Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds
Both are real diamonds. The difference is where they formed — and what that does to the price.
Reviewed by Adnan Ali, Graduate, GIA Diamond Grading · Updated 2026-09-17
A lab-grown diamond is not an imitation. It is carbon crystallised in the same cubic structure as a diamond from the ground, with the same hardness, the same way of bending and splitting light, and the same durability in everyday wear. What differs is its origin: a natural diamond formed deep in the earth over an immensely long time, while a lab-grown diamond is grown in a controlled environment over a matter of weeks.
Real diamonds, not simulants
Simulants only look like diamond. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are different materials with different hardness and optical behaviour, and a jeweller can tell them apart from diamond with simple tests. A lab-grown diamond passes those tests because it is diamond; separating it from a natural stone takes specialist laboratory equipment.
| Natural diamond | Lab-grown diamond | Simulant (e.g. cubic zirconia) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Diamond (carbon) | Diamond (carbon) | Not diamond |
| Hardness and durability | Diamond | Diamond | Softer — scratches and wears |
| Fire and brilliance | Diamond | Diamond | Different — often more rainbow flash |
| How it formed | In the earth | Grown in a laboratory | Manufactured material |
How lab-grown diamonds are made
There are two established methods. HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) recreates the conditions in which natural diamonds form. CVD (chemical vapour deposition) builds a diamond up layer by layer from a carbon-rich gas. Either can produce a fine stone; what matters to you is the finished diamond's cut, colour and clarity, not which method grew it.
Are they graded the same way?
Both are assessed on the same qualities — cut, colour, clarity and carat weight — by independent laboratories. A grading report for a lab-grown diamond states clearly that the stone is laboratory-grown, so there is never any doubt about what you are buying. Our centre and solitaire stones, lab-grown or natural, are independently graded and supplied with their certificate, generally from IGI.
The real difference: price
For the same size and quality, a lab-grown diamond costs considerably less than a natural one. In practice that means the same budget buys a larger or cleaner lab-grown stone. Natural diamonds are rarer and priced accordingly, and for some people the fact that a stone came out of the ground is exactly the point.
How to choose
- If you want the most visible diamond for your budget — a bigger or whiter stone — lab-grown usually gets you further.
- If a stone's natural origin matters to you, or to the person you are buying for, choose natural.
- If you are unsure, compare the quality options on a piece of diamond jewellery: the product page shows the price of each before you commit.
Neither choice is the wrong one, and we will never push you towards either. On our diamond jewellery you choose between one lab-grown specification (E–F colour, VVS–VS clarity) and three natural ones, from F–G VS down to H–I SI. Our engagement rings are built with a lab-grown centre diamond, and you choose its carat, colour and clarity.