A place for lab-growns in design

Budget permitting, naturally coloured yellow and pink diamonds can be acquired with relative ease, while blue, green, and orange are so rare it would require extremely deep pockets to own one. This is probably the best use for lab-grown or HPHT-treated coloured diamonds, since there really is no practical alternative.

As seen in the photo to the right, this white gold ring with an open leaf design features five HPHT round diamonds. The rich colours combined with diamond brilliance resulted in a ring that can be worn daily without worrying about damaging the stones. Their relatively modest price made it possible; if one could even find natural fancy colour stones in these shades, the price would put the ring out of reach for anyone but the uber-wealthy.

If you are interested in delving further into the realm of fancy colour diamonds and their lab-grown counterparts, Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has an excellent trio of books published between 2005 and 2008: Colored Diamonds, Treated Diamonds, and Synthetic Diamonds. These volumes are compilations of articles from past issues of the institute’s journal, Gems and Gemology. GIA has updated and added to the information in more recent G&G issues, since there have been many advances in both the treatment of natural diamonds to improve or induce fancy colours, as well as new methods for synthesizing white and coloured diamonds.

Llyn L. Strelau is the owner of Jewels by Design, a designer-goldsmith studio in Calgary established in 1984. His firm specializes in custom jewellery design for a local and international clientele. Strelau has received numerous design awards, including the American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA’s) Spectrum Awards and De Beers’ Beyond Tradition—A Celebration of Canadian Craft. His work has also been published in Masters: Gemstones, Major Works by Leading Jewelers. Strelau can be reached via e-mail at designer@jewelsbydesign.com.