It is the question we are asked more than any other: should I choose a natural diamond or a lab-grown one? There is no wrong answer, only the right one for you, and it becomes much easier to find once you understand what actually separates the two.
First, Both Are Real Diamonds
A lab-grown diamond is not a simulant or an imitation. It is made of exactly the same thing as a natural diamond, pure carbon arranged in the same crystal structure, so it has the same hardness, the same fire and the same brilliance. To the naked eye, and even to an experienced jeweller with a loupe, the two look identical. Telling them apart takes specialist laboratory equipment.
Regulators agree. In 2018, the US Federal Trade Commission removed the word "natural" from its definition of a diamond, recognising lab-grown stones as diamonds too, provided they are clearly described as laboratory-grown or laboratory-created. That is why an honest jeweller will always tell you which one you are buying, and why your grading report will say so.
The Real Difference Is Origin
A natural diamond formed deep within the earth, typically between one and three and a half billion years ago, and was carried to the surface by ancient volcanic eruptions. Every one is a small piece of geological history, and no two are alike.
A lab-grown diamond is grown in weeks rather than aeons, using one of two methods that recreate the conditions in which diamonds form: high pressure and high temperature (known as HPHT), or chemical vapour deposition (CVD), in which carbon is built up layer by layer on a tiny diamond seed. The result is a diamond with a modern story rather than an ancient one.
Price: The Biggest Practical Difference
Because lab-grown diamonds can be produced to order, they cost a fraction of a natural diamond of the same size and quality. For the same budget, that can mean a larger centre stone, a fuller tennis bracelet or a pair of statement studs.
The other side of that coin is that lab-grown prices keep falling as production grows. Industry figures reported by JCK in August 2026 showed wholesale prices for loose lab-grown diamonds down by around a quarter during 2025, and one widely followed index down by well over 90% since 2018. Natural diamonds are finite and have a long-established resale market; lab-grown diamonds, so far, do not. If future value matters to you, it is worth weighing.
Grading: What Your Report Will Say
Both kinds of diamond can be graded on the four Cs of cut, colour, clarity and carat weight, and IGI, one of the world's largest grading laboratories, grades lab-grown stones on the same familiar scales. The Gemological Institute of America has taken a different route: in 2025 it announced that it would stop using its colour and clarity grades for lab-grown diamonds, describing them instead as either "premium" or "standard". Whichever laboratory is used, the report will state clearly whether the stone is natural or laboratory-grown.
So, Which Should You Choose?
Choose natural if rarity and permanence matter most: if the piece is an engagement ring, marks a milestone or is meant to be passed down, and you love the idea of a stone formed long before anyone wore it.
Choose lab-grown if you want the most size and sparkle for your budget, or for pieces you will wear every day without a second thought, such as studs, tennis bracelets and fashion-forward designs.
Many of our clients choose both: a natural centre stone for the ring that marks the moment, and lab-grown diamonds for the pieces that make everyday dressing feel special.
The Dominium Diamond Standard
To make the choice simple, every Dominium diamond belongs to one of three tiers: Heritage, natural diamonds graded by GIA; Signature, natural diamonds graded by IGI; and Contemporary, laboratory-grown diamonds graded by IGI. Whichever you choose, we will always tell you exactly what you are buying and show you the grading report for your stone wherever one applies.
For a closer look at the four Cs, read our Diamond Guide, or discover the history of diamonds.
Not sure which is right for you? Book a private consultation and we will walk you through both, side by side.
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