The question is reasonable. When something is described as "lab grown," the instinct is to wonder whether "lab grown" means "less than." The answer is no, and the reason is not a marketing position. It is chemistry.
This article covers the science behind what makes a diamond a diamond, why lab grown diamonds meet every definition of that term, and what the difference is between a lab grown diamond and the simulants (moissanite, cubic zirconia) that often get incorrectly grouped with them.
What Makes a Diamond a Diamond (The Science)
A diamond is carbon atoms arranged in a specific crystal lattice structure. That structure, the diamond cubic crystal system, is what gives diamonds their extraordinary hardness, their optical properties, their refractive index, and their characteristic fire and brilliance. The carbon lattice is the diamond. Nothing else defines it.
A natural diamond forms when carbon is subjected to immense heat (approximately 1,000-1,300°C) and pressure (approximately 45,000-60,000 atmospheres) deep in the Earth's mantle over millions of years. The result is a carbon crystal with the specific lattice structure described above.
A lab grown diamond is the same carbon crystal, formed by replicating those conditions in a laboratory. The carbon lattice structure is identical. The physical and chemical properties are identical. The result is chemically, physically, and optically equivalent to a natural diamond, because it is a diamond.
How Lab Grown Diamonds Are Created: CVD and HPHT Explained Simply
There are two primary methods for growing diamonds in a laboratory. Both produce genuine diamonds.
CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) introduces a carbon-rich gas (typically methane) into a chamber with a diamond seed crystal. The gas is activated, usually by microwave energy, causing carbon atoms to separate from the gas and deposit onto the seed crystal, building a diamond layer by layer. The process runs at lower pressures than natural diamond formation but at temperatures of 700-1,300°C. The result is a genuine diamond crystal.
HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) more directly replicates the conditions of natural diamond formation, subjecting a diamond seed crystal and carbon source to high pressure (5-6 GPa) and high temperature (1,300-1,600°C). Carbon atoms migrate to the seed crystal and grow it into a larger diamond. The result is equally a genuine diamond crystal.
Neither process produces anything other than a diamond. The carbon lattice structure that defines diamond is present in both CVD and HPHT grown stones, confirmed by the same tests that confirm it in natural diamonds.
Chemical, Physical, Optical: What IGI Tests and What It Confirms
When the International Gemological Institute certifies a lab grown diamond, it applies the same testing standards it applies to natural diamonds. The tests confirm:
- Crystal structure: X-ray diffraction confirms the diamond cubic crystal lattice. There is no crystal structure test a lab grown diamond fails that a natural diamond passes: they have the same structure.
- Refractive index: 2.417-2.419 for both lab grown and natural diamonds. This determines how light bends inside the stone and drives the characteristic brilliance of a well-cut diamond.
- Hardness: 10 on the Mohs scale, the hardest naturally occurring substance. Lab grown diamonds register the same hardness because they have the same crystal structure.
- Thermal conductivity: Both natural and lab grown diamonds are excellent thermal conductors, which is why diamond testers (thermal probe tests) produce the same positive result for both.
- Dispersion: 0.044, the measure of how much a diamond separates white light into spectral colours (fire). Identical for lab grown and natural diamonds with equivalent cut quality.
The IGI grading report documents cut grade, colour grade, clarity grade, carat weight, and proportions, the same parameters measured for natural diamonds. This is not a concession to lab grown diamonds. It is the acknowledgement that they require the same grading rigour because they are the same material. Learn more at our IGI certification page.
The Difference Between Lab Grown and Simulants (Moissanite, CZ)
The confusion between lab grown diamonds and diamond simulants is understandable but worth resolving clearly, because they are fundamentally different materials.
Cubic zirconia (CZ) is zirconium dioxide, not carbon. It has a different crystal structure, different chemical composition, different refractive index (2.15-2.18 vs 2.42 for diamond), and significantly lower hardness (8-8.5 vs 10 on Mohs). CZ is visually similar to diamond when new but scratches and dulls over time. It cannot be graded by IGI as a diamond because it is not a diamond.
Moissanite is silicon carbide, also not carbon alone. It has different chemistry (SiC vs pure C), a different refractive index (2.65-2.69, actually higher than diamond), and a characteristic "rainbow" dispersion that trained observers can distinguish from diamond. Moissanite has its own genuine appeal, but it is not a diamond. A moissanite tester (thermal probe) will give a false diamond positive, which is why experienced gemologists use additional testing methods.
A lab grown diamond tests as a diamond on every instrument because it is a diamond. A simulant tests differently because it is not. This distinction is not subtle: it is absolute.
What Gemologists Say When They Test a Lab Grown Diamond
When a gemologist examines a lab grown diamond without prior knowledge of its origin, every standard gemological test returns the same result as for a natural diamond. Thermal conductivity testing: diamond. Refractive index testing: diamond. Crystal structure under magnification: diamond.
The only distinguishing test is advanced spectroscopic analysis (FTIR or UV-visible spectroscopy), which can identify the growth method and confirm lab origin. The IGI certificate discloses this: every lab grown diamond certificate clearly states that the stone is laboratory grown. This disclosure is complete and transparent. It does not change what the stone is: it provides the origin information that the certificate buyer deserves.
Why Some People Still Say "Not Real", and What They Actually Mean
When someone says a lab grown diamond is "not real," they typically mean one of two things: either they have confused lab grown diamonds with simulants (a factual error), or they mean that the stone lacks the geological provenance of a mined diamond (a different argument entirely).
The geological provenance argument is legitimate as a value claim: some buyers attach personal and philosophical significance to the millions-of-years formation story of a natural diamond. That is a real preference, and it deserves respect. But it is not a claim about the diamond's material reality. A lab grown diamond is real diamond material whether or not its formation story spans millions of years rather than weeks.
Nivara sells lab grown diamonds because we believe the value case for them is overwhelming for most Indian buyers. More diamond per rupee, with identical material quality and IGI certification. The formation story is different. The diamond is the same.
Choosing with Confidence: What the Science Means for You
What the chemistry means for a buyer is this: when you buy an IGI-certified lab grown diamond from a credible retailer, you are buying a genuine diamond. Every test that confirms a natural diamond confirms your stone too. Every property that makes diamonds exceptional (hardness, fire, brilliance, durability) is present in your stone.
You are not choosing a compromise. You are choosing the same material at a different price point and with a different origin story. The difference in origin is real. The diamond is equally real. Explore our solitaires collection or visit our showroom to see the difference in person.
