Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings Adelaide

Lab-grown diamond engagement rings, IGI certified

A lab-grown diamond is a diamond. It is carbon crystallised in the same structure as a diamond formed in the earth, with the same hardness, the same refractive index and the same way of taking light apart and handing it back. The difference is where it began: grown in a laboratory over weeks rather than in the ground over ages. Under a loupe, the two are indistinguishable; it takes laboratory equipment to tell them apart, which is why every lab-grown feature diamond we set comes with an IGI report that states its origin along with its grade.

The eighty-eight rings in this collection are Simon Alexander designs — the same designs we make with natural diamonds — made to order around a lab-grown stone. They are designed in our King William Street boutique, Australian made, and set and hand-finished at our Adelaide bench. Prices start from under $2,000 with a 1.00ct diamond in 9ct yellow gold and run through 1.50ct, 2.00ct and 3.00ct, because the honest reason to choose lab-grown is that it buys a larger, cleaner stone for the same money.

What lab-grown means, and what it does not

We would rather you understood this properly than bought on a slogan. Lab-grown diamonds are grown from a diamond seed, either under high pressure and temperature or by depositing carbon layer by layer in a vacuum chamber. The result is cut and polished by the same people, with the same tools, as any other diamond, and graded on the same scale of carat, colour, clarity and cut. The stones we offer are IGI-certified, D to G colour and VS2 to VVS1 clarity, selected by Simon's published standard, 'Simon's five': colourless or near-colourless, and clean beyond what the eye can find.

What lab-grown is not is a lesser diamond, and it is not a substitute that will look different with time. It is also not the right choice for everyone. A natural diamond carries something for many people that has nothing to do with optics, and its price reflects that scarcity. We set both, we are happy to make a design either way, and we will not tell you one is better than the other. We will tell you which one is the better stone for the ring in front of you, and let you decide.

Eighty-eight designs, six shapes

Every named Simon Alexander design is available lab-grown, across the six shapes people ask for most:

• Round brilliant — twenty-three designs. The most light of any cut, and the shape every setting was first drawn for. Casey, Grace, Katie, Fiona, Chloe, June and more.
• Oval — sixteen designs. Reads larger than a round of the same carat and lengthens the finger. Abbie, Casey, Delta, Katie, Kylie, Chloe.
• Cushion — thirteen designs. Softened corners and a pillow-like face; romantic without being fussy.
• Emerald — thirteen designs. Long step-cut planes and a hall-of-mirrors depth; demands a clean stone, which lab-grown supplies.
• Pear — thirteen designs. A point and a curve; the most graceful of the shapes on the hand.
• Princess — ten designs. Square, sharp and brilliant-cut; sits well in a clean four-claw setting.

Within each shape the range runs from plain solitaires (Casey, Abbie, Grace, Katie, Fiona) through accent-diamond and halo designs (Hope, Julia, Kylie, Emily, Chloe) to the more elaborate rings such as Ariel. Any of them can be adjusted, and if the right ring is not on the page we design it with you.

What a lab-grown engagement ring costs in Adelaide

Each price on this page is the finished ring: setting, metal and the lab-grown feature diamond at the stated carat. They are published so you can plan before you speak to anyone.

• From under $2,000 at 1.00ct in 9ct yellow gold for a solitaire such as Casey or Abbie in emerald or pear.
• From about $3,000 at 1.00ct in 18ct white gold for a round solitaire such as Casey, Grace or Katie.
• Accent and halo designs such as Hope, Julia, Kylie and Emily, and the larger stones, step up from there: at 2.00ct in 18ct white gold most designs sit between about $4,800 and $6,300.
• Every price is live: the price of each design, at every carat and in every metal, is shown on its page. Today’s figures by shape: 1 carat and 2 carat.

To put that beside natural: the Casey round at 1.00ct in 18ct white gold is about $3,000 with a lab-grown diamond, and considerably more with a natural one; both prices are shown on their pages. Same ring, same bench, same finish; the difference is the stone. That is the whole case for lab-grown, and we think it is enough without dressing it up.

Gold is priced at the day's metal rates, so white, yellow and rose can differ slightly; 9ct and 14ct sit below 18ct, and platinum is listed on every design.

The same designs, natural

Every ring here has a natural twin. The Sasha, Grace, June and Casey that appear in our natural engagement collection are the same drawings, made around GIA-certified natural diamonds. If you are undecided, that is the useful thing about this boutique: you can see the same design with both stones, side by side, on your hand, before you choose. Nobody here minds which way you go.

Why people choose lab-grown

The reasons we hear most often are practical ones. The first is size: a 1.50ct or 2.00ct stone that would be out of reach as a natural diamond is comfortably within reach lab-grown, and on the hand that difference is visible. The second is grade: because lab-grown stones cost less at every level, people choose colourless, very clean diamonds rather than compromising on colour or clarity to reach a carat. The third is simply that the design they wanted — a double halo, a three-stone ring, an elongated oval — became affordable. None of these needs a slogan. We would rather show you the stone under the lamp and let it make its own case.

