Quick Answer
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond, not a simulant: pure crystallized carbon with the same chemical, physical and optical properties as a mined diamond, grown in weeks in a laboratory instead of over billions of years underground. It is graded on the same 4Cs and usually costs far less than a mined stone of the same size and grade.
What Is a Lab-Grown Diamond, Exactly?
A diamond is carbon atoms locked in a cubic crystal lattice. That structure is what makes diamond the hardest gem material, rated 10 on the Mohs scale, and what gives it its brilliance. A diamond grown in a lab has exactly that structure; only its origin is different.
In 2018 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission revised its Jewelry Guides so that the definition of a diamond no longer depends on whether the stone was mined or grown. What the Guides still require is a clear qualifier, such as laboratory-grown or laboratory-created, placed right before the word diamond whenever a grown stone is described. The background is in Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds? What the FTC Says.
What a lab-grown diamond is not: it is not moissanite and not cubic zirconia. Those are different materials, called diamond simulants, that imitate the look of a diamond. Moissanite is silicon carbide; cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxide.
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made? HPHT and CVD
There are two growing methods, and both start from a thin slice of diamond used as a seed. HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) presses a carbon source around the seed under heat and pressure similar to conditions deep in the earth. CVD (chemical vapor deposition) turns a carbon-rich gas into plasma inside a vacuum chamber, and carbon atoms settle onto the seed layer by layer. Growing a gem-size crystal takes weeks; the rough crystal is then cut and polished the same way a mined diamond is.
Neither method makes a better stone by default. Quality depends on the individual stone, which is why the grading report matters more than the growing method. The step-by-step version is in How Lab-Grown Diamonds Are Made: HPHT vs CVD Explained Simply.
How Is a Lab-Grown Diamond Graded?
Lab-grown diamonds are graded on the same four Cs as mined diamonds: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. The two labs you will meet most often are IGI, which grades far more lab-grown stones, and GIA. A report confirms what the stone is and records its measurements and grades, so the stone and the listing can be checked against each other. Most reports carry a number you can look up on the lab's website, and the same number is often laser-inscribed on the edge of the stone.
The two labs do not always land on the same grade for similar stones, so compare reports from the same lab when you compare prices. A report is proof of identity and specifications, not a promise of resale value. More in Lab-Grown Diamond Reports in 2026: IGI vs GIA and What to Look For.
Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds
Side by side, a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond of the same grade look the same; telling them apart takes specialist screening equipment, not a loupe or a standard diamond tester, because both are diamond. The real differences are origin, price and resale.
Lab-grown prices have fallen sharply since 2019 as production scaled up, and resale value is often a small fraction of the retail price. Mined diamonds resell poorly too, for different reasons. Buy a lab-grown diamond because you like it and it costs less up front, not expecting to sell it later for what you paid. Read Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds: An Honest Comparison and Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Hold Their Value? An Honest Answer.
Lab-Grown Diamond vs Moissanite
Moissanite is the stone most often compared with a lab-grown diamond, and they are not the same thing. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond, rated 10 on the Mohs scale. Moissanite is silicon carbide, rated about 9.25, with more fire: the rainbow flashes you see under strong light. Moissanite also costs less than a lab-grown diamond of a similar size and look, which is why it is the stone in our ready-to-wear jewelry today.
If you want a real diamond, choose lab-grown. If you want the brightest look for the least money, compare moissanite first, starting with our moissanite solitaire rings. The full side-by-side is in Lab-Grown Diamond vs Moissanite: Which Should You Choose in 2026? Two of our moissanite rings, shown as the lower-cost look-alike:
Choosing a Lab-Grown Diamond: What to Check
Five things decide whether a lab-grown diamond is a good buy: a grading report you can verify, the cut, color and clarity grades you can actually see, clear naming by the seller, and a setting made for daily wear.
- A grading report from a known lab for any center stone, with a report number you can look up.
- Cut first. Cut has a large effect on how bright a stone looks, so it is worth spending there before chasing a higher color or clarity grade.
- Color and clarity you can see. Many buyers find that a near-colorless color grade and a stone that looks clean to the eye are hard to tell apart on the hand from the top grades, and they cost less.
- Clear naming. The seller should describe the stone as a lab-grown diamond, not just a diamond, wherever it appears, as the FTC requires.
- A setting that suits daily wear. Prongs that sit close to the stone and a band that is not too thin last longer on a ring worn every day.
Lab-Grown Diamonds at MYNSU
Our ready-to-wear jewelry today is moissanite set in 925 sterling silver. Lab-grown diamonds are custom work: tell us the piece you want, in silver, gold or platinum, with a lab-grown diamond of the shape and size you have in mind, and we quote it. Custom work starts from one piece.
The 3D design is the first paid step, with up to three rounds of changes included; the first renders are ready 1 to 3 days after payment, and once you approve the design a single custom piece takes about 3 to 4 weeks to make, plus shipping. Custom pieces are made for you and cannot be returned once design or production has begun. Start a custom piece, or browse all our lab-grown guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a lab-grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. It is crystallized carbon with the same chemical, physical and optical properties as a mined diamond; only its origin differs. It is not a simulant like moissanite or cubic zirconia.
Will a jeweler know my diamond was grown in a lab?
Not by eye or with a standard diamond tester. Specialist screening equipment can identify a grown stone, and stones graded by IGI or GIA are often laser-inscribed with their report number.
Do lab-grown diamonds get cloudy or change color?
No more than mined diamonds do. What makes any diamond look dull is a film of skin oil, lotion or soap on its surface; a soak in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap and a soft brush removes it.
Can I order a lab-grown diamond piece from MYNSU?
Yes, as custom work from one piece: send a photo, a link or your own design through our custom inquiry form and we quote it. Our ready-to-wear line is moissanite in 925 sterling silver.
Free standard shipping on orders of $49.99 or more to 80+ countries, and 30-day returns on ready-to-wear pieces.