The Lab Diamond Guide
Is a lab-grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. It is pure carbon crystallized in the same structure as a mined diamond. It scores 10 on the hardness scale, it passes a diamond tester, and the US Federal Trade Commission recognizes it as a diamond.
So what's the difference?
Origin and price. A mined diamond formed underground over millions of years. A lab-grown diamond is grown in weeks under the same heat and pressure, recreated by machine. Under a loupe, even a trained grader needs lab equipment to tell them apart.
Why does it cost less?
No mine, no long chain of middlemen. That means your budget buys a larger stone, or a whiter and cleaner one.
What is IGI?
The International Gemological Institute is one of the world's largest independent diamond grading labs. An IGI report confirms the diamond is lab-grown and records its grades. Every diamond piece we sell comes with one.
How to choose
- Color: D, E and F are colorless. G and H look white once set. We mostly carry E-F.
- Clarity: VS1 and VS2 are clean to the eye. You won't see anything without magnification.
- Cut: The cut is what makes a diamond sparkle. Round brilliant gives the most fire. Oval looks bigger for its weight.
- Carat: Weight, not size. Two stones of the same weight can look different depending on cut.
Gold
Our Fine Gold pieces are solid 14K gold, stamped 14K. Our Everyday pieces are 14K gold over solid 925 sterling silver, which keeps a real-diamond piece affordable. Every product page says which one it is.
Questions? Write to us. We answer every email ourselves.