Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds
An honest comparison for anyone deciding between a lab grown and a natural diamond. Last reviewed July 2026.
It is the first question most people ask when they start looking at diamonds, and the answers online are usually written by someone with something to sell. We sell lab grown diamonds, so we have a side. We have still tried to lay this out straight, including the places where a natural diamond has the edge, so you can decide what is right for you rather than be talked into anything.
The one thing to understand first
A lab grown diamond and a natural diamond are both real diamonds. Same chemical composition, same crystal structure, same hardness, same fire and sparkle. A trained gemmologist cannot tell them apart by eye. The only way to distinguish them is with specialist equipment, which is why both come with a grading report that states which they are. The difference is not quality. It is origin.
How each one is made
A natural diamond formed over one to three billion years, deep underground, then came up through volcanic activity and was mined. A lab grown diamond is made in a matter of weeks in a controlled environment, using one of two methods. High Pressure High Temperature recreates the conditions underground. Chemical Vapour Deposition grows the crystal layer by layer from a carbon rich gas. Both produce the same result, a genuine diamond.
Price, the real reason people switch
This is where the gap is large. A lab grown diamond typically costs a fraction of a natural one of the same carat weight, cut, colour and clarity, often well over half less and sometimes much more. Put simply, the same budget buys a noticeably larger or higher quality stone if you choose lab grown. For an engagement ring in particular, that can be the difference between a one carat natural stone and a two carat lab grown one at a similar spend. Nothing about the ring looks different. Only the receipt does.
Where a natural diamond still has the edge
Two honest points. First, rarity. A natural diamond is finite and a lab grown one is not, and for some people that scarcity is part of the meaning, which is entirely fair. Second, resale. Natural diamonds hold some second hand value, while lab grown diamonds currently hold very little, because the cost of producing them keeps falling. We would gently add that almost no diamond, natural or lab grown, is a good financial investment once you account for the retail markup you pay on the way in. If resale value is genuinely central to your decision, a natural stone is the more defensible choice, and we would tell you that to your face.
Sustainability and sourcing
A lab grown diamond avoids mining altogether, which removes the land disturbance and the sourcing questions that come with it. It is not a zero impact product, growing diamonds uses energy, so anyone claiming it is perfectly green is overstating it. The honest position is that a lab grown diamond sidesteps the hardest ethical questions in the natural diamond trade, and that is a large part of why we built Luma around it. If sourcing matters to you, ask any jeweller, natural or lab grown, to show you where their stones come from and how they are certified.
Certification, the same on both sides
Whichever you choose, buy a stone with an independent grading report, usually from IGI or GIA, and check that the report details are laser inscribed on the girdle of the stone so you can match the diamond to its paperwork. A certified lab grown diamond is graded on exactly the same cut, colour, clarity and carat scale as a natural one.
So which should you choose?
If you want the largest, brightest stone your budget allows, or you care about avoiding mining, lab grown is the clear choice and it is what we make. If rarity or long term resale is central to what the diamond means to you, natural has the stronger case. There is no wrong answer here, only the one that fits what you actually value.
How Luma does it
We are a direct to consumer lab grown diamond jeweller in Hatton Garden, founded in 2024 by Asher Wiener and Amir Sharabi. Every diamond we set is lab grown and independently certified, every piece is made by benches here in Hatton Garden, finished and set in London and UK hallmarked, and we price directly without the retail markup. If you are still weighing it up, read our guide on where to buy lab grown diamonds in London, or browse the engagement rings to see what a given budget actually gets you.
Common questions
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness and optical properties as mined diamonds. The only difference is that they grew in a controlled environment rather than underground.
Can you tell a lab grown diamond from a natural one?
Not by eye, even a gemmologist cannot. Distinguishing them requires specialist equipment, which is why every stone comes with a grading report stating which it is.
How much cheaper are lab grown diamonds?
Typically a fraction of the price of a natural diamond of the same carat weight, cut, colour and clarity, often more than half less. The same budget usually buys a larger or higher quality stone if you choose lab grown.
Do lab grown diamonds hold their value?
Not well at the moment, because the cost of producing them keeps falling. Natural diamonds hold more second hand value, though neither is a strong financial investment once retail markup is accounted for. Buy a diamond to wear, not to resell.
Are lab grown diamonds more ethical?
They avoid mining and the sourcing questions that come with it, though growing them still uses energy, so they are lower impact rather than zero impact. Whichever you choose, ask to see certification and sourcing.
Are lab grown diamonds certified?
Yes. They are graded by independent laboratories such as IGI and GIA on the same cut, colour, clarity and carat scale as natural diamonds, with the details laser inscribed on the stone.