Two diamonds, one decision
We don't take sides on lab-grown versus natural. Here's what's true about both, so the choice is yours.
We hold a position on information
You should understand exactly what you're choosing and why, and the decision should be yours. What follows is what's true about both.
It comes down to where it formed
Natural
Formed deep underground, then mined and cut. Chosen for that origin, and for holding something rare that will never be repeated.
Lab-grown
A real diamond, grown a different way using one of two methods the trade calls HPHT and CVD. Not an imitation.
Under the same light, they are identical.
Are lab-grown diamonds real?
Without qualification. They're graded on the same 4Cs by the same laboratories. Telling one from a natural stone isn't something the eye can do, ours included. It takes specialist equipment.
How they compare
What it's really worth
The cost
There's usually a real difference in price. We'd rather talk it through in the context of your actual piece than make it the headline reason to choose.
The value
Natural diamonds have a longer resale history, largely down to scarcity. But almost nobody buys an engagement ring to sell on. It's bought to be worn for a lifetime.
We'll steer you towards the diamond you'll love seeing every day, not the one a spreadsheet would pick.
Guided, never steered
Some clients choose lab-grown for an engagement ring and natural for an heirloom piece. Others do the reverse.
Both are right, because the only opinion that counts is that of the person who'll wear it.
See both, side by side
If you'd rather talk it through with someone who handles these stones every day, that's what a consultation is for. In Birmingham, London, Manchester or online.