Lab Grown Gemstones: Why You Need to Carry Them

Lab grown gems are an alternative, not a substitute.

Lab grown and earth mined gemstones can, and frankly, should coexist. Customers want options. They will value your expertise if you can guide and advise them through a sale. By providing knowledge about both categories—lab grown and earth mined—your customers will feel more confident in their choice of gemstone and their choice of jeweler.

With more consumers becoming aware of the benefits of buying lab grown gemstones, it makes sense to have this category readily available. Lab grown and earth mined gemstones have different advantages that may appeal to different customers. Speaking of both gemstone categories and their relevance in the market today will boost your credibility.

Chatham does not deny the beauty and mystique of earth-mined gemstones. We simply offer an alternative. Perhaps affordability is a motive. Maybe it’s the high color quality of our lab grown stones that makes Chatham more attractive. It could be the sustainability factor that drives the customer. It’s possible they are chemistry buffs and appreciate the science behind it. Or, they simply like the design!

Ultimately, the consumer will make their choice based on the information they have and what you’ve been able to present to them. They’ll feel good about their purchase knowing they’ve been fully informed. Chatham is the most trusted brand in lab grown with over 80 years of experience to impart on you, so you can impart it onto your customer.

Lab grown has less impact on the environment.

No products have zero environmental impact. But lab grown gemstones don’t require moving large amounts of earth as mining does. This eliminates the chance of drinking water pollution.

Crystal growers do use energy and chemicals derived from the earth, but the carbon footprint of crystal growth is a small fraction of gemstone mining. The carbon footprint of Chatham production energy in dollars is about 5 cents per carat.

We can keep our carbon footprint so low due to the efficiency of our flux furnaces. Chatham also only uses chemicals that are 99.99999% pure. Due to this high level of purity called five 9s, we can reuse this flux chemical. It does not wear out or get contaminated.

In addition to recycling our flux material, Chatham also reuses and refines much of our equipment. This includes our platinum crucibles where the actual growth takes place.

As an active member of the Responsible Jewelry Council, Chatham is dedicated to responsible ethical, social and environmental practices which respect human rights. Chatham also partners with One Tree Planted, a non-profit dedicated to global reforestation. Your customers can feel good about their purchase knowing that Chatham plants a tree for each piece of jewelry sold.

This 14K yellow gold ring features an oval lab grown emerald with diamonds embellishing the elegant design. Environmentally conscious customers will be able to appreciate the lush green of the center emerald knowing that their purchase planted a tree.

Lab grown gems are a more cost-friendly option.

The price difference between Chatham and mined diamonds of similar quality can be dramatic, especially in finer qualities. A lab grown diamond of the same cut, clarity, color and carat can cost anywhere from 30-80% less than the earth-mined diamond of the same quality.

The savings vary depending on the size, shape and quality of the diamond. The price difference increases substantially as the weight and quality of the diamond rises. A lab grown diamond may be a wonderful option for customers on a budget or those who want a bigger center stone without breaking the bank.

Lab grown gemstones cost less than their earth mined counterparts but are still expensive because they take a long time to grow. Time is priceless and it takes about 12 months to grow Chatham crystals. The average batch of stones is about 10,000 carats but much of it is unusable. We lose on average 80-90% of the 10,000 carats simply cutting around inclusions, a natural part of crystal growth. We must also sacrifice some crystals to use as seeds for the next growth run.

Chatham makes high quality and rare gems more available.

Our lab grown gemstones have near perfect color and clarity. Remember our ice analogy? It’s like how the ice in your freezer is cleaner than ice in a lake. We carefully control the environment and cut away over 80% of the rough to deliver the sparkle and vibrancy of the finest earth mined gems at a more reasonable price. We never compromise quality to save weight.

Our team of highly trained master gem cutters decide which shape to cut after studying each crystal’s shape and internal inclusions. Chatham designed a series of brand-protected shapes only available through the jewelry line: flame, onion, century and elongated baguette cut. These shapes would be more challenging to replicate using earth-mined gemstones.

Chatham’s lab grown technology not only enables us to cut original shapes but also makes rare gemstones more available to consumers. You can now have top-tier quality rare gems—like alexandrite, padparadscha and Paraíba spinel—available for your customers. Not only can your customers finally get the rare gemstone they’ve always wanted, but they can discover vibrant colors and exotic gems they’ve never witnessed before.

Between Chatham’s exclusive gemstone cuts and our wide variety of lab grown gemstones, your customers can have the unique and beautiful jewelry collection of their dreams. Our award-winning jewelry designs range from classic to modern and original, so every customer can find something to suit their taste.