Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real? The Truth Behind the Technology
It's the question almost every engagement ring shopper asks: are lab-grown diamonds actually real? Backed by gemology and every major certification body, the answer is yes.
A lab-grown diamond is a diamond. Not a fake, not a copy, not a simulation. It's grown through a process that replicates the conditions deep in the earth's mantle.
What "real" actually means
A diamond is carbon arranged in a specific crystal lattice, and that lattice is what produces the hardness, brilliance and durability. Lab-grown stones have it. They score 10 on the Mohs scale, the maximum.
In 2018 the Federal Trade Commission in the United States updated its guidelines to confirm that lab-grown diamonds are diamonds, removing the requirement for the word "natural" in the definition. That's regulatory recognition, not marketing.
How a lab-grown diamond is made
There are two main methods: Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). Both start with a tiny diamond seed crystal and grow it into a full gem over several weeks.
CVD places a seed in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-rich gas. The gas is energised, and carbon atoms bond to the seed layer by layer. HPHT mimics the pressure and heat found underground, pressing carbon into diamond form around a seed.
Both produce genuine diamonds, certified by institutions like IGI.
Can you tell the difference?
Not by eye. Even experienced jewellers and gemologists need specialist equipment to tell a lab-grown diamond from a mined one, testing for trace elements left by the growth process. That equipment isn't found in standard jewellery stores.
Why the scepticism?
Much of the doubt comes from the mined diamond industry, which has a significant financial interest in the perception that mined stones are superior. The gemology doesn't support that position.
Browse our collection of lab-grown diamond solitaire rings, each handcrafted to order in solid 18K gold or platinum.
Further reading
- The science behind lab-grown diamonds: how CVD and HPHT work
- Debunking common myths about lab-grown diamonds
- Lab-grown diamonds and the diamond supply chain
See Lab-Grown Diamonds at Una Diamond
Centre stones of one carat and up are IGI certified. Browse the collection:
- The Georgina, oval-cut solitaire
- The Celina, emerald cut
- Solitaire rings
- Oval cut rings
- Marquise rings
- Browse all rings