What's the Deal with Lab-Grown Diamonds?

What's the deal with lab-grown diamond?

First things first,

They're real diamonds, grown in a lab.

Same carbon. Same crystal structure. Same hardness. Same sparkle. They wear the same as natural diamonds and hold up the same in real life.

The difference is where they formed. Natural diamonds formed underground over billions of years. Lab diamonds are grown in a controlled environment that produces the same material much faster.

Lab-grown is catching on quickly.

48%

Of engagement rings purchased in 2025 had a lab diamond center stone, up from 6% in 2019.

According to BrightCo

Our honest take on lab diamonds?

We really like them.

They don't replace natural diamonds and aren't for everyone, but they made high-quality jewelry a lot more accessible and opened up a new lane for creativity in design.

We think they are a great product because they are real diamonds, they wear beautifully, and they give you flexibility to create something you've always wanted.

Here are a few things we think you should know.

#1

The math checks out

Lab diamonds cost a fraction of what you would pay for a natural diamond of similar size and quality.

Lab diamond pricing doesn't play by the rules that natural diamonds do.
As you go up in carat weight, the price doesn't spike the way natural does.
Colorless, eye-clean lab stones are standard, so you aren't paying a huge premium for beautiful stones.

The bigger the stone, the bigger the gap between natural and lab.

This is worth noting

Natural diamonds still win at value retention.

Lab diamond prices have come down since they first hit the market, making them more affordable and accessible than ever. If resale value or long-term appreciation is part of how you're thinking about this purchase though, natural diamonds have the stronger track record there.

#2

Consistency is a huge pro

Multi stone jewelry looks it's best when everything is pulling its weight. If one diamond is off in color, size, or cut, you can see it.

Lab diamonds are created in controlled environments and in quantities that allow for perfect matches. This makes lab a great choice for tennis bracelets, eternity bands, earrings, or anything where uniformity is part of the design.

#3

Shape is where you can really have fun

Round brilliants are classic for a reason and they're not going anywhere. But lab-grown diamonds make it a lot easier to experiment.

Fancy cuts, mixed cuts, unexpected combinations of shapes in a single piece. Designs where the stone choices are doing as much work as the setting. There's a whole world of creative jewelry that becomes a lot more accessible when you're working with lab-grown diamonds, and it goes way beyond picking between round and oval.

Custom work opens this up even further. If you've been sitting on an idea, lab-grown diamonds give us a lot more to work with. Check out some of our past custom work for inspiration.

#4

Color

Natural colored diamonds, especially pinks, blues, and vivid yellows, are so rare that most people never seriously shop in that lane. Lab changes that.

Beyond the classic colorless range, lab diamonds also come in warm yellow, vivid blue, blush pink, and other tones that feel a little less traditional.

P.S. Lab-grown colored gemstones are a thing too. We’ll get into that another time.

Lab-Grown Peach Diamond Ring | 2.07 CT | 14K White Gold | IGI Certified

$4,400.00

#5

Men's jewelry got a lot more interesting.

Men’s diamond jewelry has more range now. Bands, diamond chains, bracelets, studs. Lab fits well here because it works across all of it, from simple diamond accents to styles where the diamonds are the whole point.

Our standards for lab diamonds we carry at Sundance

Because lab diamonds are grown in a controlled environment, most of them naturally come out in a pretty consistent, high-quality range. That's part of what makes them so appealing. But as the market has expanded and prices have dropped, lower quality stones have found their way in too.

The lab diamonds we bring into Sundance are colorless and clean, which in real terms means F color or better and VS clarity or better. Most of what we carry sits at VVS1 or VVS2. We source IGI certified stones with excellent or ideal cut grades and no fluorescence, because that's what we'd want for ourselves.

When you're looking at a lab diamond here, the sorting has already been done. You're starting from a good place.

Can lab-grown diamonds be used in all the same settings and designs as natural stones?

Lab-grown diamonds can be used in all the same styles as natural diamonds. They’re real diamonds with the same hardness, so your setting options don’t change just because the stone was grown in a lab.

Can lab-grown diamonds be resized around, reset, or reworked in the future like natural stones?

Yes. A lab-grown diamond can be resized around, reset into a new design, or even re-cut by a skilled cutter, just like a mined diamond. The same workmanship considerations and risks apply.

Do lab-grown diamonds require any special care or maintenance?

No. Lab-grown diamonds are just as hard and durable as natural diamonds and can be cleaned and cared for the same way.

The biggest threats are the same for both: hard knocks, harsh chemicals, and worn-out prongs. Taking your ring off for heavy work or swimming, and having it checked once or twice a year, keeps it looking its best for the long haul.

Why are lab diamonds cheaper if they're "the same"?

Lab-grown diamonds are less expensive mainly because they’re faster and more efficient to produce and move through a much shorter supply chain than mined diamonds, not because they’re lower quality.

Are lab-grown diamonds graded and certified the same way as natural?

Lab-grown diamonds are graded by independent gem labs using the same quality scale as natural diamonds. They use the familiar 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Organizations like GIA and IGI both issue grading reports for lab-grown stones, and those reports clearly identify the diamond as lab-grown and often list how it was grown.

Can lab-grown diamonds be insured and appraised like natural diamonds?

You can absolutely insure a lab-grown diamond engagement ring or fine jewelry piece, and in may cases you absolutely should. Insurance companies typically ask for an appraisal, just as they do with natural diamonds, and that appraisal describes the quality of the diamond, the metal, and the overall design.

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