This question gets asked constantly, and it usually comes from a reasonable place: the words “lab grown” sound like they should mean “not the real thing”. They do not. A lab grown diamond is diamond — by material, by how it is graded, and by how regulators require it to be described. Here is what that means in practice, and why the confusion persists.
Yes. A lab grown diamond is a real diamond. It is pure crystallised carbon with the same cubic structure, the same 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, and the same optical properties as a mined diamond. Gemological laboratories grade it on the same 4Cs, diamond testers identify it as diamond, and regulators require it to be described as a diamond with its origin disclosed. What it is not is a simulant such as moissanite or cubic zirconia.
The Material Answer
A diamond is defined by what it is made of and how those atoms are arranged: carbon atoms in a cubic crystal lattice, each bonded to four neighbours. That arrangement is the reason diamond is as hard as it is and handles light the way it does.
A lab grown diamond has that structure. Not something similar to it — that structure. This is why every property that follows from the structure follows identically: hardness, refractive index, dispersion, thermal conductivity, specific gravity.
If you accept that a diamond is defined by its material and structure, the question answers itself. The only property that differs is where the crystallisation happened.
The Testing Answer
Standard diamond testers work by measuring thermal conductivity, sometimes combined with electrical conductivity. They exist to separate diamond from simulants such as moissanite and cubic zirconia.
A lab grown diamond tests as diamond on these instruments, because it is diamond. This surprises people who expect a tester to “catch” it, but the tester is not designed to identify origin — it identifies material.
Distinguishing lab grown from mined requires different equipment entirely: instruments that examine internal growth patterns, strain, trace elements and fluorescence behaviour. This is laboratory work, not counter work.
This is worth understanding before buying: a jeweller who claims to have identified a stone’s origin by loupe or by a handheld tester is overstating what those tools can do. Origin comes from the grading report.
The Grading Answer
Independent gemological laboratories grade lab grown diamonds on the same four criteria used for mined stones — carat, colour, clarity and cut — using the same scales.
The report also states the origin. On an IGI report for a lab grown stone, the growth method is recorded, and any detected post-growth treatment is disclosed. Graded stones additionally carry a microscopic laser inscription on the girdle that ties the stone to its report number and typically identifies it as laboratory grown.
In other words, the industry does not treat these as a separate, lesser class of object requiring different standards. It treats them as diamonds whose origin must be disclosed. Our guide to reading an IGI certificate walks through what each field means.
The Regulatory Answer
In 2018 the US Federal Trade Commission revised its Jewelry Guides, and one of the changes was to remove the word “natural” from its definition of a diamond. The reasoning was direct: a laboratory-created stone with essentially the same properties as a mined one is a diamond, and defining the category by origin was misleading.
The same guidance addresses terminology. Sellers are expected to disclose that a stone is laboratory grown, using clear terms such as laboratory-grown, laboratory-created, or a producer’s name followed by created. Words that imply the stone is not a diamond at all — notably fake or faux — are not appropriate descriptions.
So the regulatory position lines up with the material one: it is a diamond, and its origin must be stated plainly.
Where the Confusion Comes From
Three things keep this question alive.
The word “synthetic”
Older terminology called these stones synthetic diamonds. In gemology, synthetic means “made by humans with the same composition and structure as the natural material” — it does not mean imitation. But in everyday speech synthetic suggests plastic or fake, so the industry has largely moved to laboratory-grown.
Simulants sold alongside them
Moissanite and cubic zirconia are marketed in the same category of “diamond alternatives”, and buyers reasonably lump lab grown diamonds in with them. But moissanite is silicon carbide and cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxide. Neither is carbon, neither is diamond, and neither is graded on diamond scales.
Marketing pressure
Both sides of the market have an interest in framing. Some natural diamond marketing implies lab grown stones are not real; some lab grown marketing overstates environmental benefits or implies value retention that does not exist. Treat strong claims from either direction with the same scepticism.
What “Real” Should Actually Mean to a Buyer
If “real” means “is it diamond” — yes, settled.
If “real” means “will it last” — yes. Diamond is diamond; it does not cloud, fade or soften. Any diamond can chip from a hard knock on the girdle, and that risk depends on the setting and the shape, not the origin.
If “real” means “will it hold value” — no, and this is the one place where the honest answer disappoints. Diamonds of any origin lose most of their value on resale, and lab grown more so. That is a reason to buy one to wear, not a reason to doubt what it is.
Buyer Decision Box: Confirming What You Are Buying
- Ask for the grading report before purchase, and check that it names the laboratory.
- Confirm the report states the origin explicitly, whether laboratory grown or natural.
- Check that the report number matches the laser inscription on the stone.
- Be wary of a seller who claims to identify origin without a report.
- If a listing quotes colour and clarity grades, ask which laboratory issued them — simulants are not graded on these scales.
- Verify the report on the issuing laboratory’s own website rather than a copy supplied by the seller.
Myth vs Fact
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Lab grown diamonds are fake. | They are diamond — same composition, same structure, same properties. Simulants like cubic zirconia are a different material entirely. |
| A diamond tester will reveal a lab grown stone. | It will read diamond, because it is diamond. Testers identify material, not origin. |
| Synthetic means imitation. | In gemology, synthetic means man-made with identical composition and structure to the natural material. |
| Lab grown diamonds will not last a lifetime. | Diamond does not degrade. Durability depends on setting and shape, not on origin. |
| Insurers and appraisers do not recognise them. | They are appraised and insured as diamonds, valued according to their own market. |
FAQ
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They are crystallised carbon with the same structure and properties as mined diamonds, graded on the same scales and required by regulators to be described as diamonds with disclosed origin.
Will a lab grown diamond pass a diamond tester?
Yes. It is diamond, so a thermal or electrical tester identifies it as such. Those testers separate diamond from simulants; they do not determine origin.
Is a lab grown diamond the same as cubic zirconia?
No. Cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxide, a different material that is softer and not graded on diamond scales. A lab grown diamond is diamond.
Do lab grown diamonds get certified?
Yes. Independent laboratories grade them on carat, colour, clarity and cut, state the growth method, and disclose any treatment. Graded stones carry a laser inscription linking them to the report.
Why are they called synthetic diamonds?
It is older gemological terminology meaning man-made with identical composition to the natural material. Because “synthetic” reads as “imitation” in ordinary speech, the industry now prefers laboratory-grown.
Can a jeweller tell it is lab grown?
Not without laboratory instruments. Growth origin is determined by examining internal growth structure and trace elements, which is not possible with a loupe or a handheld tester.
Final Buying Note
The material question is settled: a lab grown diamond is a diamond. The questions genuinely worth spending time on are the ones that apply to any diamond — cut quality, measurements, certification, and whether the setting suits how you will wear it.
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