There's a question that comes up constantly with anyone considering a lab-grown stone: are lab-grown diamonds real, or is it just clever marketing?
The short answer is yes. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Not a simulant, not a substitute, not a convincing fake. The same carbon atoms, arranged into the same crystal structure, graded by the same institutions, under the same 4Cs system that applies to every mined stone. The only thing that makes it different is where it was made.
What Makes a Diamond "Real"?
A diamond is defined by its chemical and physical properties, not its origin. Pure carbon arranged in a cubic crystal structure, measuring 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, with the optical properties that give diamonds their characteristic brilliance and fire. Lab-grown diamonds meet every one of those criteria.
The Gemological Institute of America — the most respected grading body in the world — began certifying lab-grown diamonds in 2007. The IGI does the same. Both grade lab diamonds using the same colour, clarity, cut, and carat standards applied to natural stones. The certificates look the same because the diamonds are the same.
What the certificate will indicate is origin. The stone will be identified as laboratory-grown, and on IGI-certified stones, the words "lab grown" are laser-inscribed on the girdle under magnification. This isn't a mark of inferiority — it's simply a disclosure of provenance, just as you'd expect with any high-value purchase.
Lab Diamonds Fake or Real: Clearing Up the Confusion
A lot of the confusion around whether lab diamonds are "real" comes from mixing them up with diamond simulants — stones like cubic zirconia and moissanite, which look somewhat like diamonds but are entirely different materials.
CZ is zirconium dioxide. Moissanite is silicon carbide. Neither is a diamond. Both are created in labs, which is perhaps where the confusion starts, but their chemical makeup is completely different. CZ tends to cloud and yellow over time. Moissanite has a distinctive fiery sparkle that many people find artificial-looking, particularly in larger stones. Neither would pass a basic diamond tester, because neither is carbon.
A lab-grown diamond, by contrast, will test positive on every diamond tester. Because it is a diamond. The only equipment that can distinguish a lab diamond from a mined one is specialist spectroscopy — not something a jeweller can do by sight, and not something your partner can do either.
Do Lab Diamonds Sparkle the Same Way?
Yes, and this is where lab created diamond quality really matters to understand.
Sparkle in a diamond is almost entirely a function of cut, not origin. The proportions, angles, and symmetry of a diamond determine how light enters, reflects internally, and exits the stone. A poorly cut natural diamond will be dull. A precisely cut lab diamond will be brilliant. Origin has nothing to do with it.
In fact, because lab diamonds are grown in controlled conditions, they tend to achieve higher average clarity and colour grades than mined stones. Creating a D-colour natural diamond requires a very specific set of geological conditions that happen to occur rarely. Creating a D-colour lab diamond requires precise control of the growth atmosphere, which is entirely achievable. If anything, lab diamonds give buyers access to better-quality stones at grades that would be prohibitively expensive in a natural stone.
At Ouros Jewels, all lab-grown diamonds are certified by the IGI or GIA, so you know exactly what you're getting in terms of quality.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made?
There are two main methods. HPHT — High Pressure, High Temperature — replicates the geological conditions deep in the earth, applying extreme heat and pressure to carbon around a tiny seed crystal. CVD — Chemical Vapour Deposition — uses a carbon-rich gas in a chamber, which breaks down and crystallises onto a seed.
Both methods produce real diamonds. Both yield stones with the same hardness, the same refractive index, and the same chemical composition as any stone dug from the ground. The process takes weeks rather than billions of years, which is why the price is so different — not because the stone itself is inferior.
The Only Real Differences Between Lab and Natural Diamonds
Origin is the obvious one. Natural diamonds are finite, formed over geological timescales, and carry a rarity that lab diamonds don't. That rarity is reflected in the price. A 1-carat natural diamond in D colour and VS2 clarity might cost £5,000–£7,000 from a reputable UK jeweller. The lab-grown equivalent is typically £700–£1,500.
Resale value is the other practical difference. Natural diamonds hold their value reasonably well over time. Lab diamonds, as production scales and prices fall, don't retain value the same way. If you're buying a diamond as a long-term financial asset, a natural stone makes more sense. If you're buying a beautiful stone to wear and treasure — and particularly if you want the best possible quality within your budget — a lab diamond is a sound choice.
These aren't reasons to avoid lab diamonds. They're just the honest facts you need to make the right decision for you. Browse the full range of lab-grown diamond jewellery at Ouros Jewels and see the quality for yourself.
The Bottom Line
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. They sparkle the same way, they're graded the same way, and they last just as long. The differences are origin, price, and resale value — all of which matter depending on what you're buying the stone for. What they're not is fake, artificial, or inferior. The GIA settled that question in 2007. The rest is personal preference.
FAQ
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds? Yes. Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness, and optical properties as natural diamonds. The GIA and IGI certify them using the same standards. The only difference is origin — lab diamonds are grown in controlled environments rather than mined from the earth.
Are lab diamonds fake or just different? They're different in origin, but they're not fake. A fake diamond would be something like cubic zirconia or moissanite — materials that mimic the appearance of diamonds without sharing their chemical makeup. Lab-grown diamonds are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds. They pass diamond testers; CZ and moissanite don't.
Do lab diamonds sparkle as much as real diamonds? Yes. Sparkle is determined by cut quality, not origin. A well-cut lab diamond will sparkle every bit as much as a well-cut natural diamond. Because lab diamonds are grown in controlled conditions, they often achieve higher clarity and colour grades, which can contribute to even greater brilliance.
What is lab created diamond quality like? Lab-grown diamonds are graded using the same 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity, and carat — as natural stones. Because growth conditions can be precisely controlled, lab diamonds statistically achieve higher clarity grades on average than mined stones. Quality ranges from poor to exceptional, just as it does with natural diamonds, which is why certification matters.
Can you tell a lab diamond from a natural diamond just by looking? No. Even trained gemologists cannot distinguish between them with the naked eye or under standard magnification. Specialist spectroscopy equipment is required to identify origin definitively. 
On the finger, in any setting, they are visually identical.
