Are Lab Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?
Yes. A lab grown diamond is a real diamond. It is pure crystallized carbon with the same atomic structure as a mined diamond, it measures 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, and it handles light identically. It is not an imitation and it is not a simulant.
The United States Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides reflect this. The current definition, revised in 2018, reads in full: "A diamond is a mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized in the isometric system." There is no requirement that it be natural. What the FTC does require is that a laboratory-grown diamond is clearly and conspicuously identified as one.
Diamonds and simulants are different materials
Most of the confusion comes from grouping lab grown diamonds with materials that only resemble diamond.
| Material | What it is | Mohs hardness | Is it a diamond? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab grown diamond | Crystallized carbon | 10 | Yes |
| Mined diamond | Crystallized carbon | 10 | Yes |
| Moissanite | Silicon carbide | About 9.25 | No |
| Cubic zirconia | Zirconium dioxide | About 8 | No |
Moissanite and cubic zirconia are different minerals with different chemistry. Moissanite also refracts light differently from diamond, which is why it tends to show more colored flashes. Cubic zirconia is softer and scratches and clouds more readily with wear.
How lab grown diamonds are made
There are two established methods.
HPHT, or high pressure high temperature, recreates the conditions deep in the earth where natural diamonds form. Carbon is placed under intense pressure and heat until it crystallizes into diamond.
CVD, or chemical vapor deposition, takes place in a low-pressure chamber. A carbon-rich gas is energized until carbon atoms separate and settle onto a small diamond seed, building the crystal up layer by layer.
Both produce diamond. Neither process is inherently superior; quality is judged the same way for both, on the resulting stone's cut, color, clarity and carat weight. An IGI report typically records which method was used.
What is identical
Chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness, refractive index, dispersion, and appearance. Lab grown diamonds are graded by the same independent laboratories, on the same scales, with the same kind of report.
What is different
Origin and price. A mined diamond formed underground over geological time; a lab grown diamond formed in a laboratory over a matter of weeks. Because the supply chain is far shorter, the same certified specification costs substantially less.
How anyone can tell them apart
Not by eye, and not with a standard jeweler's loupe. Distinguishing the two needs specialist laboratory equipment that detects the subtle growth characteristics each formation process leaves behind. This is exactly why independent certification matters: the report states the origin, so nothing rests on visual judgment.
Common misconceptions
"Lab grown diamonds are fake." They are not. A fake, or simulant, is a different material made to look like diamond. A lab grown diamond is diamond.
"They go cloudy or change color over time." Diamond is one of the most chemically stable materials there is, and a lab grown diamond is no exception. It will not cloud, fade or yellow with age — and Shop QSE's lifetime warranty guarantees that the brilliance and clarity of our lab grown diamonds will never fade or cloud. A dull, cloudy look that develops with wear is typically a sign of cubic zirconia, whose softer surface scratches and dulls.
"A diamond tester will expose them." A standard diamond tester identifies a lab grown diamond as a diamond, because it is one. Telling lab grown from natural requires laboratory equipment, not a handheld tester.
"They are less durable." Hardness and scratch resistance are the same as a mined diamond's. A lab grown diamond is equally suited to an engagement ring worn every day.
Other names for the same thing
Lab grown, lab created, laboratory grown and man made diamonds all describe the same product, and so does "cultured" — with one important condition. Under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, "cultured" may only be used when accompanied by a clear qualifier such as "laboratory-grown" or "laboratory-created". On its own the word does not disclose the origin, and a retailer relying on it alone is not meeting the FTC's standard. The terminology varies; the material does not.
Common questions
Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They are pure crystallized carbon with the same structure, hardness and optical properties as mined diamonds. The US Federal Trade Commission defines a diamond as a mineral of pure crystallized carbon, with no requirement that it be natural.
What is the difference between a lab grown diamond and cubic zirconia?
A lab grown diamond is a diamond. Cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxide, a different material that resembles diamond and measures about 8 on the Mohs scale against a diamond's 10.
Is a lab grown diamond the same as moissanite?
No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, measures about 9.25 on the Mohs scale, and refracts light differently, producing more colored flashes.
How are lab grown diamonds made?
By one of two methods: HPHT, which recreates the heat and pressure under which natural diamonds form, or CVD, which builds diamond layer by layer from a carbon-rich gas onto a diamond seed.
Can a jeweler tell a lab grown diamond from a mined one?
Not by eye or with a standard loupe. It requires specialist laboratory equipment. An IGI report states the origin explicitly.
Are lab created and lab grown diamonds the same thing?
Yes. Lab grown, lab created and laboratory grown all describe the same product. 'Cultured' does too, but under FTC rules it must be accompanied by a qualifier such as 'laboratory-grown'.
Do lab grown diamonds get cloudy over time?
No. A lab grown diamond is as chemically stable as a mined one and will not cloud, fade or yellow. A cloudy look that develops with wear is typical of cubic zirconia, not diamond. Shop QSE's lifetime warranty guarantees this for our diamonds.