Lab-grown or mined: what actually differs
A lab-grown diamond is not a lookalike. It is diamond — the same carbon crystal, graded on the same scale by the same laboratories.

The same stone, chemically and optically
Lab-grown and mined diamonds share the same chemical composition, hardness and refractive index. They bend light the same way, which is why a trained gemmologist needs specialist equipment to tell them apart.
Grown above ground
Instead of forming over millions of years under the earth, a lab-grown diamond crystallises over weeks in carefully controlled conditions that recreate that heat and pressure. Then it is cut and polished by hand, exactly like a mined stone.
Why the price is different
Mining, long supply chains and scarcity marketing add cost that has nothing to do with how a diamond looks. Remove them and the same size and quality costs far less — which is why many couples choose a larger or finer stone for the same budget.
- Same hardness — 10 on the Mohs scale, for everyday wear
- Same sparkle — identical brilliance, fire and scintillation
- Same grading — cut, colour, clarity and carat on an independent report
- Traceable origin — no question about where it came from
Grown by light. Conflict-free by nature.
Ready when you are.
Shop lab-grown engagement ringsMore from the journal
Guide · 6 min readThe 4Cs, in plain wordsCut, colour, clarity and carat — what each one changes when you actually look at the ring, and where your budget does the most good.Read the story
Shapes · 5 min readTen shapes, ten personalitiesRound, oval, emerald, pear and beyond — how each shape sits on the hand and which one fits the way she wears jewellery.Read the story
Proposal · 4 min readFinding her ring size without giving it awayFive quiet ways to get the size right before the question — and what to do if you guess.Read the story