Before we proceed any further, it is imperative to know that lab created diamonds are 100% real authentic diamonds. lab diamonds, as the name suggests, are grown in labs from carefully arranged small diamonds called seeds that are placed into carbon. Advanced technology subjects the seeds to extremely high pressure and temperature that mimics the natural method of diamond formation but at an exponentially accelerated pace. They have the same chemical makeup and physical properties as mined diamonds and cannot be differentiated apart even by professionals.
Therefore, man-made diamonds created in labs are definitely NOT cubic zirconia, or any other diamond knock offs. While these imitations may look similar to diamonds, they are fundamentally different, are not as durable and long-lasting as real diamonds, and will not pass professional scrutiny.
Now on to the overwhelming advantages presented by man made diamonds over conventional mined ones to the environment, the customers, and most importantly human lives.
The environmental impacts diamonds have on our earth starts even before they are taken out of the ground, they first must be mined. Regardless of the level of care taken, diamond mining will always without exception extract a heavy toll on the environment. Diamond mining will cause soil erosion, lead to deforestation, and force local populations to relocate. Natural rivers and streams are further exploited to sustain the mining operations leading to their eventual destruction. Diamond miners in the past have re-routed rivers and constructed dams to expose riverbeds for mining, with disastrous effects on fish and wildlife. In extreme cases, diamond mining can cause entire ecosystems to collapse. Not to mention most diamonds come from mines in Africa under the control of warlords and where child exploitation and slavery are rampant earning the infamous moniker “Blood Diamonds”.