Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?
It's the question we're asked most about lab-grown diamonds — and the answer is a clear yes. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Not an imitation, not "fake," not cubic zirconia or moissanite. It's the same material as a mined diamond, with the same beauty and durability. Here's the honest explanation, as a diamantaire would give it.
Chemically and physically identical
A lab-grown diamond is pure crystallised carbon — exactly like a mined diamond. It has the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), the same brilliance and fire, the same optical properties. Even a trained jeweller cannot tell them apart by eye; it takes specialised equipment to distinguish a lab-grown stone from a mined one. The only real difference is origin: one formed in the earth over billions of years, the other in a matter of weeks in a controlled environment.
How they're made
There are two methods, both recreating the conditions that form natural diamond:
- HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) — mimics the intense heat and pressure deep in the earth.
- CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) — grows the crystal layer by layer from a carbon-rich gas.
Both produce genuine diamond. The result is graded on exactly the same 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity and carat — as a mined stone.
They're independently certified
Reputable lab-grown diamonds are certified by the same independent labs that grade mined diamonds — GIA and IGI. The certificate states clearly that the stone is laboratory-grown and grades it on the 4Cs, so you know exactly what you're buying. At Simon Alexander, every lab-grown diamond is certified and disclosed — we'd never sell one as anything other than what it is.
So how do they differ from mined diamonds?
- Origin — grown rather than mined.
- Price — typically significantly less for the same size and quality.
- Resale — be aware lab-grown diamonds generally have lower resale value than mined; most people buy a ring to keep, but it's worth knowing.
Whether lab-grown is "better" comes down to what you value — and we're happy to talk through both honestly, with no pressure either way. Many of our couples choose lab-grown for the size-and-quality their budget allows; others prefer the rarity of a mined stone. There's no wrong answer.
Read our full lab-grown vs natural comparison, learn more about lab-grown diamonds, or browse our lab-grown engagement rings. Prefer to talk it through? Visit our Adelaide boutique — Simon is a diamantaire, author of A Diamond Truth, and will give you the honest version, every time.
