If you've started shopping for a diamond, you've probably noticed three terms being used almost interchangeably online — real, lab-grown, and artificial. They are not the same thing. One is a diamond formed deep within the Earth, one is a diamond grown in a controlled laboratory, and one isn't a diamond at all.
The confusion is understandable, and it's also expensive. Mistaking a simulant for a genuine diamond can mean overpaying by thousands, or buying a stone that scratches and clouds within a few years. This guide breaks down what each one actually is, how they compare on chemistry, appearance, durability, price, and resale, and how to make a confident choice for your engagement ring, wedding band, or everyday jewellery.
Quick Answer: What's the Difference?
- Real (natural) diamonds are formed by heat and pressure beneath the Earth's surface over 1–3 billion years.
- Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds with the exact same chemical, optical, and physical properties — they're just grown in a laboratory over a few weeks instead of underground.
- Artificial diamonds (also called simulants or imitation diamonds) only look like diamonds. They're made of entirely different materials — like cubic zirconia or moissanite — and are not diamonds at all.
In short: lab-grown is real diamond. Artificial is not.
What Is a Real (Natural) Diamond?
A natural diamond is pure carbon arranged in a cubic crystal lattice, formed roughly 150 km below the Earth's surface under intense heat and pressure over a period of one to three billion years. Volcanic activity pushes these stones closer to the surface, where they are mined.
Key characteristics:
- Composition: 100% crystallised carbon
- Hardness: 10 on the Mohs scale (the hardest known natural material)
- Refractive index: 2.42
- Origin: Earth, naturally formed
- Certification: Graded by independent labs like GIA (Gemological Institute of America) on the 4Cs — Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat weight
- Each stone is unique, with tiny natural inclusions that act like a fingerprint
Natural diamonds carry centuries of cultural significance and remain the traditional choice for heirloom pieces. However, mining has environmental and ethical implications, which is why the industry now relies on the Kimberley Process to certify conflict-free sourcing.
What Is a Lab-Grown Diamond?
A lab-grown diamond — also called cultured, created, or engineered — is a real diamond produced in a laboratory using technology that replicates the conditions under which natural diamonds form. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission officially recognises lab-grown stones as diamonds, because chemically and optically, they are indistinguishable from mined diamonds.
There are two primary methods:
1. HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) recreates the extreme conditions of the Earth's mantle. A small diamond seed is exposed to temperatures around 1,500°C and pressures of about 1.5 million PSI, allowing carbon to crystallise around it.
2. CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) places a diamond seed in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-rich gas. The gas is ionised into plasma, and carbon atoms layer onto the seed, growing the diamond crystal by crystal.
Key characteristics:
- Composition: 100% crystallised carbon (identical to natural)
- Hardness: 10 on the Mohs scale
- Refractive index: 2.42
- Origin: Laboratory, 4–8 weeks of growth
- Certification: Graded by IGI, GIA, and other major labs, with a laser inscription identifying it as lab-grown
- Typically 60–85% less expensive than a comparable natural diamond
Even gemologists cannot tell a lab-grown diamond apart from a natural one with the naked eye or a standard jeweller's loupe. Specialised equipment is required to detect the subtle growth-pattern differences.
What Is an Artificial Diamond (Simulant)?
Here's where many shoppers get misled. An artificial diamond — more accurately called a diamond simulant or imitation — is a stone that looks like a diamond but is made of a completely different material. It is not a diamond.
The most common simulants are:
- Cubic Zirconia (CZ): Zirconium dioxide. Inexpensive, bright when new, but scratches and clouds over time.
- Moissanite: Silicon carbide. Very durable and brilliant, with more fire (rainbow flashes) than diamond.
- White Sapphire: Aluminium oxide. Softer, less brilliant, can appear glassy.
- Glass / Rhinestone: The lowest tier, used in costume jewellery.
- YAG and GGG: Older simulants now rarely used.
Key characteristics:
| Simulant | Composition | Hardness (Mohs) | Refractive Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubic Zirconia | Zirconium dioxide | 8.0–8.5 | 2.15–2.18 |
| Moissanite | Silicon carbide | 9.25 | 2.65 |
| White Sapphire | Aluminium oxide | 9.0 | 1.76–1.77 |
| Diamond (natural or lab-grown) | Carbon | 10 | 2.42 |
Simulants are not graded on the 4Cs, do not carry diamond certification, and have negligible resale value. They have a place — costume jewellery, travel pieces, or temporary alternatives — but they are not interchangeable with diamond.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Natural Diamond | Lab-Grown Diamond | Artificial (Simulant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it a diamond? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Chemical composition | Pure carbon | Pure carbon | Varies (CZ, SiC, etc.) |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 10 | 10 | 8–9.25 |
| Origin | Earth, billions of years | Lab, weeks | Lab, hours to days |
| Appearance to the naked eye | Brilliant, white fire | Identical to natural | Often more rainbow flash, may look "too perfect" |
| Certification (GIA / IGI) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price (vs natural) | Baseline | 60–85% less | 90–99% less |
| Resale value | Holds value, varies | Lower secondary market | Negligible |
| Environmental impact | Mining footprint | Lower; energy-intensive | Lowest |
| Conflict-free | Kimberley Process certification needed | Always conflict-free | Always conflict-free |
| Ideal for | Heirloom, traditional buyers | Larger stones on a budget, ethical buyers | Costume, travel, fashion pieces |
How to Tell Them Apart
You cannot reliably identify a diamond by eye alone, but here are the practical methods used in the trade:
Fog test (basic): Breathe on the stone. A diamond clears almost instantly because it conducts heat efficiently. A simulant stays fogged for several seconds. This is a quick screen, not a definitive test.
