Everything you need to know before you buy a natural or lab-grown diamond

Purchasing jewellery is rarely a casual decision, particularly when a diamond is involved. Beyond the significant financial outlay, it carries considerable emotional weight — diamonds are often treated as heirlooms in their own right, marking career milestones, personal achievements, birthdays, anniversaries, or other defining moments.

Such a purchase demands clarity, careful thought, and a thorough understanding of what one is actually acquiring.

Diamond buying is frequently accompanied by confusion over pricing, certification, quality, authenticity, and long-term value.

To help cut through the noise, HT Lifestyle spoke to Shyamala Ramanan, Business Head of BEYON, from the house of Titan, for a comprehensive FAQ guide aimed at buyers uncertain about the differences between natural and laboratory-grown diamonds.

1. Are laboratory-grown diamonds genuine diamonds, or merely a substitute?

The answer is unequivocal: laboratory-grown diamonds are real diamonds — not diamond-like, not diamond-inspired.

A laboratory-grown diamond is chemically, optically, and physically identical to a mined diamond, sharing the same carbon crystal structure, hardness, fire, and brilliance.

The sole distinction lies in origin: a mined diamond forms deep within the earth over billions of years, whereas a laboratory-grown diamond is produced in a controlled facility by scientists who replicate the natural geological process over a matter of weeks.

The correct terminology is "laboratory-grown" or "laboratory-created" diamonds. Tellingly, even a trained gemologist cannot distinguish between the two simply by examining them.

2. If they are identical, why are lab-grown diamonds so much cheaper — and should buyers be concerned?

The price of a mined diamond reflects its entire journey: billions of years in the earth, the complexity of extraction, and a lengthy global supply chain.

Laboratory-grown diamonds follow a shorter, less costly path — produced in weeks in a controlled facility, without those accumulated layers of expense. The result is a gemstone of equivalent quality at a fraction of the cost.

That affordability opens up greater freedom for buyers. The same person might treasure a family's mined diamond solitaire for its sentimental heritage, whilst also choosing a laboratory-grown diamond necklace for everyday or occasion wear — each serving a different emotional purpose.

3. Is a laboratory-grown diamond a sound investment? Should it be compared to gold?

Gold operates on its own financial logic, and diamonds — whether mined or laboratory-grown — should not be evaluated through the same lens.

Ramanan argues that an investment mindset has long encouraged people to store jewellery rather than enjoy it: pieces bought, locked away safely, brought out only for weddings, and otherwise left unworn for the majority of their lives.

Laboratory-grown diamonds, she suggests, offer a liberation from that constant calculation of resale value and returns.

They open the door to purchasing jewellery for indulgence, beauty, and the pleasure of everyday wear — chosen for design, self-expression, and personal joy rather than as a financial asset.

4. Are buyers now looking beyond bigger stones and lower prices?

When laboratory-grown diamonds first entered the market, the appeal of larger stones at better prices gave consumers a practical reason to explore the category. That framing has since evolved.

Buyers are increasingly looking beyond carat size and cost, with the conversation shifting towards design, wearability, personal style, and whether a piece truly reflects who they are.

Crucially, laboratory-grown diamonds are not positioned as a replacement for traditional solitaires or mined diamonds — they exist alongside them, catering to different needs and occasions.

5. Should buyers worry about resale value?

The market for laboratory-grown diamonds is still evolving. Prices have fallen considerably, meaning buyers today receive more for their money than they would have three years ago. Future pricing remains difficult to predict.

A more pertinent question, Ramanan suggests, is whether resale value truly matters if the piece is being bought to wear and enjoy.

Different diamonds carry different kinds of value: a mined diamond may hold sentimental or heritage significance, especially when passed down through generations, whilst a laboratory-grown diamond may derive its meaning from its design, wearability, and the daily joy it brings its wearer.

Anxiety around resale tends to arise when jewellery is treated purely as a financial instrument rather than as an adornment. Younger buyers, Ramanan notes, are increasingly approaching jewellery without investment return as their primary consideration.