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To celebrate Altr created diamonds coming to Australia, we are giving couples looking to propose a $500 gift card to use towards their Altr created diamond engagement ring, when they place an order before 30th December 2018.
Altr created diamonds have the identical physical, chemical, optical and molecular structure of a traditional mined diamond. By utilising the latest technology to replicate the natural conditions of heat and pressure of the earth, results in a saving of 30%-40% to the price of the standard engagement ring.
Email us at Altr@xennoxdiamonds.com.au to claim your $500 gift card.
You can read more about how the Altr created diamonds are grown here and some FAQ about the Altr created diamonds here.
Are you a little bit of a techno geek like me? Do you love the anticipation of getting your hands on the latest trend in technology? If you are then I bet you can’t wait for the newest Apple product to land (Yes, I am a diehard follower – sorry to all the Android lovers)
That’s why I was so excited to see the latest development in the diamond world, ALTR lab created diamonds. The idea that man can create a diamond absolutely blows my mind. It reminds me of the old cartoon The Jetsons, about a futuristic family who lived in the sky travelling around in hovercraft spaceships. Anything they wanted could be printed through a magic printing machine. Isn’t it funny how so many things from science fiction become reality?
Are lab created diamonds new?
While it might seem new, the concept of lab created diamonds has been around for over 60 years. It is just in recent years that they have perfected the art of crafting these stunning stones into gem-quality diamonds. But diamonds for personal use are just a small portion of what the future holds when it comes to creating diamonds. There are so many applications for having a transparent substance that is also incredibly strong. Can you imagine in the future having your iPhone glass face made up of diamond? No more replacing screens because you dropped your iPhone.
Now, in the beginning, I was just as sceptical as the next person, I mean lab created diamonds? What changed my mind was a test given to me by the creators of these amazing diamonds. The creators placed 10 diamonds in front of me and asked me to separate them into mined vs created. I spent a great deal of time looking at each diamond, from the front, upside down and even in different lights. What I found though, was while I thought I could tell the difference between the two, the truth is I failed miserably. Considering I am a diamond expert and I look at diamonds every day, I found this quite shocking. The only way to tell the difference with a 10-x magnifying lens was by looking at the girdle where it is inscribed that it is a lab created diamond.
If you would like to learn more about how these amazing gems are created, check out my blog about ALTR lab created diamonds here. If you take the method of creation out of the picture ultimately what you are left is with a beautiful gem that sparkles brilliantly. I think deep down what everyone wants is to make their partner happy and give them the diamond they deserve and desire. In a perfect world, we could all afford to get the largest diamond possible for our partners. But in the real world, we all have expenses that we need to balance out. What I have seen over the last month with the clients I have shown the ALTR lab created diamonds to has been nothing short of amazing. Clients have been able to give their partners the diamond that will make their heart skip a beat.
While I know some of you are saying, it’s the thought that counts and your partner should be happy with whatever size their partner gives them. What I have come to see over the last 22 years and helping more than 6800 clients choose their engagement ring, is exactly 0% of them have come back in 6 months’ time and asked for a smaller diamond. Further, as we get older, we only want nicer and bigger things not smaller. So, the bigger diamond that you choose now, will undoubtedly last you longer, before you start thinking of upgrading.
I strongly believe in the power of storytelling through jewellery. Whenever I ask someone to tell me the story of how they were proposed to, they can often recant in detail where they were and what their partner said. Never have I heard them say, they proposed to me with a 1ct F VS diamond engagement ring. For me, the sentiment and story behind the giving of a diamond is the same with a created diamond as it is for a mined diamond. What is important is that you have chosen it for your partner and that he plans a romantic proposal, in a way that his partner wants to receive it.
I would say for most of the clients I have served, the size is one of the most contributing factors. I mean who doesn’t love a bit of extra bling. When I got engaged 17 years ago, the average size of a diamond engagement ring was a half a carat. Today the most popular diamond size that we sell is a one-carat diamond. Even now we are starting to see that size increase with some brides looking at the 1.10ct – 1.20ct diamond sizes. So, my usual advice to the guys out there is to propose quickly, because I think we will be at a 2ct diamond size before you know it. At this point in time, it is hard to go past the ALTR lab created diamonds from a value for money standpoint.
The second benefit that often resonates with the clients I speak to is the environmental benefits and minimal carbon footprint associated with created diamonds. Today I think we all realise that we share the same planet and it is the only one that we have, so it’s up to us to look after it. Most people don’t realise that they need to dig up over 1000 tonnes of earth, not to mention using over 100 gallons of water just to find a 1ct diamond. Whereas the ALTR lab created diamonds have their own wind turbines to power the presses that create these diamonds and use a fraction of the water to yield the same 1ct diamond. So not only can you give your partner the diamond you know they want but look after the planet as well. And with every diamond being able to be traced back to the specific lab that it was created in, you can be sure that your diamonds are 100% conflict free.
