Quick Answer
Yes — lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. The FTC revised its Jewelry Guides in 2018 to state that a diamond's origin, mined or grown, no longer defines whether it counts as a diamond: lab-grown stones share the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as mined ones. They are not diamond simulants like moissanite or cubic zirconia, which are different materials that only imitate a diamond's look.
What Makes a Diamond a ‘Real’ Diamond?
A diamond is defined by its composition and structure — crystallized carbon arranged in a specific atomic lattice — not by where that crystallization happened. Whether carbon crystallizes under a mountain over billions of years or inside a lab chamber over weeks, the resulting stone is chemically, optically, and physically identical: a real diamond, not a copy of one.
The Gemological Institute of America and other major gem labs grade lab-grown diamonds on the same 4Cs scale — cut, color, clarity, carat — used for mined stones, because the grading criteria measure the stone itself, not its origin story.
- Same crystal structure: carbon atoms arranged in a diamond lattice
- Same hardness: 10 on the Mohs scale
- Same optical properties: brilliance, fire, and light performance
- Graded on the same cut, color, clarity, and carat scale as mined diamonds
What Did the FTC Actually Change in 2018?
In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission revised its Jewelry Guides and removed the word ‘natural’ from the definition of diamond, ending decades of language that implicitly limited ‘diamond’ to mined stones. Sellers must still disclose when a stone is lab-grown, but they can call it a diamond outright — not a ‘synthetic’ or a substitute.
Disclosure matters for transparency, not because a lab-grown stone is somehow less of a diamond — a jeweler must tell you the origin, the same way they'd disclose treatments on a mined stone, so you know exactly what you're buying.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Different From Moissanite or Cubic Zirconia?
Lab-grown diamonds and moissanite are not the same thing at all, even though both are grown in a lab. A lab-grown diamond is carbon, just like a mined diamond — a real diamond by every measurable standard. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a completely different mineral that only imitates a diamond's sparkle; it's a simulant, not a diamond.
- Lab-grown diamond: carbon, grown in a lab — a real diamond
- Moissanite: silicon carbide — a diamond simulant, not a diamond
- Cubic zirconia: a synthetic crystal — also a simulant, not a diamond
- MYNSU sells moissanite in 925 sterling silver, not lab-grown diamonds, today
That distinction matters for how each stone should be marketed and priced: a lab-grown diamond earns the word ‘diamond’ on its own chemistry, while moissanite and cubic zirconia earn their value as honest, budget-friendly alternatives to that diamond look. Our full moissanite vs lab-grown diamond vs cubic zirconia comparison walks through the differences side by side.
Can You Tell a Lab-Grown Diamond From a Mined One?
Not with the naked eye, and not with a standard diamond tester either — both read as diamond because both are diamond. Distinguishing the two requires specialized lab equipment that detects trace growth patterns invisible to a jeweler's loupe, which is exactly why grading reports from labs like GIA or IGI matter for larger stones.
For everyday buyers, the practical takeaway is simpler: if a listing says ‘lab-grown diamond,’ you're getting a real diamond, full stop. If a listing says ‘moissanite’ or ‘cubic zirconia,’ you're getting a simulant that looks similar but is a different material entirely. Read our broader lab-grown vs natural diamonds guide for how mined and lab-grown stones compare beyond just origin.
Should You Buy a Lab-Grown Diamond Ring Today, or Consider an Alternative First?
If a real diamond matters to you and the budget allows it, a lab-grown diamond delivers that at a lower price than a mined stone. If budget is the priority and the diamond look matters more than the diamond itself, moissanite in 925 sterling silver gets you comparable sparkle for meaningfully less.
MYNSU doesn't sell lab-grown diamonds yet — our catalog today is moissanite set in 925 sterling silver, honestly sold as a diamond-look alternative, not as a diamond. These solitaire styles show what that budget route looks like:
See the full lineup in our moissanite rings collection. Every MYNSU order ships free within the US, is backed by 30-day returns, and ships from our Irvine, California warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a lab-grown diamond considered fake?
No. A lab-grown diamond is chemically, physically, and optically identical to a mined diamond — it is a real diamond, just grown in a lab instead of underground. ‘Fake’ describes a diamond simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite, materials that only imitate a diamond's look. The FTC's own Jewelry Guides back this distinction: origin doesn't change what the stone is.
Do lab-grown diamonds need a grading report?
Not legally, but it's standard practice for stones of meaningful size — major labs including GIA and IGI grade lab-grown diamonds on the same cut, color, clarity, and carat scale as mined ones. Small accent stones are often ungraded industry-wide, mined or lab-grown alike, so an ungraded accent stone isn't a red flag by itself.
Why do jewelers have to disclose that a diamond is lab-grown?
The FTC requires disclosure so buyers know exactly what they're purchasing, the same principle behind disclosing treatments on a mined stone. It isn't a mark against the lab-grown stone's quality — a lab-grown diamond is still, definitionally, a real diamond, not something lesser. Disclosure is about transparency in the sale, not a comment on what the stone is.
Does MYNSU sell lab-grown diamonds?
Not yet. MYNSU's current catalog is moissanite set in 925 sterling silver — an affordable diamond-look alternative, not a diamond substitute marketed as one. If getting a bright, diamond-like stone at a fraction of the price matters more to you than a mined or lab-grown diamond's origin story, moissanite is today's option; a lab-grown lineup is a future step.