Lab-Grown Diamonds, Explained

Lab-grown vs mined, attribute by attribute

Every row below is measurable. The first six are identical between the two; only the last two differ.

What the saving actually buys you

The practical effect is not a cheaper ring. It is a bigger, cleaner, better-cut stone at the budget you already had. A customer with $2,000 to spend moves from roughly a 0.4ct mined centre to roughly a 1.5ct lab-grown centre of equal or better clarity and colour.

It also changes what is worth customising. Because the stone is no longer the overwhelming share of the cost, spending on the setting — a hidden halo, a split shank, hand engraving — stops being a luxury and becomes the interesting part of the decision.

Questions people actually ask

Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes. A lab-grown diamond is the same mineral as a mined diamond: pure crystalline carbon in the same lattice, 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, with the same refractive index and the same fire. Gemmological laboratories grade them on the identical 4Cs scale. The US Federal Trade Commission removed "natural" from its definition of a diamond in 2018 precisely because the two are the same material. The only real difference is where the crystal formed.

Can a jeweller tell a lab-grown diamond from a mined one?

Not by eye, and not with a loupe. Distinguishing them requires specialised equipment that reads trace growth markers, which is why every lab-grown stone above 0.5ct is laser-inscribed on the girdle with its report number. Nobody looking at the ring on your hand can tell.

How much cheaper are lab-grown diamonds?

Typically 60-80% less than a mined diamond of the same carat, cut, colour and clarity. The gap widens as the stone gets larger, because mined prices spike at each carat threshold while lab-grown prices scale far more gradually. In practice most customers use the saving to move up one to two carats, or to move up in clarity and cut grade at the same carat weight.

Do lab-grown diamonds hold their value?

Lab-grown diamonds resell for less than mined diamonds, and this is the one genuine trade-off. It is worth keeping in perspective: mined diamonds also resell far below retail, typically for 25-50% of what was paid. If a ring is being bought to wear rather than as an investment, lab-grown gives you substantially more stone for the money. Ever and Always also credits your stone in full against a larger one if you upgrade with us later.

How are lab-grown diamonds made?

Two methods. CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) grows a diamond layer by layer from carbon-rich gas onto a thin diamond seed in a vacuum chamber. HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) recreates the pressure and heat found deep in the earth, around 1,500C and 1.5 million pounds per square inch. Both produce the same result in roughly two to four weeks.

Are lab-grown diamonds better for the environment?

Generally yes, though it depends on the energy source of the growing facility. Lab-grown involves no mining, no open pits and no displaced earth, and the origin of every stone is fully traceable. That traceability is the more reliable claim, and it is why lab-grown is the default choice for customers who want certainty about sourcing.

Are the lab-grown diamonds at Ever and Always certified?

Yes. Every centre stone we set is independently graded and comes with its laboratory report, at no extra cost. Certification is included in the price shown, not added at checkout. Ever and Always is based at 7000 Arundel Mills Cir, Hanover, Maryland.