Recently a report issued by GIA Labs identified a ring as having been sent to their lab for testing. This one is an unusual ring in that the entirety of the piece is made from a solid gemstone. What sets it apart from other solid gemstone rings – and there are a few – is that this one was crafted from a solid piece of LGD, a lab-grown diamond.
Go Big or Go Home
It wasn’t that long ago that lab grown diamonds were simply a curiosity. For quite some time, the carat sizes remained relatively small as lab diamond manufacturers worked on developing larger stones. This was to satisfy consumer’s appetite for celebrity-sized diamonds that are red carpet worthy.
It took some doing to successfully grow large carat size goods – which develop as a disk, or plates rather than in a classic octahedral crystal which is identifiable with naturally grown diamonds.
The Bigger the Better
Now today’s LGDs are becoming super-sized. A report published in May 2023 from IGI (International Gemological Institute) revealed their lab had analyzed a 35 carat lab grown diamond.
This lab grown jewel produced by Maitri Lab Grown Diamonds (Maitri) clearly set a new record for polished LGDs. This one was shaped into an emerald cut jewel of 23.37 x 15.24 x 9.06 mm.
The news-making stone was fashioned from a Type IIa rough crystal grown using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The manufacturer earmarked the behemoth to be displayed at the JCK Las Vegas show this year.
Maitri commented on their decision to show the noteworthy stone at Vegas. “We are thrilled to unveil this remarkable 35 carat lab grown diamond, an achievement which follows extensive research and development efforts, reflecting our dedication to excellence.”
Just One Stone
The solid jewel LGD diamond ring evaluated at GIA recently was an even more remarkable feat, some might say than the large emerald cut LGD that debuted in Vegas. It had to be crafted from a specific sized rough to warrant its finished size into a 4.04 carat band.
Dutch Diamond Technologies produced the solid LGD ring in collaboration with the Belgian jewelry store Heursel. Initially, this 4.04-carat all-jewel ring began as an 8.54-carat lab-grown diamond plate. LGDs grown in flat plates, their common occurrence, lend themselves to such a creation. This LGD plate also used the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to produce its size.
GIA called this development a “significant milestone in the world of carved single-crystal diamond rings.” A fascination for single jewel rings has long captured the imagination of jewelry fans for eons. Not every material is suitable to be carved into a solid one-stone ring though. These rings, like others, are normally subjected to every day wear and tear, so the material must be tough.
The Right Stuff
Diamonds, whether they be natural or LGD are the hardest known material in existence. A natural diamond is by far the most valuable ring material of the two. When natural inclusions are present in the rough, cutters must exert extreme caution in attempting to cut it into a single ring. Stress to the rough while on the wheel could cause certain diamond crystals to fracture, spinning diamond bits off the wheel.
LGD by contrast is an inexpensive material, and its growth in flat plates and relative lack of internal inclusions makes it a perfect candidate for trying to fashion a ring from it.
Done Before
“Although this is not the first ‘ring’ of this type that has been reported, it is the first time GIA has evaluated a ring carved from a single laboratory-grown diamond,” said Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at GIA.
To attempt a solid stone ring, the creator must be sure of the material’s strength so it remains durable during its polishing, and results in a beautiful outcome. Diamonds can fill that short list. But so can sapphires, which are the next hardest stone to diamond. And also solid opaque stones that are tough enough to withstand everyday (or frequent) wearing.
Here’s a look at other solid gemstone rings that inventive minds over millennia have produced to thrill collectors of the unusual. If your customers crave the unique, you might just find inspiration with these other images to offer something they’ll cherish for a lifetime.
