Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Have Inclusions?

All the forms of diamonds are at the mercy of science, be it mined diamonds grown billions of years ago or lab grown diamonds grown in six to 10 weeks. There is no way to guarantee a flawless diamond every time. In lab-grown diamonds, inclusions can also occur as a result of intense heat, strain, individual growth patterns, and other factors in laboratories that imitate the natural processes that the earth uses to produce diamonds. Before purchasing loose lab grown diamonds, it is very important to check the 4C’s of a diamond.

Lab-grown diamonds are graded in a similar fashion to mined diamonds, considering all 4C’s color, cut, clarity, and carat and hence no differentiation of grading is required for each. The best way to know the authenticity of a diamond is when they are certified by renowned laboratories like GIA, GCAL, IGI, and others. IGI certified lab grown diamonds check all the intrusions and based on that make a report which is very helpful to a buyer. When these diamonds are sent for certification to laboratories, many gemmologists examine them., Each of the individual grades is added together to decide the final grade, resulting in an impartial diamond grading system.

What are inclusions?

An inclusion is a birthmark within a diamond. They are created due to the extreme pressure and heat a diamond undergoes when it is formed. Most of the diamonds have flaws, and it is very rare to see a diamond without an inclusion. Most of these inclusions are unnoticeable to the naked, untrained eye, as they can only be seen under 10x magnification. They come in a range of colors and shapes. They appear in tiny dots and are more often cloud-like. In certain cases, they can be almost transparent, white, grey, or even black. Inclusions can be found in almost any man made diamond and also naturally grown diamonds. The scale, number, and location of inclusions all have an impact on a gem’s clarity which further has an impact on the overall sparkle and value of a diamond. No two inclusions in a diamond are identical, they have a unique pattern, just like fingerprints or snowflakes. Any diamond with a clarity score of ‘VS’ (very slightly) or higher is considered an eye clean diamond.

When grading diamonds and providing certifications, laboratories such as IGI, AGSL, GCAL, and GIA look for very precise items when searching for inclusions and evaluating clarity. They are looking for unique aspects of inclusion, such as:

• The color of the inclusions.
• The number of the inclusions.
• The size of the inclusions.
• The nature of inclusions.
• The positioning and specific location of the inclusions.

So, in most cases, minor flaws in your diamond that don’t detract significantly from its sparkle or appearance aren’t a big deal. In any case, no one but jewelers inspects lab created diamonds under magnification. To hide inclusions, it is best to opt for brilliant cut loose lab grown diamonds.