, blue and green tints, especially if the stone is large.

Under certain lights, the Moissanite rainbow color reflections are highly visible making it easy to notice their stark difference from diamonds. Conversely, no matter the lighting or setting, a CVD lab-grown diamond cannot be distinguished from a natural earth-mined diamond.

While CVD lab-grown diamonds weigh exactly as natural earth-mined diamonds, Moissanite weighs approximately 15% less than diamonds. Therefore, moissanites are priced on their size in millimetres instead of using carat weight making an accurate comparison of price impossible.

Just like mined diamonds, lab diamonds are also priced on the basis of their 4C’s characteristics. On a typical basis, lab diamonds are generally 40-50% less expensive than mined, natural diamonds of the same shape, size and quality.

No, ILANIS CVD diamonds look the same as natural diamonds of the same quality. Traditional jewelers use tools such as microscopes and loupes in order to detect diamonds. As a matter of fact, these tools cannot detect the difference between a CVD laboratory-grown diamond and a natural earth-mined diamond.

The low-cost diamond testing tools which are typically used by most jewelers worldwide are mainly used for testing fake diamonds (CZ, Moissanite) and natural diamonds. These cheap tools simply cannot differentiate between a mined and lab-grown diamond.

However, there are certain tools that can actually detect this difference, this gemological equipment can easily cost up to $15,000, the vast majority of jewelers refrain from using them. The most accurate method, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy, requires that the diamond (to be tested) be deep-frozen at around -320° F (-196°C)! Most jewelers simply cannot afford to do such complex tests that require professional expertise, time, and money.

That being said, ILANIS diamonds are all graded by third-party, non-profit gemological organizations and are certified as Pure CVD Lab-Grown diamonds with a microscopic laser inscription. Any Jeweler can use a microscope to look up that unique ID of the diamond in a public database. We are very proud of the quality and origin of our diamonds, and we never try to hide the fact that they are lab-grown.

Yes, all ILANIS diamonds are IGI or GIA certified.

The International Gemological Institute (IGI) and Gemological Institute of America (GIA) are the two most highly reputable diamond certification laboratories in the world for CVD lab grown diamonds.

IGI was the first gemological institute to begin fully grading lab-grown diamonds in 2005, and has more experience and expertise than any other organization in the world grading lab-grown diamonds  . Today, IGI is the largest organization of its kind, operating 18 laboratory locations around the world.

GIA and its researchers have been world leaders in gem science since 1931 and have been certifying lab-grown diamonds from July 2019.

When it comes to CVD lab-grown diamond accreditation, both IGI and GIA certificates are equally steadfast and 100% reliable.