Loupe inspection: Natural diamonds usually contain tiny inclusions. Lab-grown diamonds often look cleaner. Simulants frequently show double refraction (especially moissanite), where facet edges appear doubled when viewed through the table.
Diamond tester: A handheld thermal-conductivity probe can distinguish diamond from CZ in seconds. However, moissanite passes basic diamond testers — you need a moissanite/diamond combination tester to separate the two.
Certification: The only reliable proof. Both natural and lab-grown diamonds from reputable retailers come with a grading report from GIA, IGI, or another recognised lab, and high-quality lab-grown stones are laser-inscribed with their report number.
Which One Should You Choose?
There's no universally "best" option — only the right one for your priorities. A few practical scenarios:
Choose a natural diamond if you value provenance, tradition, and the long-term resale market, and you're comfortable with the higher price for the same visual carat weight.
Choose a lab-grown diamond if you want a real diamond at a significantly lower price, prefer a guaranteed conflict-free origin, or want a noticeably larger or higher-quality stone within your budget. This is the fastest-growing segment of the engagement ring market for a reason.
Choose a simulant if you need a low-cost, fashion-forward piece, a stand-in while travelling, or jewellery you don't mind replacing in a few years. Moissanite specifically is a strong choice if you want diamond-like brilliance at a fraction of the cost and don't mind that it isn't technically a diamond.
At Aupulent, we work with both natural and certified lab-grown diamonds across our engagement and fine jewellery collections, with full transparency on origin, grading, and certification — so the decision is informed, not guessed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds? Yes. Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission removed the word "natural" from its definition of a diamond in 2018, formally recognising lab-grown stones as diamonds. The only difference is origin.
Are artificial diamonds and lab-grown diamonds the same thing? No. This is the most common misconception. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds made in a laboratory. Artificial diamonds (also called simulants or imitations) are non-diamond materials — like cubic zirconia or moissanite — that only resemble diamonds visually.
Can a jeweller tell the difference between lab-grown and natural? Not without specialised equipment. Lab-grown diamonds pass every standard diamond test because they are diamonds. Major gemological labs use spectroscopy and growth-pattern analysis to detect the subtle markers that identify a stone as lab-grown, and reputable lab-grown stones are laser-inscribed on the girdle for transparency.
Do lab-grown diamonds hold their value? Lab-grown diamonds typically have a lower resale market than natural diamonds. They are best thought of as a value purchase rather than an investment. You're paying for a real diamond at a lower upfront price, not for long-term appreciation. Natural diamonds tend to retain value better, though their resale also varies significantly with cut, carat, and market conditions.
Will a lab-grown diamond pass a diamond tester? Yes. Standard handheld diamond testers measure thermal or electrical conductivity, and lab-grown diamonds have the same conductivity as natural diamonds. They will test as diamond every time. Moissanite, however, can also pass basic thermal testers, which is why dual-mode testers exist.
Is moissanite a diamond? No. Moissanite is silicon carbide — a separate gemstone in its own right. It is durable (9.25 on Mohs), highly brilliant, and significantly cheaper than diamond, but it is not chemically a diamond. It also has more "fire" or rainbow dispersion, which some people love and others find too colourful for a classic look.
Are lab-grown diamonds more ethical? Generally, yes. They don't involve mining, are guaranteed conflict-free, and typically have a smaller land-use footprint. However, growing diamonds is energy-intensive, so the overall environmental impact depends on the energy source used by the producer. Reputable suppliers now publish sustainability data.
What is the cheapest type — artificial, lab-grown, or natural? From most to least expensive: natural diamond, lab-grown diamond, then simulants. Cubic zirconia is the cheapest of the simulants, followed by white sapphire and moissanite. Lab-grown diamonds usually cost 60–85% less than a comparable natural diamond.
Should I buy a lab-grown diamond for an engagement ring? Many couples now do. You can typically get a noticeably larger or higher-quality stone for the same budget, with the same look and durability as a mined diamond. If sentiment around natural origin matters more than size, a natural diamond may suit you better. Both are valid — the right choice depends on what you value most.
Does a lab-grown diamond come with certification? Yes, if purchased from a reputable jeweller. Look for grading reports from IGI, GIA, or GCAL. The report should explicitly state that the stone is laboratory-grown, and the diamond should carry a matching laser inscription on the girdle.
The Bottom Line
The cleanest way to remember the distinction: natural and lab-grown are both diamonds; artificial is not. Natural diamonds are mined, lab-grown diamonds are cultivated, and simulants are imitations made of other materials.
There's no wrong choice — only an informed one. Decide what matters most to you — origin, size, ethics, budget, longevity — and pick the category that lines up with those priorities. When you're ready to see the differences in person, browse our collection at aupulent.com, where every piece comes with full transparency on what it is, how it was made, and how it's certified.
