London has more places to buy an engagement ring than almost anywhere in the world, and Hatton Garden alone holds several hundred jewellers inside a few streets. That choice is good news once you know what you are looking for, and overwhelming until you do. This guide covers where to buy a lab grown diamond engagement ring in London, what a good buying process actually feels like, and the questions worth asking before you commit.
Luma is one of those Hatton Garden makers, so it is fair to say where we stand. We hold 55 ring settings starting at £670, and we price your IGI certified lab grown diamond separately when you choose it, so a finished ring starts from around £820. Every ring is made to order in our own workshop at 13 Hatton Place, seven minutes on foot from Farringdon, in four to six weeks, and hallmarked at the London Assay Office.
Why London, and why lab grown
Most of the country's diamond trade still runs through Hatton Garden in EC1. Buying here means you can see stones in person, meet the people who make the ring, and compare quality without a screen in the way. Lab grown diamonds have made that experience far more affordable. A lab grown diamond has the same carbon structure, the same optical properties and the same hardness as a mined one, so it looks identical to the eye and tests as a real diamond. The difference sits in how it is made and what it costs. For the same budget you can usually choose a larger or higher grade stone, which is why so many London couples now start their search with lab grown.
If you want the full technical picture before you shop, our complete guide to lab grown diamonds walks through how they are grown and certified. If you are not set on London, the UK wide version of this guide covers the same ground more broadly.
Where to buy in London
You have three broad routes. The first is a Hatton Garden jeweller with a physical presence, which lets you view stones and settings before deciding. You will find long standing family workshops and newer lab grown specialists side by side, each with its own strengths, so it is worth visiting more than one. The second route is an online specialist that ships nationwide, which suits people who are already confident about the specification they want. The third is a bespoke maker who designs the ring around your stone and your ideas rather than selling from a fixed range.
Luma sits in that last group. We are a Hatton Garden studio working only in lab grown diamonds, and we design each ring to order rather than holding a shop floor of stock. You can browse our engagement ring collection or build a ring and watch the price update live in the Design Studio, then book a consultation to see stones in person.
If you want to compare Hatton Garden jewellers properly rather than by shop window, we wrote a separate guide on how to choose a Hatton Garden jeweller, which covers the six questions that actually separate a workshop from a shop front.
What to expect from a consultation
A good consultation is a conversation, not a sale. Expect to spend an hour or so. You will talk through the shape of diamond you are drawn to, whether that is a round, oval, emerald or pear, and the setting style that suits it, from a plain solitaire to a three stone or halo design. You will look at real stones at different carat weights and clarity grades, so you can see what your budget buys rather than reading it off a certificate.
Ask to see the certification for any diamond you consider. Every stone we set carries an IGI report recording carat, cut, colour and clarity, with a number laser inscribed on the girdle that you can check under a loupe in about thirty seconds. Ask how the ring is made, how long it takes, and what happens if the size is wrong. At Luma we make each ring in Hatton Garden, take a 50% deposit to start, include one free resize within the first twelve months, and cover every piece with a one year warranty.
How much to budget in London
There is no correct number, and the old rule about spending a set share of your salary has little to do with how people actually buy today. What matters is choosing a stone and setting you are happy to stand behind.
At Luma the setting and the diamond are priced separately, so you can see where the money goes. Settings run from £670 to around £2,400 depending on how much metal and pavé work the design carries. Your diamond is priced on top when you choose it, and that is the figure that moves most. In practice most finished rings land between roughly £820 and £3,000. Our lab grown diamond pricing guide for London breaks the same numbers down by carat weight, and our guide to how much to spend on an engagement ring in the UK is worth reading before you set a limit.
What each setting costs
| Design | Shape | Metal | Carat | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clio Ring | Round, Princess, Cushion and 7 more | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £540 |
| Amaris Ring | Round, Princess, Cushion and 7 more | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £550 |
| Astrid Ring | Round, Princess, Cushion and 7 more | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £570 |
| Odile Ring | Round | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £570 |
| Thalia Ring | Round, Princess, Cushion and 7 more | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £600 |
| Maren Ring | Round | 9k, 14k, 18k gold, platinum | 0.5ct to 3.0ct | £600 |
Questions worth asking any London jeweller
Before you commit, a few questions separate a confident maker from a middleman. Where is the ring actually made, and by whom. Is the diamond independently certified, and by which laboratory. Can you see the stone in person before it is set. What does the aftercare cover, and for how long. How long will the ring take. Honest answers come quickly. Vague ones tell you plenty on their own.
Treat in house grading with some caution. A report produced by the seller is not independent, however official the paper looks.
Common questions
Where can I buy a lab grown diamond engagement ring in London?
Hatton Garden in EC1 remains the centre of the London diamond trade and holds several hundred jewellers, including workshops that make on site and retailers who send work out. Luma is a Hatton Garden studio at 13 Hatton Place, seven minutes from Farringdon, working only in lab grown diamonds and making every ring to order. Settings start at £670 and your IGI certified diamond is priced separately when you choose it.
How much does a lab grown engagement ring cost in London?
At Luma settings run from £670 to around £2,400 and the diamond is priced separately when you choose it, so a finished ring starts from around £820 and most land between roughly £820 and £3,000. The stone rather than the setting is what moves that figure. Pricing across London varies far more than quality does, so ask any jeweller to break the quote into diamond, metal and setting labour.
Do I need an appointment to visit a Hatton Garden jeweller?
Our studio works by appointment so the room and the stones are yours rather than shared with a shop floor, and you can book a consultation online. You do not need an appointment to start a conversation though. Send us a photograph or a sketch on WhatsApp and one of us will look at it and come back to you.
How long does a lab grown engagement ring take to make in London?
At Luma a made to order ring takes four to six weeks, which covers sourcing and certifying the stone, casting the setting, setting the diamond, finishing and UK hallmarking at the London Assay Office. Hallmarking is a legal step and no jeweller can compress it, which is worth remembering if somebody quotes you a few days. A full bespoke commission designed from scratch can take up to two months.
The short version
Buying an engagement ring in London should feel considered rather than rushed. Take your time, compare a couple of jewellers, and choose the one who answers your questions straight. If you would like to see lab grown diamonds and talk through a design with the people who will actually make your ring, book a consultation at our Hatton Garden studio, or start in the Design Studio and see a price before you speak to anyone.
Shop by shape: round, oval, pear and emerald lab grown engagement rings.