Origin
Lab-grown vs. mined diamonds
A lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond, viewed side by side under a jeweler's loupe, are indistinguishable. They are the same crystal — pure carbon, arranged in the same cubic lattice. The difference is how that lattice came to be.
The two ways a diamond is made
Mined diamonds form 100–200km below the Earth's surface under enormous heat and pressure, then travel to the surface in volcanic eruptions millions of years later. Lab-grown diamonds are made the same way — heat, pressure, and carbon — but in a reactor over a period of 4 to 10 weeks. Two methods dominate: HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). Both produce gem-quality diamonds that meet the same grading standards.
What's actually different
- Origin. A lab diamond's "growth report" tells you which week it was made and in which reactor. A mined diamond's report can usually only point to a country.
- Footprint. Lab diamonds use a fraction of the water, land, and labor of mining. They aren't carbon-zero — the reactors draw real energy — but they are dramatically more transparent.
- Price. A lab diamond typically costs 60–80% less than a mined diamond of the same specifications. That gap is structural and not closing.
What's identical
Hardness (10 on the Mohs scale). Refractive index (2.42). Fire, brilliance, and scintillation. Resale behavior is the largest open question — diamonds of either kind lose most of their resale value the moment you leave the store, and we'd rather you understand that up front than discover it later.
Why we only sell lab
Because the stone is identical, the supply chain is cleaner, and the savings stay with our customers. We spend the difference on better settings, better grading, and a better buying experience.