There is a moment, usually somewhere between browsing and buying, where the question appears. Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
It is a fair question. And the answer, definitively, scientifically, categorically, is yes.
But that one answer rarely feels like enough. So here is everything else you need to know before you buy: what lab-grown diamonds actually are, how they are made, what they look like, how they compare, and why every piece of Astella fine jewellery is set with them.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Not a simulant. Not an imitation. Not cubic zirconia or moissanite. A diamond: formed from pure carbon, with the same crystal structure, the same chemical composition, and the same physical properties as a diamond pulled from the earth.
The only difference is where it was created.
A mined diamond forms over billions of years beneath the earth's surface, under extreme heat and pressure. A lab-grown diamond replicates that exact process in a controlled environment, in weeks rather than millennia. The result is chemically, optically, and physically identical.
If you placed a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond side by side, even a trained gemologist could not tell the difference with the naked eye. The only way to distinguish them is with specialist equipment, and even then, what separates them is origin, not quality.
How are lab-grown diamonds made?
There are two primary methods used to create lab-grown diamonds, both of which mirror the natural formation process.
High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) replicates the conditions deep within the earth. A small diamond seed is placed in carbon and subjected to extreme pressure and temperatures exceeding 1,400 degrees Celsius. The carbon crystallises around the seed, forming a diamond.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) is a more recent method. A diamond seed is placed in a chamber filled with carbon-rich gas. The gas is then ionised into plasma, which causes carbon atoms to attach to the seed layer by layer, gradually building a diamond crystal.
Both methods produce genuine diamonds. The process simply takes weeks instead of billions of years.
Do lab-grown diamonds look different?
No. Lab-grown diamonds have the same brilliance, the same fire, the same sparkle as mined diamonds. They are graded using exactly the same system, the 4Cs: cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, by the same independent gemological laboratories, including the GIA and IGI.
A well-cut lab-grown diamond will outshine a poorly cut mined diamond every time. The quality of the stone depends on those grades, not on how it was formed.
At Astella, every lab-grown diamond is selected for its brilliance and finish. The stones you see in our pieces have been individually chosen and set by our jewellers in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, nothing is selected by default.
What is the difference in price?
Lab-grown diamonds are typically 50–80% less expensive than mined diamonds of equivalent quality. This is not because they are inferior, it is because the supply chain is shorter and the cost of production has reduced as the technology has matured.
What this means in practice is that you can access a larger, higher-quality stone for the same budget. A 1ct lab-grown diamond that might cost £1,500–£2,000 could easily command £8,000–£12,000 or more as a mined stone of comparable grade. The diamond is the same. The origin is not.
Or invest in the same quality stone and have more to spend on the setting, the metal, and the craftsmanship.
At Astella, we believe fine jewellery should be worn, not saved. Lab-grown diamonds make that possible without compromise.
Are lab-grown diamonds as durable as mined diamonds?
Yes. Diamonds score a perfect 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the scientific measure of scratch resistance, and the highest rating possible. Lab-grown diamonds score exactly the same.
This is why diamonds have always been the stone of choice for everyday fine jewellery. They do not scratch under normal wear. They do not deteriorate. A diamond ring worn every day for decades will look the same as the day it was made, which is precisely why we use them in pieces designed to be worn without occasion, without hesitation, and without taking off.
Are lab-grown diamonds ethical?
This is where lab-grown diamonds have a genuinely compelling story.
Traditional diamond mining has a well-documented history of environmental impact: including habitat destruction, significant carbon emissions, and in some regions, deeply troubling human rights concerns. While the industry has made strides with certification programmes like the Kimberley Process, questions remain about traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
Lab-grown diamonds require no mining. They produce a fraction of the carbon emissions and carry none of the ethical uncertainty around sourcing. For buyers who care about where their jewellery comes from, and increasingly, people do, lab-grown diamonds offer something the mined market simply cannot guarantee: full confidence in the origin of the stone.
Will a lab-grown diamond hold its value?
This is the most honest part of the conversation.
Lab-grown diamonds do not hold their value the way some mined diamonds have historically. As production has scaled, prices have fallen: and that trend is likely to continue. If you are buying a diamond as a financial investment, this matters.
But if you are buying a diamond to wear, to mark a moment, to layer on your wrist, to put on every morning and not take off, then value retention is not the point. The point is the piece itself, the craftsmanship, and what it means to you. On those measures, lab-grown diamonds offer everything a mined diamond does, at a price that reflects the world we actually live in.
Why does Astella use lab-grown diamonds?
Because they are real. Because they are exceptional. Because they allow us to create fine jewellery that is designed to be worn every single day, not kept in a box for special occasions.
Every diamond in every Astella piece is lab-grown. Not as a compromise, but as a considered choice. We believe fine jewellery should be ethical, accessible, and made to last, and lab-grown diamonds make all three possible without sacrificing a single point of quality.
Our stones are set by experienced jewellers in Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter, in solid 9ct or 18ct gold or platinum. Every piece is made to order, finished by hand, and backed by a lifetime warranty.
Because when something is made this carefully, it should be worn accordingly.
Ready to find your perfect piece? Book a complimentary consultation with an Astella jewellery stylist, virtually or in-store at Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Unhurried, personal, and entirely complimentary.