Lab-grown diamonds, explained
Real diamonds. Responsibly created. Here is everything you need to know before you choose.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. It is made of pure carbon arranged in the same crystal structure as a mined diamond, and it shares the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), the same fire and the same brilliance. The only difference is its origin: instead of forming deep underground over billions of years, it is grown in a controlled environment using advanced technology that recreates the conditions in which diamonds form naturally.
Lab-grown diamonds are not simulants such as cubic zirconia or moissanite. Even a trained gemmologist cannot tell them apart from mined diamonds without specialist laboratory equipment.
Lab-grown vs mined vs simulants
| Lab-grown diamond | Mined diamond | Simulant (CZ / moissanite) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Pure carbon — real diamond | Pure carbon — real diamond | Different material |
| Hardness | 10 | 10 | 8–9.25 |
| Sparkle | Identical to mined | Classic diamond brilliance | Different light return |
| Certification | IGI / GIA graded | IGI / GIA graded | Not graded as diamond |
| Origin | Traceable, no new mining | Mined | Manufactured |
| Value | Significantly more size and quality per pound | Highest price | Lowest price |
Why choose lab-grown?
- Beauty without compromise — the same optical, chemical and physical properties as a mined diamond.
- Transparent origin — every stone has a known, traceable source.
- More for your budget — choose a larger or higher-grade diamond for the same spend.
- Certified — graded by independent laboratories just like mined diamonds.
The 4Cs
Every diamond — mined or lab-grown — is graded on four characteristics. Together they determine its beauty and price.
Cut
The most important C for sparkle. Cut grade describes how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. An excellent cut returns light brilliantly; a poor cut can make even a high-colour stone look dull. Cut also refers to shape — round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, cushion, princess and heart are all found across our collection.
Colour
Graded from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow or brown). Colourless and near-colourless stones (D–H) look bright white, especially in white gold and platinum. Warmer metals such as yellow and rose gold are more forgiving of slightly warmer grades.
Clarity
Describes natural inclusions and blemishes, from FL (flawless) to I (included). For most people, VS (very slightly included) stones look perfectly clean to the naked eye and offer excellent value.
Carat
A measure of weight, not size — one carat equals 0.2 grams. Two diamonds of the same carat weight can look different in size depending on their cut and shape: elongated shapes such as oval, pear and marquise often appear larger than a round of the same weight.
Certification: IGI & GIA
An independent certificate is your guarantee that a diamond is exactly what it is described to be. Our principal diamonds are graded by leading laboratories such as the International Gemological Institute (IGI). Each certificate records the diamond’s shape, carat weight, colour, clarity, cut grade, measurements and the fact that it is laboratory-grown, along with a unique report number that you can verify online with the laboratory.