The final question that I am often asked is, ‘would you buy an ALTR lab created diamond for your own wife?”. My answer is YES!!! Currently, I am looking for a set of matching .75ct diamonds to create stunning diamond studs for her. After all, they have the same physical, optical and molecular structure as a mined diamond, and according to the FTC, they are a diamond in every sense of the word. So, the only question you need to ask yourself is whether you are ready to join the future of diamonds with me?
In recent times almost every industry has either gone through or is about to go through massive disruption, on a scale never seen before. The diamond industry is by no means immune to the changes that are coming with man made diamonds.
We have seen a marked increase in the enquires around created diamonds in the last month. Some is general curiosity, but most are as a genuine interest in purchasing a man made diamond. Up until recently, there has been little information about them to give a client the complete confidence in their purchase choice. The important thing to remember is that is exactly what it is – a choice. I honestly don’t believe that one will replace the other, just as Uber hasn’t completely replaced Taxis. If you are making an informed decision, you can be comfortable with whichever choice you go for.
Before going into the characteristics of laboratory created diamonds, it is important to understand that there are two main ways to create a man made diamond. High Pressure / High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapour Disposition (CVD). HPHT process mimics the high pressure that created diamonds in the earth crust. It uses a metal catalyst (graphite/carbon) to dissolve the carbon onto a diamond seed, essentially drawing the carbon out of ferrous metals. Whereas the CVD process in contrast uses low pressure but employs a vacuum which is fuelled with hydrogen and methane. Which means that it derives its carbon source from a vapour. The CVD method starts with a diamond seed crystal to grow the diamond, much the same way you might have grown crystals as a child at school in your science experiment.
You can watch how an Altr created diamond is grown here.
Born of Fire, Born Perfect : The making of a Type IIa ALTR Created Diamond from ALTR Created Diamonds on Vimeo.
Diamonds naturally occur in nature as either a Type 1 (a/b) or Type 2 (a/b) crystal. The most purist and transparent form of Carbon crystal in the world is the Type 2a crystal, it has almost no impurities which leads to the colourlessness and only accounts for 1.8% of the world’s supply and is a rare quality gem.
Every Altr created diamond begins with a Type 2a seed crystal and is guaranteed to be only a CVD diamond, so it’s quality can be assured. Type 2a diamonds have much less nitrogen so they face up looking whiter and crisper, which is in line with their “Shine Brighter” campaign.
So that is most of the technical information out of the way. The simplest take way is that Altr created diamonds have;
When I am showing a client an Altr created diamond, the first thing I will say is one was created below the ground, the other was created above the ground. That is essentially the only difference. Just like if you had two siblings, one was made by IVF and the other through the traditional way, you wouldn’t look at your sibling and call them a synthetic human. They just had a different start, but they are identical to you as a human in every way.
A man made diamond is a very different stone to a Cubic Zirconia or a Moissanite stone, both of which are softer and have different optical properties. Both a cubic and a moissanite are known as stimulants, which means that they are like a diamond, but not the same.
The first thing to look out when shopping for a Laboratory created diamond is whether there is accurate disclosure around the way that it was created. Cheaper versions are made through either straight HPHT, or a combination of HPHT and CVD. If the stone you are looking at purchasing can’t guarantee the method of its creation, then it is most likely a cheaper combination creation stone.
The second thing to look out is for where the diamond was certified. If it is certified by IGI (International Gemmological Institute) it will be a cheaper stone, as the grading parameters for IGI are not as strict as the GCAL (Gem Certification and Assurance Lab). An IGI laboratory has been known to be a colour &/or clarity grade out compared to that of a GIA laboratory. Also, an IGI cert won’t tell you whether your diamond was created through HPHT or CVD.
As mentioned previously the GCAL is one of the strictest grading laboratories’ in the world and completely stands behind their grading. A GCAL cert in addition to the normal 4C’s information also has several additional features
Man Made diamonds GCAL certificateAll Altr created diamond presses are powered by the earth’s natural wind cycles through the power of wind turbines. This renewable energy source creates the power required to form these amazing gems, ensuring that there is minimal impact on the environment.
Because HPHT created diamonds derive their carbon from a metallic source like iron, the inclusions found in them are often metallic in nature. These inclusions are often easily distinguishable and can even result in the diamond having a magnetic attraction to a magnet.
At the end of the day whether you choose a mined diamond, or a laboratory created diamond, will just come down to your own personal preference. Ultimately the choice will come down to whether it is more important to you that the diamond was created below the ground or whether you would rather have a larger diamond for the same budget. At the end of the day, the best way for you to decide is to compare them side by side and make the choice for yourself. So why not book an appointment and see the diamonds first hand and see if you can tell the difference.
We even have a special promotion on at the moment to celebrate the launch of the Altr created diamonds. You can WIN a .50ct F Colour VS clarity Altr created valued at $2900. All you need to do is book an appointment to come in and see them, to go in the draw to win this amazing diamond.
man made diamond promotion
