Frequently Asked Questions
Lab-grown diamond
Lab-grown diamonds have been the hallmark of COURBET since its very beginning. It is an eco-friendly gemstone which is 100% carbon-based and therefore has the same physical, chemical and optical properties as a mined diamond. The only difference lies in its origin - the ground for one, the factory for the other - and therefore its impact on the environment and the people who work in the sector.
Diamonds created in laboratories are legally known as synthetic diamonds under French law. While in the United States and most of the world this term has been replaced by ‘cultured diamond’ and ‘lab-grown diamond’, France has not yet followed the same path, to the detriment of this diamond, which is not scientifically the result of synthesis.
Contrary to popular belief, a lab-grown diamond cannot be created ‘on demand’. It has the same uncertainty of result as a mine. Regardless of the manufacturing process used, a lab-grown diamond may, according to the 4Cs, have exceptional properties or be unusable in jewellery.
There are two methods for creating diamonds;
1/ The HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) method reproduces the conditions in which diamonds were formed millions of years ago in the bowels of the Earth before rising to the surface.
2/ The CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) process reproduces the conditions under which diamonds are formed in the cosmos (diamonds have been found in meteorites).
Contrary to popular belief, a lab-grown diamond cannot be created ‘on demand’. It has the same uncertainty of result as a mine. Regardless of the manufacturing process used, a lab-grown diamond may, according to the 4Cs, have exceptional properties or be unusable in jewellery.
COURBET sources its diamonds from suppliers located in Antwerp, Belgium, the diamond capital of the world, and often directly from the factories where the diamonds are grown, mainly in the United States
Each diamond over 0.5 carat set in a COURBET jewellery piece is delivered with a certificate issued by an independent and official organisation such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the IGI (International Gemological Institute) or the HRD based in Antwerp. This document attests to the quality of the diamond set in the jewellery, and details the famous ‘4Cs’: Carat, Colour, Clarity and Cut.
Lab-grown diamonds over 0.5 carat are laser-engraved, invisible to the naked eye, with a serial number that begins with LG for ‘Laboratory-Grown’ and corresponds to the number on the gemmological institute's certificate.
Yes, a lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Mined diamonds and lab-grown diamonds have the same physical, chemical and optical properties because they are both 100% carbon. Their only difference lies in their origin - the ground for one, manufacturing for the other - and consequently their impact on the environment and the people who work in the sector.
The mining industry pollutes and damages. In fact, the biggest man-made holes on Earth are the diamond mines, not to mention the working conditions in which they are mined and exploited. We defend a different approach.
Diamonds are the most beautiful precious stone, and we love them as much as we admire them. For some years now, the wonders of technology and the prowess of science have offered us an alternative that has no impact on either man or the planet. We decided to seize this transparent, ethical and ecological alternative, and present it to you set in creations that respect French jewellery-making savoir-faire.
The quality of a diamond is determined and certified according to a harmony between four inseparable criteria established by the International Gemmological Institute and called ‘4C’: Colour, Clarity, Carat, Cut.
To these ‘4Cs’, COURBET added a fifth: the C for Conscience. By using lab- grown diamonds, COURBET offers a positive, innovative, non-polluting and ethical alternative.
COURBET uses :
Diamonds over 0.5 carat are systematically delivered with a certificate from an independent international gemmological institute detailing these different criteria.
The COURBET collections offer several pieces set with fancy colour diamonds (pink, yellow, blue, orange, cognac, green or black).
Most COURBET creations hide a small lab-grown emerald which, like a hallmark, reminds us of and certifies the Maison's commitment to sustainability.