29/05/2026
A VERY LONG READ AHEAD — Do you know the difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds? Let us know where you stand in the comments!💬💎
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically the same as natural mined diamonds, but they’re made in laboratories using highly specialised machinery that mimics nature’s process of forming diamonds underground — a process involving intense heat, pressure, and millions of years.🦖
🔬Scientists have been able to replicate these conditions, and now lab-grown diamonds can be created using two different processes:
High Pressure, High Temperature (𝗛𝗣𝗛𝗧)
Lab diamonds formed using the HPHT method grow in 14 directions in the shape of a cuboctahedron and form within a few days to a few weeks, depending on size.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (𝗖𝗩𝗗)
The CVD method creates diamonds that grow in one direction in the shape of a cube and take a few weeks to a few months to form, depending on carat weight.
For comparison, natural mined diamonds grow in 8 directions in the shape of an octahedron and take millions of years to form.🛑
What happens next is the same for all methods: the raw stones are cut, faceted, polished, and weighed to produce the brilliant-cut, sparkling diamonds that you all know and love.✨
👁️To the naked eye, there’s no visible difference between a lab-grown diamond and a natural diamond. However, we can tell the difference using a specialised diamond tester that uses UV light, tests for the presence of nitrogen, and analyses growth patterns, so we know exactly what we’re looking at.
We sell a small selection of lab-grown diamonds, and all diamonds we buy in are tested on arrival to determine their nature.
All lab-grown diamonds are clearly marked in-store, and you can also shop our small selection online.🏷️
Did you already know the difference, or did this post teach you something new?⭐️
