Yes! Lab-grown diamonds are just as real as mined diamonds.

With the exact same optical, chemical, thermal and physical properties, the only difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds is their origin. Lab-grown diamonds are grown in controlled laboratory environments that produce the same pressure and heat conditions that form mined diamonds in the earth's crust.

Lab-grown diamonds are completely different to diamond simulants. Simulant diamonds are manufactured to look like a real diamond, but are made from totally different materials. The most well-known simulant is cubic zirconia (CZ) which is a crystal form of zirconium oxide. Lab-grown diamonds are made from actual carbon atoms arranged in the characteristic diamond crystal structure - making them 100% real diamonds!

A lab-grown diamond has the same chemical and physical properties as a diamond while a simulant is made of a different material, designed to simply mimic the appearance of a diamond. One of the most well-known simulants is cubic zirconia which is made from a soft substance called zirconium dioxide. Simulant diamonds will not have the same longevity as real diamonds and will need to be replaced every few years. Lab-grown diamonds are just diamonds, with their origins being the only distinguishable difference. Lab and mined diamonds are both made of pure carbon and hold a hardness rating of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. A lab-grown diamond will last just as long as a mined diamond.

The only difference between a mined diamond and a lab diamond is their origin. Mined diamonds are formed in the Earth’s crust under intense heat and pressure and then mined from the ground. Lab diamonds are grown under the exact same conditions as mined diamonds but within a laboratory setting - removing the need for mining. With the exact same chemical, physical and optical properties, the only real difference is that mined diamonds are mined and lab grown diamonds are not. This makes lab diamonds the ethical, eco-friendly and sustainable choice.