How to choose a lab-grown diamond

Because lab-grown stones are priced lower for their size, the temptation is to buy the biggest carat the budget allows. Sometimes that is right. More often, the better ring comes from spending a little of the saving on the things that actually change how a diamond looks:

• Cut first. Cut decides how much light comes back to your eye. A well-cut 1.50ct will outshine a poorly cut 2.00ct every day of its life. We only set well-cut stones, and we will show you why under the lamp.
• Shape for the hand. Ovals and pears lengthen; cushions and rounds soften; emeralds and princesses read cleaner and more architectural. Try the shape on your own finger, in daylight, not on a screen.
• Colour and clarity in proportion. Simon's five are D to G colour and VS2 to VVS1 clarity, which is already beyond what the eye can distinguish. There is little reason to pay for more.
• Carat last. Once the cut and shape are right, choose the size that suits the hand and the setting. A 2.00ct oval on a slim tapered band is a different ring from the same stone in a double halo.
• Read the report. Every IGI report states the carat, colour, clarity, cut grade and origin, and its number is inscribed on the diamond's girdle. Ask to see it beside the stone.

How the ring is made

Choose a design, or bring an idea. We sit with you in the boutique, put stones under the loupe, and settle the shape, carat and metal together. On each ring's page you choose your exact stone from Simon's five and can view it in 360°; Simon confirms that stone and its certificate personally before it is set. Simon draws the ring and you approve it before anything is made. Allow four to six weeks from approval; your ring is then set and hand-finished at our Adelaide bench and presented to you with its IGI report and a current insurance valuation. Aftercare is complimentary: an annual clean and check, your first resize, and your first rhodium refresh on white gold. Every lab-grown ring is made to the same drawing, in the same metals and to the same finish as its natural twin; the report in the box is the only place the word lab-grown appears.

Lab-grown diamonds in the Adelaide CBD

Simon Alexander is an independent manufacturing jeweller at Level 1, 14 King William Street, a short walk from Rundle Mall. Simon Dimasi is a diamantaire and the author of A Diamond Truth, a plain-spoken guide to choosing a diamond, and every ring here is drawn and overseen by him. Walk in Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm or Saturday 10am to 4pm, or book a private viewing. Our clients rate us 4.9 on Google across 30 reviews.

Lab-grown engagement rings in Adelaide: your questions

Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes. A lab-grown diamond is crystallised carbon with the same structure, hardness and optical properties as a diamond formed in the earth. It is cut, polished and graded the same way. The difference is origin, which is recorded on its IGI report. To the eye and under a loupe the two are indistinguishable.

How much does a lab-grown engagement ring cost in Adelaide?

At Simon Alexander, lab-grown engagement rings start from under $2,000 for a solitaire with a 1.00ct diamond in 9ct yellow gold, and run through 1.50ct, 2.00ct and 3.00ct. At 2.00ct in 18ct white gold most designs sit between about $4,800 and $6,300. Every price is the finished ring, diamond included, and each design's price for every carat and metal is shown live on its page.

Are lab-grown diamonds certified?

Every lab-grown feature diamond we set comes with an IGI report stating its carat, colour, clarity, cut grade and laboratory-grown origin, with the report number inscribed on the girdle. The stones we offer are IGI-certified, D to G colour and VS2 to VVS1 clarity, selected by Simon's published standard, 'Simon's five': on each ring's page you choose your exact stone and can view it in 360°, and Simon confirms that stone and its certificate personally before it is set. You also receive a current insurance valuation from us.

Will a lab-grown diamond look different over time?

No. A lab-grown diamond is as hard and as stable as any diamond, and it does not cloud, fade or change with wear. It needs the same care as a natural stone: an occasional clean, and a check of the claws, both of which we provide each year at no charge.

Can I get the same design with a natural diamond?

Yes. Every lab-grown design here is the same drawing as its natural twin in our engagement collection, and both can be seen side by side on your hand in the boutique. Natural stones carry a GIA report; lab-grown carry an IGI report. We will give you a straight opinion, not a push either way.

Which shape should I choose?

Try them on. Round gives the most light; oval and pear lengthen the finger; cushion is soft; emerald and princess are clean and architectural. Because lab-grown stones are priced lower for their size, an elongated shape at 1.50ct or 2.00ct often gives the presence people are after without pushing the budget.

How long does a lab-grown engagement ring take?

Allow four to six weeks from the day you approve the design. The ring is made around your chosen stone, then set, finished by hand and checked at our Adelaide bench. If you are working to a date, tell us at the first conversation and we will plan backwards from it.