What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?

Lab grown diamonds (lab created, man made, engineered or cultured) form in controlled lab environments using tech that mimics nature. They have the same carbon atoms arranged in the diamond crystal structure, exhibiting the same optical/chemical properties as natural diamonds. We offer them in various colorless grades, plus fancy colors—including vivid yellow—which are rare in nature but available at reasonable prices.

How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
Lab-grown diamonds are developed from microscopic carbon seeds of existing diamonds. Specialized high-pressure and heat or CVD deposition replication methods emulate natural diamond formation. Deposition-grown diamonds may be further processed with heat and pressure. Fancy colored diamonds are created when trace elements are present during the growth stage, similar to natural diamonds. For both white and colored man-made diamonds, the trace elements may differ from naturally-occurring diamonds. Specialized equipment is needed to discern man-made diamonds from natural diamonds, as slight variations in trace elements and crystal growth can be detected.

Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Diamond Simulants
It is critical to understand the distinction between lab grown diamonds and diamond simulants, such as cubic zirconia and moissanite. These simulants appear to be genuine diamonds, yet they are not composed of carbon crystals and lack the chemical and physical properties of diamonds. Simulants can be notably distinguished from natural and lab grown diamonds with the unaided eye and are often priced substantially lower than laboratory diamonds.