Most people who come to us with diamond questions don't start with the ones they most want to ask. They ask about shapes, or settings, or carat weight. Then, usually a few minutes in, the real question surfaces: what's the actual difference between lab grown and natural - and will they be able to tell?
It is, genuinely, one of the most common things we're asked. And because the internet tends to give either a sales pitch or a sustainability lecture rather than a straight answer, we want to address it properly.
Here is what we actually know, from nearly thirty years of making diamond jewellery in our workshop in Clerkenwell.
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes, fully. A lab grown diamond is not a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite. It is a diamond, the same carbon crystal structure, the same optical properties, the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale). The only difference is where it formed: billions of years underground versus a few weeks in a controlled laboratory environment using either high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapour deposition (CVD) processes.
Most grading laboratories assess lab grown diamonds using the same 4Cs framework - cut, colour, clarity, carat - as natural diamonds. If you place two stones side by side with identical grades, a trained gemologist looking at them cannot tell them apart with the naked eye.
Can you tell the difference between a lab grown and a natural diamond?
Not with the naked eye. Not even close.
A professional jeweller examining your ring on the bench will not be able to tell. The person sitting across from your partner at the dinner table will not be able to tell. Even a gemologist, without specialist testing equipment, will not be able to tell.
The only way to confirm whether a diamond is lab grown or natural is with dedicated detection equipment, such as a De Beers DiamondView machine, which identifies subtle differences in growth patterns using short-wave UV light. At present, this is not something your partner's friends, colleagues, or future mother-in-law will have access to.
Most reputable lab grown diamonds carry a laser inscription on the girdle (the narrow edge of the stone) identifying them as laboratory grown. If your partner were to look closely at the girdle under 10x magnification, they would see it. In practice, this is rarely how stones get inspected.
If you want complete transparency with your partner, and we would always encourage it, the stone will tell its own story if they look for it. Which brings us to the question beneath the question.
Should I tell my partner if I choose a lab grown diamond?
At EC One, we think transparency is always the right starting point, and this question is a good example of why.
The choice between lab grown and natural is not something to hide. It is something worth talking about. If you chose a natural diamond because you wanted to support the communities in Botswana whose livelihoods depend on the industry, that is a meaningful reason. If you chose lab grown because it was produced using renewable energy and you care about the carbon footprint of what you buy, that is equally meaningful. Either way, the decision says something about your values, and sharing that with your partner is part of what makes a ring more than just a piece of jewellery.
In our experience, partners who are told upfront respond positively far more often than not. Many actively prefer lab grown for ethical reasons of their own. Others appreciate knowing that the choice was thoughtful rather than incidental. The conversation, when it happens, tends to become part of the story of the ring.
We would always encourage you to have it.
How much cheaper are lab grown diamonds?
Significantly. As a rough guide, a lab grown diamond typically costs 50–80% less than a natural diamond of equivalent grade. That is not a small difference.
In practical terms: the budget that might buy you a 0.7ct natural diamond of good quality can often buy a 1.5ct lab grown diamond in a comparable grade. That is a very different ring.
The gap has been widening in recent years as lab grown production has scaled and prices have come down. Natural diamond prices, while they fluctuate, have remained relatively stable in comparison. This price differential is one of the main reasons that around 80% of our bespoke customers now choose lab grown diamonds, it gives them significantly more stone for the same spend, or the same stone for considerably less.
Do lab grown diamonds hold their value?
This is an area where we prefer honesty over comfort: lab grown diamonds currently hold their value less well than natural diamonds.
Natural diamonds have centuries of established scarcity, cultural significance, and secondary market infrastructure behind them. Lab grown diamonds are increasingly abundant, production costs continue to fall, and the secondary market is still maturing. If you were to sell a lab grown diamond in five years, you would likely recover less of its original retail price than you would with a comparable natural diamond.
That said, most engagement rings are never sold. If you are buying a ring to wear and to keep, the resale question may matter very little. If you are buying with investment in mind (even loosely) natural diamonds currently hold that edge.
