Lab-grown vs natural diamond: what's the difference?

What is a lab-grown diamond?

A lab-grown diamond is a diamond that has grown in a lab instead of in the earth. It isn't an imitation: it's the same material, carbon in exactly the same crystal structure. That's why it's just as hard, 10 on the Mohs scale, and sparkles just the same.

There are two ways to make one:

• HPHT: high pressure and high temperature, like deep in the earth, but inside a machine.
• CVD: carbon built up layer by layer on a tiny diamond plate, in a chamber full of gas.

In a few weeks, a rough diamond grows, which is then cut exactly like a natural one.

Lab-grown, natural and cubic zirconia side by side

In short: cubic zirconia looks like a diamond, a lab-grown diamond is one. For more on cubic zirconia, read cubic zirconia vs diamond.

Can you see the difference?

No. Not with the naked eye, and not with an ordinary loupe either. A specialist lab can, from tiny traces of how the stone grew. That's why a lab-grown diamond usually comes with a report stating that it was grown in a lab, and often a tiny laser inscription on the edge of the stone.

When you buy a diamond, always ask what it is: natural or lab-grown. A good jeweller tells you before you ask. At TOV, every diamond ring comes with a certificate.

Value: what does it mean in the long run?

This is where the biggest difference lies. Lab-grown diamonds are getting easier and quicker to make. That makes them cheaper to buy than natural diamonds of the same size, and it's hard to say what they'll be worth later. A natural diamond is rare: no new ones are simply made.

That doesn't make one better than the other. It depends on what matters to you: a bigger stone for the same budget, or a stone that existed long before there were people.

And the environment?

Here too, the honest answer is: it depends. A lab-grown diamond doesn't need to be mined. Growing it does take a lot of energy, and how clean that energy is varies by maker. A natural diamond is mined. If you want to know where your stone comes from, ask, wherever you buy.

Would you rather not have a mined stone at all? Then cubic zirconia is a lovely choice: made in a lab, no mining, precisely cut and set in real gold.

What TOV uses

We work with natural diamonds. Always F-G colour, near colourless, and SI clarity: small natural inclusions you usually only see with a loupe. Most are brilliant cut, round, with dozens of facets that bounce the light back. Whether it's a ring or diamond earrings, the stones are the same.

Every diamond ring comes with a certificate, and every piece with a personal digital certificate of authenticity. What F-G and SI mean exactly is in our diamond guide. Choosing an engagement ring? How to choose an engagement ring walks you through the stone and the shape.

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