They are both real diamonds
A lab-grown diamond is crystallised carbon — the same material as a mined diamond, with the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), the same brilliance and the same chemistry. It is not cubic zirconia or moissanite; those are simulants that merely look similar.
The only true difference is where it formed: over billions of years in the earth, or over weeks in a reactor.
How they are made
Two methods dominate. HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) recreates the heat and pressure of the earth's mantle. CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) grows a crystal layer by layer from carbon-rich gas.
Both produce gem-quality stones that are cut and graded exactly like natural diamonds.
Can you tell them apart?
Not with the naked eye, and not with a standard loupe — the two are optically identical. Distinguishing them takes specialised laboratory equipment that reads growth patterns, fluorescence, strain and trace elements.
This is why disclosure matters. Reputable laboratories screen for origin and laser-inscribe lab-grown stones on the girdle, and a proper grading report will state the origin plainly.
Price and value over time
Lab-grown diamonds cost far less up front — commonly 60–85% below a comparable natural stone — and as production has scaled, their prices have fallen sharply and continue to soften. By one industry estimate, wholesale lab-grown prices dropped roughly 74% between 2020 and 2024 (Edahn Golan Diamond Research); over the same period, lab-grown stones grew to around 38% of US engagement-ring diamonds, up from about 2% in 2016.
That is the trade-off. A natural diamond carries scarcity that a manufactured one cannot; lab-grown stones depreciate steeply and have little established resale market. If long-term value or heirloom resale matters to you, that gap is the heart of the decision.
- Buying more size or clarity for the budget — lab-grown wins.
- Retaining value and resale — natural holds up far better.
- Either way — insist on a report that states the origin.
Ethics and environment
Lab-grown stones are often marketed as conflict-free and lower-impact. The picture is more nuanced: growing diamonds is energy-intensive, and the footprint depends heavily on the energy source, while the mined-diamond trade has invested in traceability and origin programmes.
Neither choice is simply “the ethical one” — ask for specifics rather than slogans.
How to choose
If you want the largest, cleanest stone your budget allows and are not concerned with resale, a lab-grown diamond is a rational, honest choice. If you value rarity, long-term worth or the idea of a natural object formed over aeons, choose mined — and pay for the certainty of a report.
Whichever you choose, a documented record — captures, an AI-assisted reading and a value indication — gives you a clear picture of what you actually hold. Remember that any figure is an informed opinion, not a guarantee.