Grown in the earth
Heat and pressure, deep underground, over a very long time. Mined, cut, and graded. Rarer in jewelry quality, which is why the price is higher.
Guides
Lab or natural.
They look the same in the hand. They take the same prongs. The difference is where the carbon grew, what you pay, and what the paper says.
The short version
A diamond is crystallized carbon. Hardest common gem. Same brilliance, fire, and 4 Cs whether it grew in the earth or in a lab. We set both. Bring either.
Grown in a lab
A carbon seed, then weeks in a machine that copies those conditions. Cut and graded the same way. More supply, so the price is lower.
Side by side
Same carbon. Different origin, price, and paper.
| Natural | Lab-grown | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Carbon crystal. Mohs 10. | The same. |
| How you grade it | Cut, color, clarity, carat. | The same 4 Cs. |
| How long it takes | Billions of years in the earth. | Days to weeks in a lab. |
| Price | Higher. Jewelry-quality rough is limited. | Lower. You can often go up in size or grade for the same budget. |
| Paper | GIA, IGI, and others. Marked natural. | GIA, IGI, and others. Marked lab-grown, plus HPHT or CVD. |
| Can you tell by eye? | No. Not in a ring, not on a finger. | No. Labs use machines. A setter still looks at cut and how it sits. |
| Setting | Prongs, bezel, pavé. | The same work. |
| Resale | There is a market, though you will not get retail back. | Thinner market. Buy it to wear, not to flip. |
How a lab stone is made
-
HPHT
High pressure, high temperature. A press copies the earth. Often used for colorless stones and fancy colors. The report will say HPHT if that is how it grew.
-
CVD
Chemical vapor deposition. Carbon gas settles onto a seed in a chamber. Common for larger colorless stones. The report will say CVD.
-
Then it is a diamond.
Rough comes out, gets cut and polished, then graded. From the workshop, the method does not change how we set it. Cut still matters most.
What to decide
-
If you want the most stone for the money.
Lab-grown. Same look, lower price. Spend the difference on cut, or on a bigger center, or on the mounting.
-
If origin and rarity matter to you.
Natural. The story is the earth. The 4 Cs still decide whether it looks alive.
-
Do not skip the paper.
GIA or IGI. Lab-grown reports say so on the first page. If someone will not show the report, walk.
-
Bring it here either way.
We set family stones, dealer goods, and lab centers. The head has to fit. The prongs have to hold.
Questions
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. Same carbon, same hardness, same sparkle. “Real” is not the split. Origin is.
Can a jeweler tell them apart?
Not by eye. Diamond testers call both diamonds. Labs use spectroscopy and other tools. That is why the certificate matters.
Why is lab-grown cheaper?
Supply. Natural jewelry-quality rough is limited. Labs can grow more. The physical stone is not lesser. The market price is.
Will a lab diamond last?
Yes. It is a diamond. Daily wear, same as natural. What fails is usually a prong or a thin shank, not the carbon.
Do you set both?
Yes. Natural and lab-grown. Same workshop, same metals. Read the 4 Cs guide if you are still picking grades, then bring the stone in.
Have the stone. We’ll make it hold.
31 West 47th Street, Suite 1105 · Monday–Friday, 9 to 5. Walk-ins welcome.