Buying a diamond separately from its setting gives you more control over the characteristics that affect appearance, size and price. For buyers comparing loose lab grown diamonds, that flexibility can be especially useful because individual stones can be assessed before committing to an engagement ring, pendant or other piece of jewellery.
A laboratory-grown diamond is still diamond material. It shares the carbon crystal structure of a natural gem, but has a different origin. Where raw material was formed in the earth, the cultured is grown in a diamond crystal from a technological process.
The challenge for the buyer is not only to find a certain carat weight. Two stones with supposedly equal headline specs will often appear completely different when you look closer at the cuts, shape, colors, clarity and proportions.
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Why Buy the Diamond Before Choosing the Setting?
Selecting a loose stone first lets you compare the centre diamond independently from the ring design.
This makes it easier to decide where your budget matters most. One buyer may prioritise excellent light performance, while another may prefer greater visible size or a particular shape such as oval, emerald or cushion.
Buying the stone separately can also help you:
- compare measurements rather than relying only on carat weight
- inspect grading information before selecting a setting
- choose a shape that suits the intended jewellery design
- balance colour and clarity against cut quality
- avoid paying for quality differences that are difficult to see without magnification
Australian shoppers researching loose lab grown diamonds can use retailers such as novitadiamonds.com as one source for comparing available stones and specifications before deciding which characteristics suit their priorities.
Start With the 4Cs, but Do Not Treat Them Equally
The 4Cs describe cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. Each matters, but they do not influence a diamond’s appearance in exactly the same way.
Cut Can Have a Major Effect on Appearance
This grade explains how the proportions and shape of a faceted diamond influence its interaction with light.
For most brilliant-cut shapes, having heavier proportions and expertly cut facets can improve the amount of light reflected back at the viewer, creating desirable contrast and sparkle. A thicker diamond with poor proportions will often look less attractive than a lighter one with a better overall performance of light.
The cut grade should also be reviewed with the polish, symmetry, depth and table measures if available.
Colour Is About Visible Body Colour
Diamond colour grading typically refers to the level of colour present or lacking in the stone according to the system used by the grading laboratory.
A higher colour grade is not always of necessity to every buyer and the visible difference between close grades may appear slight, while the appearance of the colours may depend on shape, stone size and the metal surrounding the diamond.
For example a stone selected for yellow or rose gold may appear differently than one put in a white gold or platinum setting.
Clarity Describes Inclusions and Blemishes
Clarity refers to a stone’s internal characteristics, known as inclusions, and external characteristics, known as blemishes.
Very high levels of clarity may fetch a higher price, but will not necessarily make the stone appear more beautiful to the naked eye.
A realistic aim for many buyers is to find a stone in which inclusions are not distracting to the eye, and their visual impact is often down to their location, size, type and overall prominence.
Carat Is Weight, Not Visual Size
Carat describes weight rather than face-up dimensions.
Two one-carat diamonds can appear different in size because their shape and proportions distribute that weight differently. Checking millimetre measurements provides useful context, particularly when comparing stones of similar carat weight.
Shape Changes More Than the Style
Diamond shape influence the optical spread, the pattern of facets, and the overall appearance of the stone.
Round brilliant diamonds have one particular pattern of facets while emerald diamonds cutters use another pattern of broader facets. Other shapes, such as oval, pear, marquise, and radiant, have their own patterns of brilliance and spread.
Some shapes in this category may appear larger face up than others, so be cautious about the weight of the diamonds you select. While many people feel that an elongated shape provides more spread, it is best to measure than to guess when it comes to determining diamond shape and size.
In addition, diamond shape can affect the visibility of inclusions and the overall colour of the stone.
CVD and HPHT Explain Origin, Not Overall Quality
Most lab created diamonds are produced using either Chemical Vapour Deposition or High Pressure High Temperature technology.
CVD typically involves producing diamond material from carbon-containing gases in a controlled chamber, whereas HPHT relies on high-pressure and high-temperature conditions for crystal growth
Either way, it does not necessarily mean that the resulting stone will be of a higher quality.
After the growth process is complete, the buyer should examine the cut, color, clarity, carat weight, proportions, and other factors of the diamond to determine its grade, rather than relying on how it was grown.
Lab created diamonds should also not be confused with diamond simulants such as moissanite or cubic zirconia, as these are stones made from different crystalline structures and minerals, whereas lab diamonds have the same carbon-based atomic structure as naturally occurring diamond.
Check the Grading Report Before Comparing Prices
An independent grading report gives you a structured record of a diamond’s measured and assessed characteristics.
Depending on the laboratory and report format, it may include:
- carat weight
- colour grade
- clarity grade
- dimensions
- proportions
- polish and symmetry
- fluorescence
- laboratory-grown origin
- identifying characteristics
- report number
Recognised laboratories such as IGI and GIA grade laboratory-grown diamonds.
Where a report number or laser inscription is supplied, confirm that the identifying information corresponds with the stone you are considering.
A grading report should not be confused with an appraisal. Grading describes gemmological characteristics according to a laboratory’s methodology. An appraisal or valuation serves a different purpose and should not be treated as interchangeable with grading.
Compare Stones Side by Side, Not One Specification at a Time
A useful comparison looks at the complete diamond rather than chasing the highest possible grade in every category.
| Factor | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Cut | Proportions, light performance, polish and symmetry |
| Colour | Visible tint and how it works with the chosen metal |
| Clarity | Visibility and position of inclusions |
| Carat | Weight together with actual dimensions |
| Shape | Facet style, proportions and visual spread |
| Grading | Laboratory, report details and identifying information |
For example, spending more for a clarity grade that produces no obvious visual improvement may make less sense to you than directing that budget towards better proportions or a preferred size.
The right balance depends on what you can actually see and what matters in the finished jewellery.
Think About the Setting Before Finalising the Stone
A loose diamond doesn’t exist in a vacuum and once it becomes jewellery, there are other factors come into play
A solitaire presents the centre diamond differently to a halo or bezel setting, and the use of pavés also adds visual weight, as can the width of the band and the colour of the metal, all of which can affect how big or bright the centre stone appears
For an engagement ring, remember to take the profile of the ring, everyday wear and tear, ease of cleaning, resizing options and compatibility with a future wedding band into consideration.
Before buying, make sure you know exactly what is included for the quoted price, and check the fine print on the retailer’s returns, resizing, warranty and after-sales policies rather than relying on assumptions.
Verify the Details Before You Commit
The strongest purchase decision will usually be based on evaluating evidence against evidence, rather than being led by one attractive specification.
Ensure that the stone has been declared as laboratory-grown, check its grading report, measure the stone to confirm its dimensions, assess the contributory factors affecting the appearance quality, and understand the terms of purchase.
Retain the grading report and purchase paperwork after purchase to hand as a reference for the stone’s recorded attributes, and as a reference for servicing, insurance or identification purposes.
Lab-grown diamond prices and resale demand can be volatile, depending on market conditions, supply and buyer preferences, so a retail purchase price should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future resale value. Purchases should be seen as purchases of jewellery, based on appearance, quality, budget and intended use, rather than as an investment.