Lab-grown vs natural diamonds: how they differ

If you’ve been looking at engagement rings or bespoke jewellery recently, you’ve probably come across the question:

Should I choose a natural diamond or a lab grown diamond?

It’s one of the most common conversations we have with clients in Hatton Garden, and there isn’t a “right” answer. It comes down to what suits you.

How natural diamonds are made

Natural diamonds are formed deep within the Earth, around 100 miles below the surface, under intense heat and pressure.

We’re talking about temperatures over 1,000°C and extreme pressure that slowly transforms pure carbon into a crystal. And this doesn’t happen quickly. Most natural diamonds are between 1 and 3 billion years old.

That means the stone you wear on your hand today may have formed long before life on Earth looked anything like it does now.

Volcanic eruptions eventually pushed these diamonds closer to the surface, where they were later discovered, mined, cut and polished.

For many people, that history matters. A stone that took billions of years to form has a romance of its own.

Natural diamonds are graded and certified by respected laboratories such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or IGI, so you know exactly what you’re buying in terms of cut, colour, clarity and carat weight.

How lab-grown diamonds are created

Lab grown diamonds are also real diamonds. They are not imitations or cubic zirconia; they are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds.

The only difference is how they are formed.

Instead of forming underground over billions of years, lab diamonds are created in advanced laboratories using one of two methods:

High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT), which recreates the natural conditions found beneath the Earth.

Or

Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), where carbon-rich gas is used to grow a diamond crystal layer by layer.

The process takes a matter of weeks rather than billions of years.

Once grown, the diamond is cut, polished and graded, often by the same institutions, including the Gemological Institute of America or IGI.

To the naked eye, even experienced jewellers cannot tell the difference without specialist equipment.

They sparkle the same.
They have the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale).
They are both genuine diamonds.

Why some people choose natural

Some clients love the story behind a natural diamond.

They like the rarity, the idea that no two stones are exactly the same, and the thought of something formed entirely by nature over billions of years.

There’s a certain emotional connection to that history.

Why some people choose lab-grown

Other clients prefer lab grown for practical reasons.

Because they cost less to produce, you can often choose a larger stone or a higher specification within the same budget.

For example, instead of a 1.00ct natural diamond, you might be able to choose a 1.50ct lab grown diamond for a similar price point.

For many couples, that makes a big difference.

Lab grown diamonds are also seen as a modern choice, created with advanced technology in a controlled environment.

So which is better?

Neither is “better.” They are different.

Natural diamonds offer rarity and history.
Lab grown diamonds offer value and modern innovation.

Both are real diamonds.
Both can be certified.

At Hatton Garden Bespoke Jewellery, we offer both options because we believe the decision should be yours.

Our job is to explain the difference clearly and help you choose, not to push one over the other.

To compare the two on real stones, you can browse certified diamonds in either kind and see the prices side by side. If you would rather understand the whole commission first, our guide to designing your own ring gives the starting prices and how long a commission takes.