A Modern Approach to a Timeless Symbol
Lab-grown and natural diamonds are both real diamonds. They share essentially the same chemical composition, physical properties, and optical beauty, but they arrive there in very different ways.
At Kolick’s Jewelers, we believe choosing a diamond should begin with clear information and trusted guidance. This guide explains the similarities, differences, and important considerations so you can select the diamond that best reflects your priorities, style, and budget.
What Is a Lab-Grown Diamond?
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond created in a controlled laboratory environment instead of forming beneath the earth’s surface.
Like a natural diamond, it is made primarily of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal structure. This gives a lab-grown diamond the hardness, brilliance, fire, and sparkle associated with diamonds.
Lab-grown diamonds are not the same as diamond simulants such as cubic zirconia or moissanite. Simulants may resemble diamonds, but they have different chemical and physical properties. A lab-grown diamond is diamond material—the distinction is its laboratory origin.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made?
Every lab-grown diamond begins with a small diamond seed. Advanced technology then creates the conditions needed for carbon to crystallize around that seed.
There are two primary growth methods:
- High Pressure, High Temperature—HPHT: Carbon is exposed to intense heat and pressure, recreating some of the conditions under which natural diamonds develop deep within the earth.
- Chemical Vapor Deposition—CVD: A diamond seed is placed in a chamber containing carbon-rich gases. Energy activates the gases, allowing carbon atoms to collect on the seed and gradually form a diamond crystal.
Once grown, the rough diamond is cut, polished, evaluated, and prepared for jewelry using many of the same skills applied to natural diamonds.
What Do Lab-Grown and Natural Diamonds Have in Common?
The qualities that make diamonds beautiful and wearable are shared by both lab-grown and natural diamonds.
- Composition: Both consist primarily of crystallized carbon.
- Durability: Both rank 10 on the Mohs hardness scale and are well suited to everyday jewelry.
- Brilliance: Both can display the sparkle, fire, and light performance expected from a finely cut diamond.
- Quality factors: Both are evaluated according to cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
- Individual characteristics: Lab-grown and natural diamonds can both contain inclusions and display different color and clarity grades.
- Longevity: With proper care, both can be enjoyed for generations.
When two diamonds have comparable cut, color, clarity, and carat grades, their appearance can be remarkably similar.
What Makes Them Different?
The principal differences between lab-grown and natural diamonds involve their origin, rarity, availability, and price.
Origin
Natural diamonds formed beneath the earth over billions of years. Lab-grown diamonds are produced using advanced technology over a much shorter period.
Rarity and availability
Natural diamonds are limited by geology and the quantity available for recovery. Lab-grown diamonds can be produced in greater quantities as technology and manufacturing capacity advance.
Price
Lab-grown diamonds generally cost less than natural diamonds with comparable grades. This can allow you to prioritize a larger carat weight, higher color or clarity grade, or a more elaborate setting within your budget.
Growth characteristics
Although the finished diamonds can look alike, their different formation processes may create microscopic growth patterns or inclusions that trained laboratories can identify with specialized equipment.
Environmental considerations
Lab-grown diamond production avoids traditional mining, but it still requires energy and resources. Environmental impact varies by producer, location, energy source, and manufacturing process. Look for specific, documented sourcing or energy information instead of relying on broad environmental claims.
Can You See the Difference?
In most cases, you cannot distinguish a lab-grown diamond from a natural diamond simply by looking at it.
Both can have the same colorless appearance, brilliance, fire, and sparkle. Traditional diamond testers may also identify both as diamond because they share many of the same physical properties.
Reliable identification generally requires specialized equipment capable of detecting subtle growth features. An independent grading report can also confirm whether a diamond is natural or laboratory-grown.
A lab-grown diamond may have a microscopic inscription on its girdle that corresponds with its grading report. This inscription is usually invisible without magnification and does not affect the diamond’s appearance.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Graded?
Lab-grown diamonds are evaluated using the familiar 4Cs of diamond quality:
- Cut: How successfully the facets interact with light.
- Color: The amount of visible color within the diamond.
- Clarity: The presence and appearance of internal or external characteristics.
- Carat: The diamond’s weight.
Independent gemological laboratories can provide reports that document these characteristics and clearly identify the diamond as laboratory-grown. Depending on the laboratory, the report may also include the growth method, evidence of post-growth treatment, measurements, and an identification number.
Before purchasing, review the grading report, confirm that it matches the diamond, and ask your jeweler to explain how its characteristics influence beauty and value.
Lab-Grown or Natural: Which Diamond Is Right for You?
Neither origin is automatically better. The right diamond depends on what makes the purchase meaningful to you.
A lab-grown diamond may be right for you if:
- You want to maximize size or quality within your budget.
- You appreciate a modern, technology-driven origin.
- You want a diamond created without traditional mining.
- Appearance and performance matter more to you than geological rarity.
A natural diamond may be right for you if:
- Natural rarity is part of the diamond’s emotional appeal.
- You value its ancient geological origin.
- Tradition and natural formation are important to your decision.
- You prefer a diamond whose supply is inherently limited by nature.
The best way to decide is to compare diamonds in person. Consider how each stone looks, what its grading report reveals, and how well it fits your priorities.
Lab-Grown Diamond FAQs
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. Lab-grown diamonds possess essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as natural diamonds. Their principal distinction is that they are created in a laboratory rather than mined from the earth.
Are lab-grown diamonds the same as cubic zirconia or moissanite?
No. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are different materials that imitate the appearance of a diamond. A lab-grown diamond is diamond material.
Do lab-grown diamonds look different?
Not to the unaided eye. A well-cut lab-grown diamond can have the same brilliance, fire, and sparkle as a natural diamond with comparable quality grades.
Are lab-grown diamonds durable?
Yes. Like natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds rank 10 on the Mohs hardness scale and are suitable for engagement rings and everyday jewelry.
Are all lab-grown diamonds flawless?
No. Lab-grown diamonds can develop inclusions and other characteristics during growth. They are available across a range of color and clarity grades, just like natural diamonds.
Can lab-grown diamonds be insured?
Lab-grown diamond jewelry can generally be appraised and insured. Requirements vary by insurance provider, so retain your receipt, grading report, and current appraisal.
Are lab-grown diamonds more sustainable?
Lab-grown production avoids diamond mining, but its environmental impact depends on factors such as energy use, energy source, and manufacturing practices. Look for specific documentation supporting any environmental claim.
How should I care for a lab-grown diamond?
Care for it as you would a natural diamond. Clean it with warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush, and have the setting inspected periodically by a professional jeweler.
Compare Your Options in Person
The right diamond is the one that feels right to you.
Visit Kolick’s Jewelers in Westlake to compare lab-grown and natural diamonds, review grading reports,
and receive knowledgeable guidance tailored to your style and budget.