We think it is important to be transparent about this.
Are lab grown diamonds more ethical?
The honest answer, which we explored in more depth in our guide to ethical diamond sourcing, is: it depends.
Lab grown diamonds produced using renewable energy, which is the vast majority of laboratory grown diamonds we work with at EC One, can generate significantly lower CO₂ emissions than mined diamonds. However, many lab grown diamonds on the market are still produced using fossil fuels, which can make their environmental footprint comparable to or worse than natural diamonds.
Natural diamond mining also supports approximately 10 million livelihoods worldwide, predominantly in developing economies where the industry can be a significant source of income and infrastructure. This is a real consideration that the "lab grown is ethical, natural is not" framing tends to erase.
At EC One, we work with both conflict-free natural diamonds and with lab grown diamonds produced using renewable energy. We believe both can be responsible choices, and we are happy to discuss the sourcing of any specific stone in our workshop.
Which is right for us?
There is no single correct answer, which is why we resist giving one before a conversation.
What we can say is that both options are real diamonds, both can be beautiful, and the right choice depends on what you value most. If budget, size, or carbon footprint is the priority, lab grown has a strong case. If longevity of value, rarity, or provenance matters to you, natural has a strong case.
What we never want is for the decision to be made in a hurry, based on incomplete information. Our bespoke consultations are free and without obligation, they exist precisely for this kind of question. Come in, look at both, ask what you want to know, and leave with a clear picture rather than a best guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a jeweller be able to tell if my ring has a lab grown diamond?
Not without specialist testing equipment. To the naked eye, and under standard loupe magnification, a lab grown diamond of good quality is visually indistinguishable from a natural diamond. Only dedicated detection technology, not found in most high street jewellers, can confirm the origin with certainty. Most reputable lab grown diamonds carry a laser inscription on the stone's girdle, which is visible under magnification, identifying them as laboratory grown.
Do lab grown diamonds sparkle the same as natural diamonds?
Yes. The optical properties of a lab grown diamond are identical to a natural diamond, they have the same refractive index, the same brilliance, and the same fire. The way a diamond handles light is a function of its cut and its crystal structure, both of which are the same in lab grown and natural stones.
Are lab grown diamonds graded differently to natural diamonds?
Most reputable grading laboratories assess lab grown diamonds using the same 4Cs - cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight - that apply to natural diamonds. For a like-for-like comparison of quality, the grading report is your reference point.
How much smaller will my budget go if I choose a natural diamond?
This varies by market, but as a working guide: a natural diamond currently costs roughly two to three times more than a lab grown diamond of equivalent size. On a £5,000 stone budget, you might be comparing a 0.8ct natural with a 1.5–1.8ct lab grown. The difference is visually significant. If size matters most to you, lab grown often makes more financial sense.
Do lab grown diamonds have certificates?
Yes. Like natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds can be, and in our view should be, graded and certified by an independent gemological laboratory. A certificate confirms the stone's 4C grades and identifies it as laboratory grown. We would always recommend buying a certified diamond, lab grown or natural, so you know exactly what you have.
What if my partner feels strongly about having a natural diamond?
Some people do, and it is a completely legitimate preference. If your partner has ever expressed a view on this, it is worth factoring in before you decide. If you genuinely do not know how they feel, that is one of the stronger arguments for having the conversation before the purchase - or, if you want the proposal to be a surprise, choosing a setting and discussing the stone together afterwards. We work with couples at every stage of the process, including post-proposal design, and it is far more common than people assume.
Can I have a bespoke ring made with a lab grown diamond?
Yes. A great deal of our bespoke engagement rings are now made with lab grown diamonds, and the process is exactly the same. We work with you to design and handcraft your ring in our Clerkenwell workshop, from first sketch through to finished piece. Lab grown diamonds are available in every shape and size that we work with in natural stones. Book a free consultation to talk through your ideas with our team.
If you have questions we have not covered here, the most direct route is always to come in. Our bespoke consultations are free, there is no pressure, and we hope you will leave knowing far more than when you arrived!
