Environmental impact:

For every carat of diamond that is mined, nearly 100 sq ft of land is disturbed and almost 6000 lbs of mineral waste is created.

Lab-grown diamonds have startlingly lower carbon emissions and consume 1/10 of the water needed for mine extraction.

Energy consumption:

Mined Diamonds use  540 M Joules per carat.

Lab-Grown Diamonds use 250 M Joules per carat.

Water consumption:

Mined Diamonds require 126 gallons per carat. 

Lab-Grown Diamonds require 18 gallons per carat.

Even for gemologists, it’s impossible to detect lab-diamonds with the naked eye. Tools such as microscopes and loupes can't tell lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds apart either.  Only spectroscopic technology device can distinguish one from the other.