Diamond education
Lab grown or natural? The honest difference.
They are the same material. What differs is where the crystal formed, what it costs and what it is worth afterwards. Here is each difference, stated plainly, so the choice is yours rather than a salesperson's.
By Jeevan Kumar, founder of OUVRA · Updated 16 October 2026
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. A lab grown diamond is pure carbon in the same cubic crystal structure as a mined diamond. It has the same hardness, the same refractive index and the same fire. It is not a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite, which are different materials entirely.
The two growth methods, CVD and HPHT, describe how the crystal formed — not whether it is a diamond. The finished stone is judged on its cut, colour, clarity and carat, exactly as a mined one is.
Can anyone tell them apart?
Not by eye, and not with a jeweller's loupe. Telling a lab grown diamond from a mined one takes laboratory instruments that read growth patterns and trace elements. That is why the grading report matters: an IGI or SGL certificate states laboratory-grown origin alongside the 4Cs.
Where they genuinely differ
Price: a lab grown diamond costs a fraction of a mined diamond of the same grade, which is why the same budget buys a larger or better-graded stone.
Resale: lab grown diamonds have limited resale value, and nobody should sell you one as an investment. Buy it as jewellery you will wear. OUVRA's own exchange terms assess the diamond at 80% of its assessed value and the gold at 100%.
Origin: a mined diamond formed underground over a very long time; a lab grown diamond formed in weeks under controlled conditions. Some people value the first story; others prefer a stone with a known, documented origin.
Which should you choose?
If you want the largest, cleanest stone your budget allows, for a piece you will wear every day, lab grown is the clear answer. If the geological rarity itself is what you are paying for, choose mined — and pay for it knowingly.
Either way, insist on the same three things: an independent grading report, hallmarked gold, and a price broken down into stone, metal, making and certification.
Side by side
Lab grown vs natural, at a glance.
| Property | Lab grown diamond | Natural diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Pure carbon, cubic crystal | Pure carbon, cubic crystal |
| Hardness | 10 on the Mohs scale | 10 on the Mohs scale |
| Sparkle | Set by the cut | Set by the cut |
| Grading | 4Cs, by IGI, SGL and others | 4Cs, by IGI, GIA and others |
| Origin | Grown in a laboratory, in weeks | Formed underground, over ages |
| Price for the same grade | A fraction of mined | Higher |
| Resale | Limited — buy it to wear | Partial, and varies widely |
Frequently asked
Straight answers.
Is a lab grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. It is carbon in the same crystal structure as a mined diamond, with the same hardness and optical properties. Only its origin is different.
Do lab grown diamonds look different from natural diamonds?
No. They cannot be told apart by eye or with a loupe. Laboratory instruments are needed, and the grading report states the origin.
Do lab grown diamonds last as long as natural diamonds?
Yes. Both are diamond, 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, and neither fades, clouds or loses its sparkle with time.
Do lab grown diamonds hold their value?
Their resale value is limited, so they should be bought as jewellery rather than as an investment. OUVRA's exchange terms assess the diamond at 80% of its assessed value.
Are lab grown diamonds graded the same way?
Yes. Laboratories such as IGI and SGL grade lab grown diamonds on the same 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity and carat — and note the laboratory-grown origin on the report.
Is moissanite the same as a lab grown diamond?
No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a different mineral with different optical properties. A lab grown diamond is diamond.