Lab Grown vs Mined Diamonds: What Is Actually Different?

It is the most searched question in fine jewellery, and the honest answer is shorter than you might expect. A lab grown diamond is a diamond. It is not a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite. It is pure carbon, arranged in the same crystal lattice, with the same hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale.

What is the same

• Chemistry: pure carbon, in a cubic crystal structure.
• Physical properties: the same hardness, density and thermal conductivity. A standard diamond tester reads both as diamond.
• Optics: the same refractive index, so the same brilliance, fire and scintillation.
• Grading: independent laboratories such as IGI grade lab grown stones for the 4Cs: cut, colour, clarity and carat.

What is different

• Origin. A mined diamond formed deep underground over billions of years and was brought to the surface by mining. A lab grown diamond is grown over weeks from a tiny diamond seed in a controlled chamber.
• Identification. Gemmologists use advanced instruments to identify origin, and reputable graders note it on the report. Many lab grown stones are also laser-inscribed on the girdle. You cannot tell by eye.
• Price. Lab grown diamonds cost far less per carat. Industry data shows the average lab grown price per carat has fallen steadily since 2019 while mined prices have risen.
• Traceability. A lab grown stone can be followed from growing chamber to setting, with no uncertainty about where it came from.

A note on value

We believe in being straight with you: lab grown diamonds are not an investment, and their resale value is lower than what you pay. (That is true of most fine jewellery, mined diamonds included.) Their value lies in the wearing, in owning a beautiful, certified diamond at a price that makes sense.

So which should you choose?

If you want the look, the fire and the forever of a diamond, with a clear origin and a fairer price, lab grown is a confident choice. That is why our debut collection pairs E–F colour, VVS–VS clarity lab grown diamonds with solid 14K gold.

Keep reading: Reading a Diamond Certificate: The 4Cs, Made Simple

Our debut lab grown diamond collection, set in solid 14K gold, is coming soon to KlōT͟HiNG. Explore KlōT͟HiNG →