CVD Lab Diamonds: How They're Grown and What to Look For
A deep dive into CVD diamond growth, the defects that can affect appearance, and what to look for when evaluating a lab grown diamond.
Lab Diamonds
Ada Diamonds founders Lindsay Reinsmith and Jason Payne were invited to guest lecture at GIA on lab diamond quality — what grading reports miss and what to look for in person.
GIA, lab diamond education, lab diamond quality, founders, beyond the 4Cs
GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, is the world's foremost authority on diamond grading and gemological research. Being invited to lecture there isn't something that happens by accident.
Ada Diamonds founders Lindsay Reinsmith and Jason Payne were invited to present at GIA on the quality characteristics of lab grown diamonds that standard grading reports don't capture. The lecture, titled "Beyond the 4 C's," drew on years of firsthand experience examining lab diamonds from growers around the world and working directly with GIA's own research team.
Below you'll find the full presentation and individual deep dives on each topic covered.
What was Covered
- The presentation covers six areas that matter when evaluating a lab grown diamond beyond the standard grading report:
- The differences between lab grown and natural diamonds at a crystal level.
- Color tinges and why they can't be spotted from a grading report or a video.
- CVD diamond growth and the BGS defects to know: brown, gray, and strain.
- HPHT diamond growth and the BGP defects to know: blue, gray, and phosphorescence.
- How and why crystal defects form during growth.
- How those defects are measured and identified, and why buyers should care.
Why this Matters for Your Diamond
The GIA invitation didn't come out of nowhere. It came from years of work: examining over 15,000 certified lab diamonds above one carat, sourcing from more than 100 growers across ten countries, and bringing unusual or unclassified stones to GIA's researchers for analysis.
That exposure shapes how we evaluate every diamond that enters our inventory. We know what gray tinge looks like at D color. We know what phosphorescence looks like under office lighting. We know what strain does to contrast even in a VVS stone. And we know none of it shows up on a grading report.
A grading report is a starting point, not the whole story.
Industry Leading Curation
We have the highest standards for lab diamond quality and craftsmanship in the industry. We never evaluate diamonds simply by a grading report and a HD video.
Each of our diamonds are inspected in house before ever being offered to a client. We do the hard part of screening lab diamonds for quality so you can choose with confidence.
Go Deeper
Want to understand what we look for? We've written detailed guides on both growth methods covered in the lecture.
Read our guide to CVD lab diamonds or our guide to HPHT lab diamonds for the full technical detail on growth methods, defect frameworks, and what to look for when evaluating a stone.
Explore Our Guides
View More
Blue Nuance and Phosphorescence in Lab Diamonds
Blue nuance is a tinge of blue color present in HPHT diamonds, resulting from excess boron in the diamond after the growth process.
Diamond Education
Is It Safe to Buy a Lab Diamond Online?
Everything you need to know before buying a lab diamond online, and how to make sure you're getting what you pay for.
Explore Our Guides
View MoreReady to start your
concierge experience?
Beyond the 4 C's: Ada Diamonds Founders at GIA
Ada Diamonds founders Lindsay Reinsmith and Jason Payne were invited to guest lecture at GIA on lab diamond quality — what grading reports miss and what to look for in person.
GIA, lab diamond education, lab diamond quality, founders, beyond the 4Cs
Related Articles
GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, is the world's foremost authority on diamond grading and gemological research. Being invited to lecture there isn't something that happens by accident.
Ada Diamonds founders Lindsay Reinsmith and Jason Payne were invited to present at GIA on the quality characteristics of lab grown diamonds that standard grading reports don't capture. The lecture, titled "Beyond the 4 C's," drew on years of firsthand experience examining lab diamonds from growers around the world and working directly with GIA's own research team.
Below you'll find the full presentation and individual deep dives on each topic covered.
What was Covered
- The presentation covers six areas that matter when evaluating a lab grown diamond beyond the standard grading report:
- The differences between lab grown and natural diamonds at a crystal level.
- Color tinges and why they can't be spotted from a grading report or a video.
- CVD diamond growth and the BGS defects to know: brown, gray, and strain.
- HPHT diamond growth and the BGP defects to know: blue, gray, and phosphorescence.
- How and why crystal defects form during growth.
- How those defects are measured and identified, and why buyers should care.
Why this Matters for Your Diamond
The GIA invitation didn't come out of nowhere. It came from years of work: examining over 15,000 certified lab diamonds above one carat, sourcing from more than 100 growers across ten countries, and bringing unusual or unclassified stones to GIA's researchers for analysis.
That exposure shapes how we evaluate every diamond that enters our inventory. We know what gray tinge looks like at D color. We know what phosphorescence looks like under office lighting. We know what strain does to contrast even in a VVS stone. And we know none of it shows up on a grading report.
A grading report is a starting point, not the whole story.
Industry Leading Curation
We have the highest standards for lab diamond quality and craftsmanship in the industry. We never evaluate diamonds simply by a grading report and a HD video.
Each of our diamonds are inspected in house before ever being offered to a client. We do the hard part of screening lab diamonds for quality so you can choose with confidence.
Go Deeper
Want to understand what we look for? We've written detailed guides on both growth methods covered in the lecture.
Read our guide to CVD lab diamonds or our guide to HPHT lab diamonds for the full technical detail on growth methods, defect frameworks, and what to look for when evaluating a stone.
Explore Our Guides
View MoreCVD Lab Diamonds: How They're Grown and What to Look For
A deep dive into CVD diamond growth, the defects that can affect appearance, and what to look for when evaluating a lab grown diamond.
Lab Diamonds
Blue Nuance and Phosphorescence in Lab Diamonds
Blue nuance is a tinge of blue color present in HPHT diamonds, resulting from excess boron in the diamond after the growth process.
Diamond Education
Is It Safe to Buy a Lab Diamond Online?
Everything you need to know before buying a lab diamond online, and how to make sure you're getting what you pay for.