[ad_1]
MORRISVILLE, N.C. – Regardless of the recognition of diamonds, the worldwide diamond trade has long been criticized. Diamond mining has been linked to human rights points, poverty, little one labor, and practices that hurt the setting.
One North Carolina enterprise is on a mission to supply much less controversial and extra inexpensive various because the diamond trade evolves.
To an untrained eye, the jewelry at Charles & Colvard’s Morrisville showroom seems like some other diamond jewelry, however, their merchandise is “made not mined.”
“Moissanite is on the blue and our Caydia lab-grown diamond is on the pink. This simply helps us to distinguish it not solely online but within the retailer,” Hillary Watson, the director of gross sales and merchandising for Charles & Colvard, mentioned. “Charles and Colvard is definitely the unique creator of moissanite. Moissanite is discovered within the earth however not in giant sufficient portions to be in gemstone-quality jewellery. So we truly found out over 27 years in the past learn how to replicate that course of in a lab.”
The enterprise makes a specialty of moissanite in addition to lab-grown diamonds. So what’s the distinction between these and pure diamonds?
“Moissanite is a colorless gemstone. It is made from silicon carbide. A diamond from the earth is made from carbon. A lab-grown diamond can also be made from carbon. The one distinction is the origin,” Watson mentioned.
The levels of manufacturing a lab-grown diamond begin with the uncooked materials, at left. (Spectrum Information 1)
Charles & Colvard would not give away all of the secrets and techniques about how they’re made, however, they may let you know how they examine pure diamonds.
“To present you an instance of worth, that is 3.9 carats for $4,100 and it is a DEF colorless moissanite,” Watson mentioned.
If that very same ring was a pure diamond, the fee would skyrocket.
“For 4 carats, you are upwards of $40,000,” Watson mentioned.
Their jewelry could be very common for engagement rings, with millennials making up nearly all of their buyer base. In reality, 48% of their prospects are between the ages of 25 and 44.
“As a result of it’s more inexpensive, they’re capable of put a deposit on their dream dwelling, they’re capable of take their dream honeymoon, have a bigger marriage ceremony,” Watson mentioned
How do moissanites examine the hardness scale that pure diamonds are measured on?
“Particularly, moissanite is a 9.5, 9.25 to 9.5, on the Mohs hardness scale. Diamond is a ten. So moissanite is second solely to a diamond by way of hardness, which makes it good for on a regular basis put on. It is tremendously sturdy. It isn’t going to interrupt or scratch,” Watson mentioned.
Charles and Colvard are so assured of their product and keen to coach individuals about it that they opened up their first-ever showroom at the finish of October.
“Shopping for an engagement ring is a brilliant private course and whereas we do have a direct shopper website, CharlesandColvard.com, we do get a ton of asks for on-figure images or ‘I need to see what the gemstone seems like in actual life,’ and particularly people who find themselves not accustomed to moissanite or lab-grown diamonds. They need to see and expertise and contact and really feel the product. So we’re actually excited to have this venue, this unimaginable 2,000 sq. toes of showroom, to let shoppers fall in love with the gems in individual,” Watson mentioned.
Watson says not everybody within the diamond trade has been welcoming to those lab-grown options, however, issues are altering.
“I feel you are at all times going to have individuals who most likely can have this preconceived notion {that a} diamond comes from the earth however the trade is adopting lab-grown diamonds,” Watson mentioned.
Charles & Colvard’s jewelry can also be bought in the entire Helzberg Diamonds shops, a series with more than 150 areas throughout the nation.
Paul Ziminsky, an unbiased diamond analyst in New York, says that most individuals nonetheless need a pure diamond however that curiosity in lab-grown diamonds is rising shortly, as they characterize about 10% of diamond jewelry gross sales by worth.
[ad_2]
