The Brilliant Edit

Can You Tell the Difference Between Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds?

Thinking about adding a stunning piece of jewelry to your collection? Lab grown diamonds offer a beautiful, ethical, cost-effective alternative to natural diamonds. But can you tell the difference between lab diamonds and mined ones? 


Many people wonder if lab grown diamonds match the brilliance, quality and durability of their natural counterparts. Learn whether you can distinguish lab created diamonds from natural stones and why lab diamond jewelry from Grown Brilliance may be the better choice as a conscientious buyer.

Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds

All diamonds, including grown stones, are balls of carbon that have undergone the right environmental conditions to crystallize and form gemstones. The main difference between natural and lab diamonds is how they are created. 

  • Natural diamonds. These diamonds were formed deep within the Earth’s mantle under intense pressure and heat billions of years ago. Over time, volcanic activity pushed them to the Earth’s surface, where they are mined and extracted, often in areas with political conflict and poor labor conditions. Once extracted, they are shaped, polished and faceted to produce jewelry-grade gemstones.

 

  • Lab grown diamonds. These gems are made using specialized presses and techniques to reproduce the conditions that turn carbon into diamonds. Examples include High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). The resulting gemstones are real diamonds with identical chemical properties but produced under ethical and conflict-free conditions.

Can You Tell the Difference Between Lab Grown and Mined Diamonds?

Both lab grown and natural diamonds are real diamonds, boasting nearly identical structures and compositions. The GIA diamond grading system evaluates lab and natural diamonds based on the same criteria—their cut and shape, color, clarity and carat weight—highlighting the genuine qualities of both stones. 

 

However, there are subtle ways to tell them apart, often requiring specialized equipment. Here are a few distinguishing features between the two: 

  • Inclusions. Inclusions are tiny imperfections or foreign materials trapped inside a diamond. Lab grown diamonds typically have fewer and more consistent inclusions than mined diamonds. This means lab diamonds usually appear clearer and more flawless, making distinguishing the inclusions without magnification harder.

 

  • Color. Lab diamonds often have a more uniform color distribution, while natural diamonds might exhibit slight variations due to their geological formation. This uniformity can give lab diamonds a more consistently brilliant appearance or vibrant hues compared to mined gems that can be identified by specialized tools called spectroscopes.

 

  • Fluorescence. Lab created diamonds can exhibit different fluorescence patterns under UV light than natural diamonds. This characteristic requires specialized equipment to detect and can help distinguish the two.

 

  • Clarity. Lab grown diamonds generally have high clarity because they are grown in controlled environments, which minimizes impurities and inclusions. Sharing the same refractive index of approximately 2.42 with natural stones, lab diamonds exhibit similar light reflection (brilliance) and light dispersion (fire). 

 

  • Physical structure. Lab diamonds have identical crystalized structures to mined stones, which gives them the same appearance and hardness (a 10 on the Mohs scale). However, a polarized light microscope tool can reveal a stone’s internal strain patterns to determine if a diamond is lab grown. 

 

  • Lab signatures. Lab grown diamonds can have microscopic inscriptions that are invisible to the naked eye but detectable with specialized microscopes. These markers can help gemologists identify a lab diamond and attest to its certification and quality.

 

Why Choose Lab Grown Diamonds Over Mined?

Since lab diamonds and natural stones are identical and can only be distinguished with advanced technology, why choose a lab grown stone with Grown Brilliance? Here’s why we believe high-fashion lab diamond jewelry is the better option:

  • Affordability. Lab grown diamonds offer bigger and better-quality stones at 50 to 60% of the cost of comparable natural diamonds. This means you can get a dazzling, high-quality, high-carat diamond without breaking the bank.

 

Consider a 2-carat halo engagement ring. For a natural stone of similar size and quality, you’d pay upwards of $31,000. With Grown Brilliance, you can get this design for less than $4,000. 

 

  • Customizability. Lab diamonds allow for more customization options. You can choose elements like metals, settings and diamond cut or design your own unique piece to match your style and preferences. 

 

For instance, use our interactive website to see what a lab diamond tennis bracelet would look like in white gold versus rose gold to create your ideal accessory. 

 

  • Exciting designs. Lab grown diamonds offer a variety of exciting designs, including vibrant colors like pink, blue and yellow and unique patterns like crossover settings. This flexibility allows you to create eye-catching and innovative jewelry pieces.
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  • Ethical option. Lab created diamonds are produced under controlled conditions that ensure safe and fair labor practices. This choice helps avoid the ethical concerns associated with some mined diamonds, such as unsafe working conditions and dangerous labor conditions.

 

  • Sourcing and certification. Lab grown diamonds come with clear and transparent sourcing information, ensuring you know exactly where your diamond originated. Our loose stones at Grown Brilliance come with certifications that guarantee their quality and authenticity, giving you peace of mind with your purchase.

Find Beautiful Lab Grown Diamond Jewelry at Grown Brilliance

Grown Brilliance carries a wide range of jewelry featuring ethically sourced and produced diamonds, from wedding bands to men’s rings and tennis bracelets. Our collections feature the highest-quality lab diamonds, rated VS2 and above for clarity and Excellent for cut grade. 

 

Shop our selection today or design your own ring, bracelet or wedding band with the help of skilled artisans for a one-of-a-kind accessory. 

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