Natural and lab-grown diamonds are the same thing, chemically, and that single fact confuses more people than almost anything else in diamond buying. If they're identical, why does one cost a fraction of the other? Can a jeweller even tell them apart? Is a lab-grown diamond somehow less "real"? And does any of it actually matter once the ring is on a finger and nobody's running tests on it at dinner?
These questions come up at our counter constantly, usually from someone who's read three different, slightly contradictory things online and isn't sure which to trust. This guide answers all of it honestly, without a sales pitch for either side, because the right choice genuinely depends on what you're optimizing for, not on which one we'd rather sell you.
What Makes a Diamond "Natural" or "Lab-Grown"
A natural diamond formed in the earth over one to three billion years, under immense heat and pressure, hundreds of kilometres below the surface, and was later brought near the surface by volcanic activity that none of us will ever witness happen again. A lab-grown diamond forms in a matter of weeks, in a controlled facility, using one of two processes that recreate those same conditions: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT), which mimics the earth's natural process directly, or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), which builds the crystal layer by layer from carbon-rich gas. Both processes are genuinely technical, not a shortcut, they just compress billions of years into weeks.
Both result in actual diamond: the same carbon crystal structure, the same 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the same refractive index and fire. Neither is a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite, which are different materials entirely built to resemble diamond. Neither is fake. The difference is entirely in where and how the crystal formed, not in what it's made of, which is exactly why appearance alone was never going to be a reliable way to tell them apart.
How to Actually Tell Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds Apart
Here's the honest answer most guides avoid: you cannot reliably tell a natural diamond from a lab-grown one by looking at it, not with the naked eye, and in most cases not with a standard jeweller's loupe either. They sparkle the same, they test the same on a basic diamond tester, which measures thermal conductivity and can't distinguish origin at all, and a skilled cutter can produce either one in any shape or size to the same standard of precision. The differences that do exist are usually microscopic growth patterns inside the stone, visible only under specialized equipment most retail jewellers don't keep on-site, equipment built specifically to detect this one thing.
What actually tells them apart is certification. Every diamond sold responsibly, natural or lab-grown, should come with a grading report from an independent lab, and that report states the origin explicitly, not as an afterthought but as one of the first things listed. Lab-grown diamonds are also required to carry a laser inscription on the girdle, the thin edge of the stone, visible under magnification, identifying them as lab-created and often including a report number. If a diamond doesn't come with paperwork stating what it is, that's the real red flag worth caring about, not anything you could ever hope to see by looking. For existing jewellery where origin isn't documented, our in-store appraisal services can have a stone properly assessed rather than guessed at. When you buy new from us, the certification and origin are stated plainly before you decide, through our Diamond Plus Program and on every diamond we sell.
The Real Price and Value Differences
This is where the two genuinely diverge, and it's the part that actually changes a buying decision. Lab-grown diamonds typically cost a fraction of a natural diamond at the same carat, cut, colour and clarity, often 60 to 80 percent less, because the supply isn't constrained by geology, more demand simply means more production, not a scarcer search for rarer deposits. That makes lab-grown the practical choice if you want to maximize size and clarity for a given budget, a 1.5 carat lab-grown stone often costs less than a 1 carat natural one of comparable quality.
Natural diamonds hold a different kind of value. They're a finite resource, every one that exists is already out of the ground, which has historically supported stronger resale and long-term value retention, and some buyers simply want a stone with a few billion years of history behind it rather than a few weeks. Lab-grown diamonds, being newer to the market and fundamentally more reproducible, don't carry the same resale premium today, and as production scales further the price gap may continue to shift. This is an evolving market on the lab-grown side specifically, worth discussing honestly with whoever's selling you one rather than assuming either direction.
Which Should You Buy
Neither is the "better" choice in any objective sense, it depends entirely on what you're optimizing for, and there's no wrong answer once you've actually weighed it rather than guessed. If budget and size matter most, lab-grown stretches further, often noticeably so. If rarity, resale value, or the idea of a naturally formed stone matters to you, natural is worth the premium, and plenty of buyers find that worth paying for on principle alone. Some couples split the decision across a single ring, a lab-grown centre stone with natural accent diamonds, or the reverse, getting the best of both rather than treating it as all-or-nothing. For a full breakdown of what different budgets actually buy across both types, see our engagement ring price-tier guide, or our Engagement Ring Buying Guide for the Fraser Valley for the fundamentals of cut, colour, clarity and carat alongside this origin question.
Whichever you choose, our Diamond Plus Program lets you trade up to a larger or higher-quality stone later, natural or lab-grown, so the decision today doesn't have to be the final one. And if neither an off-the-shelf natural nor lab-grown setting is quite right, our custom design service can build a piece around whichever stone you choose, with the same certification and honesty about origin built into the process from the start.
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Shop Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds
Browse diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond necklaces and diamond bracelets online, or visit our Mission showroom to compare natural and lab-grown stones side by side, serving Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge and the wider Fraser Valley.
Natural vs. Lab-Grown Diamond FAQs
1. Can a jeweller tell a lab-grown diamond from a natural one just by looking?
Not reliably, no. Most differences are microscopic and require specialized equipment to detect. Certification and laser inscription, not appearance, are how origin is actually confirmed.
2. Are lab-grown diamonds "real" diamonds?
Yes. Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically and optically identical to natural diamonds, actual diamond, not a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite.
3. Why are lab-grown diamonds so much cheaper?
Because supply isn't limited by geology. A lab-grown stone can be produced on a predictable timeline, while natural diamonds are a finite resource that takes billions of years to form and requires significant extraction effort.
4. Do lab-grown diamonds hold their value?
Generally less well than natural diamonds on resale, since they're newer to the market and more reproducible. If long-term resale value matters to you specifically, that's worth factoring in.
5. Can I mix natural and lab-grown diamonds in one piece?
Yes, it's a common way to balance budget and preference, for example a lab-grown centre stone with natural accent diamonds, or vice versa.
6. I have an old diamond with no paperwork, how do I find out if it's natural or lab-grown?
Bring it in for a proper assessment rather than guessing. Our in-store appraisal services can determine origin and current value using equipment and expertise a quick look can't replace.
Lanka Jewels has helped the Fraser Valley choose diamonds, natural and lab-grown, for over 40 years. Contact us with questions, or browse more on our blog.
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