A lab-grown diamond is a diamond: carbon crystallised in the cubic structure, with the same hardness, refractive index and fire as a mined stone. The only difference is the address of the growth.
How they are made
- HPHT (high pressure, high temperature): carbon is pressed and heated until it crystallises — the process that happens underground, compressed into weeks.
- CVD (chemical vapour deposition): a diamond seed grows layer by layer from carbon-rich gas in a plasma chamber — slower, and the method behind most fine jewellery stones today.
How they differ from simulants
Cubic zirconia and moissanite are look-alikes, not diamonds — softer, or optically different under light. A lab-grown diamond passes every test a mined one passes, because the tests measure the crystal structure, not the origin.
Why they cost less
Not because they are lesser — because the supply chain is shorter. No exploration, no extraction, no long intermediate trade. Pricing is closer to production cost than to rarity, which is why a lab-grown stone typically lands 40–70% under the mined equivalent for the same grade.
What we use
Pieces in this collection set cubic zirconia and white topaz for everyday pavé — bright, durable and honestly labelled. Where a description says “stone”, the exact material is named on the product page.