Lab Grown vs Natural Diamond: Lab Diamond Jewelry in Atlanta

Lab Grown vs Natural Diamond Side by Side

Lab grown vs natural diamond comes down to origin, price and resale, because the stone itself is the same material. Both are crystallized carbon with the same hardness and the same way of handling light. A natural diamond formed in the earth over geologic time and was mined. A lab diamond was grown in a controlled process and then cut and polished the way a mined stone is.

In 2018 the Federal Trade Commission revised its Jewelry Guides and dropped the word natural from its definition of a diamond, so a lab diamond is sold as a diamond with its origin disclosed. A lab grown stone costs less than a natural stone of the same size and grade, which lets a buyer put the difference toward a larger stone or a higher grade. Natural stones have the longer resale record. Each listing on this page shows its own price.

For the natural side of the comparison, see our natural diamond jewelry.

How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made

Lab diamonds are grown by one of two methods. In chemical vapor deposition, or CVD, a thin slice of diamond called a seed sits in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-bearing gas. The gas is heated, carbon atoms settle onto the seed, and the crystal builds up layer by layer. In high pressure high temperature growth, or HPHT, a seed and a carbon source are held under the heat and pressure found deep in the earth until a diamond crystallizes around the seed.

Both methods produce real diamonds. The rough crystal is then cut and polished into a finished stone by the same steps used for a mined one. Which method grew a particular stone is usually stated on its grading report, where one exists.