Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds
The diamond mining industry, though profitable, has long been linked to environmental harm and unethical labour practices due to minimal regulation.
As more people become conscious of these impacts, couples are increasingly turning to ethical alternatives. Lab grown diamonds present a thoughtful choice. Beautifully crafted, fully traceable, and created without the need for mining. They are a meaningful option for those who value both beauty and responsibility.
Lab grown and natural diamonds share the same physical, chemical, and optical properties — both are real diamonds.
The only difference lies in their origin and the presence of trace elements during formation.
Natural diamonds often contain minute amounts of nitrogen, while lab grown diamonds (particularly those created using the CVD method) may have traces of hydrogen or other gases, depending on the growth process.
Natural diamonds are formed deep within the Earth over billions of years.
Lab grown diamonds are cultivated in advanced laboratories that replicate these conditions, producing a diamond in just a few weeks.
While natural diamonds are often considered rarer, this perception is shaped by limited supply and traditional mining practices.
Lab grown diamonds offer a modern and responsible alternative. Without specialized equipment, the two are visually and structurally indistinguishable.
Ultimately, both options are beautiful and enduring.
Lab grown diamonds simply reflect the future of fine jewellery; where ethics, innovation, and elegance come together.
Why Lab Grown diamonds?
Price
Lab grown diamonds typically offer better value for the same quality. Because they are not bound by the high costs and limited yield of mining, lab grown diamonds can be up to 40–60% more affordable than their natural counterparts. This means you can often choose a larger or higher-grade stone within the same budget without compromising on beauty or brilliance.
Conflict-free
Since lab grown diamonds are grown in controlled laboratories, they do not require mining. This means lab grown diamonds do not have the same environmental and social impact as their mined counterparts. Without the need for mining, this removes the possibility of deforestation, child labour, unsafe working practices and the displacement of local communities. With lab grown diamonds, you are making an ethical, eco-friendly choice. You will never have to wonder if a child has had to suffer to obtain your sparkling stone.
Durability
Made of pure carbon, lab grown diamonds are grown from the exact same material as mined diamonds. Using innovative cutting-edge technology, laboratories are able to mimic the conditions found in the earth’s mantle where mined diamonds are formed. Placed under extreme pressure and heat, skilled technicians are able to grow additional layers upon a diamond seed - resulting in a beautiful, sparkling diamond!
Lab grown diamonds are rated a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, making these gemstones the hardest substance known to man, exactly identical to their natural counterparts.
Appearance
Our lab grown diamonds are the equivalent of their mined counterparts in every aspect - minus the mining! With the same physical, chemical, optical and thermal characteristics as mined diamonds, it is near impossible to tell the difference between the two.
Lab created diamonds display the same fire, brilliance and scintillation as mined diamonds and will not be visually different in any way. It is only with specialised testing equipment that experts are able to distinguish the trace elements that differentiate the two.
Differentiate between Lab Grown & Natural
To the naked eye, lab grown and natural diamonds are indistinguishable.
However, trained gemologists can detect minor differences in their growth structure and inclusions under high magnification. Specialized equipment can identify growth patterns unique to lab created diamonds, such as certain fluorescence patterns and distinctive internal structures. Here are the main ways to distinguish them:
Laser Inscription
Many lab created diamonds are inscribed on the girdle with a microscopic mark indicating their lab origin.
Spectroscopic Analysis
(Trace Elements & Gases)
Using tools like the GIA iD100®, experts analyze how diamonds absorb light to detect subtle internal markers. Lab-grown diamonds may contain trace gases such as silicon, hydrogen, or metallic inclusions, depending on the method used to create them. Natural diamonds usually show nitrogen in distinct configurations formed deep underground.
Inclusions
Natural diamonds often contain inclusions from natural minerals, while lab created diamonds may contain metallic inclusions or other markers related to the growth process.
UV Light Response
Lab-grown and natural diamonds often react differently under UV light. Natural diamonds usually fluoresce blue, while some lab-grown diamonds may show a stronger, different-colored, or uneven fluorescence pattern. Instruments that test UV response can aid in confirming the type of diamond.