What are Lab Grown Diamonds? Why They Might Be the Perfect Choice for Your Engagement and Wedding Rings

Lab-grown diamonds are a beautiful and affordable option for your engagement ring, wedding band, and fashion jewelry. They are chemically identical to natural diamonds and are of equal quality and beauty.

Because lab-grown diamonds are made of the same material as natural diamonds, they share the same visual and chemical properties, and therefore the same fire, light, sparkle, and shine. We have been working with premier growers around the world for a decade, which is how we are able to deliver independently certified, hand-selected lab-grown diamonds guaranteed for a lifetime of sparkle and joy.

Why Lab-Grown Diamonds Are a Beautiful Choice

Every cut and shape you would consider in a natural stone is available lab-grown, across the same range of quality grades, and it can be set in the same settings and metals. Nothing about the design conversation changes when you choose one.

That flexibility is why so many of the couples we work with start with a lab-grown center stone. It opens up shapes and carat weights that might otherwise sit outside the budget, without asking anyone to compromise on how the ring actually looks on the hand.

Platinum holds a large stone without adding any color of its own, which is why it is where our lab-grown center stones tend to look their best. The shapes below sit at the same weight class but read completely differently on the hand.

Eternalle Platinum Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring

• Platinum, polished, 2.1 mm shank
• Round center stone, prong set, 3 ct. tw. total
• Eternalle lab-grown diamond collection

Eternalle Platinum Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring

• Platinum, polished, 2.1 mm shank
• Princess-cut center stone, prong set, 3 1/4 ct. tw. total
• Eternalle lab-grown diamond collection

Eternalle Platinum Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring

• Platinum, polished, 2.6 mm shank
• Radiant-cut center stone, prong set, 3 1/2 ct. tw. total
• Eternalle lab-grown diamond collection

What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?

Are they real diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds, also sometimes called lab-created or manmade, are real diamonds. They are created as a result of processes in a lab rather than processes in the earth, and they are graded the same way as natural diamonds. Only an expert in a lab using specialized equipment can tell the difference. Always ask for the diamond certificate so you know exactly what you are buying, since a distinction like lab-grown versus natural is not something you can identify by looking at the stone.

How are lab-grown diamonds made?

Lab-grown diamonds are created in a lab using HPHT (high pressure high temperature) or CVD (chemical vapor deposition) processes that are conflict-free. Both are chemical processes that result in real diamonds, in the same way that processes in the earth result in natural diamonds.

Any differences between natural, HPHT, and CVD diamonds are not visible by looking at the stone and can only be detected with specialized equipment. While the two growth methods are different, both produce beautiful diamonds. We evaluate them the same way we evaluate natural diamonds, based on their beauty and characteristics rather than on how they were made.

How are lab-grown diamonds different from cubic zirconia and moissanite?

This is the question we hear most often. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are made of entirely different materials, which makes them diamond simulants rather than diamonds. Moissanite is silicon carbide, and it throws noticeably more rainbow flash than a diamond does. Cubic zirconia is a far softer material that tends to cloud and scratch with daily wear. A trained eye and standard gemological testing separate both from a diamond without much difficulty.

How Lab-Grown Diamonds Compare to Natural Diamonds

Both types are graded according to the 4Cs: cut, clarity, color, and carat. Neither type is better than the other. It comes down to your personal preference about the history and origin of the stone. Our natural diamonds are certified conflict-free under the 2003 Kimberley Process, and our lab-grown diamonds are conflict-free by the nature of how they are produced.

Where the two genuinely diverge is price. A lab-grown stone typically costs meaningfully less than a natural stone of comparable size and quality, which is what makes the trade-offs below worth thinking through before you choose.

A wider shank is the clearest example of where that difference goes. This one carries diamonds down the sides as well as the center, which is the kind of detail that usually gets traded away first when a budget is tight.

Eternalle Platinum Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring

• Platinum, polished, 3.2 mm shank
• Round center stone, prong set, 3 ct. tw. total
• Diamonds carried along the shank as well as the center
• Eternalle lab-grown diamond collection

Those gains show up most clearly in white gold, where the metal steps back and the stone does the work. A cushion-cut ring and a pair of studs are very different purchases, but the reasoning behind each one is the same.

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring

• 14K white gold, rhodium plated, 1.6 mm shank
• Cushion-cut center stone, prong set, 1 1/3 ct. tw. total
• Eternalle lab-grown diamond collection

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Earrings

• 14K white gold, rhodium plated
• 3 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• Hinged snap backing

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Earrings

• 14K white gold, rhodium plated
• 2 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• Hinged snap backing

Lab-Grown Diamonds Beyond the Engagement Ring

The same value argument holds across the rest of the jewelry box. Lab-grown diamond earrings, pendants, and necklaces are pieces people wear daily for decades, so carat weight and quality tend to matter more than they do in an occasional piece. Yellow gold in particular has been the metal our guests reach for most in recent seasons.

Lab-Grown Diamond Earrings in Yellow Gold

Eternalle 14K Yellow Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Earrings

• 14K yellow gold, polished
• 5/8 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• Friction back, modern design

Eternalle 14K Yellow Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Hoop Earrings

• 14K yellow gold, polished
• 1/2 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• Hoop silhouette with a hinged snap backing

Eternalle 14K Yellow Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Huggie Earrings

• 14K yellow gold, polished
• 1/2 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• Huggie silhouette that sits close to the lobe

Lab-Grown Diamond Necklaces and Pendants

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Circle Pendant

• 14K white gold circle, rhodium plated
• 2 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• 18″ cable chain, lobster claw clasp

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Circle Necklace

• 14K white gold circle, rhodium plated
• 3/4 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• 18″ cable chain, lobster claw clasp

Eternalle 14K White Gold Lab-Grown Diamond Pendant

• 14K white gold, rhodium plated
• 1/2 ct. tw. lab-grown diamonds
• 18″ cable chain, lobster claw clasp

How We Certify and Grade Our Lab-Grown Diamonds

Every lab-grown diamond we sell arrives with independent certification against the standard 4Cs scale. What happens after that is ours. We hand-select every diamond and evaluate it further on visual beauty, sparkle, and structural integrity. Only 1 in 10 diamonds we see meets that standard, natural or lab-grown, and the ones that do not simply never reach our cases.

The Robbins Brothers Difference

For more than 100 years, we have guided couples through one of life’s most meaningful purchases. That experience shapes how we buy lab-grown diamonds, how we grade them, and how we stand behind them afterward.

• A decade of lab-grown expertise. We have worked with premier growers around the world since the category was new to fine jewelry retail.
• The same lifetime warranty. Our Eternalle lab-grown diamonds carry the identical product protection as our natural diamonds.
• Custom work in house. Our master jeweler and in-house design studio can build a setting around the lab-grown stone you choose.
• See them side by side. Our VIP diamond viewing rooms let you compare lab-grown and natural stones under ideal lighting before you decide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lab-Grown Diamonds

Are lab-grown diamonds less expensive than natural diamonds?

Generally, yes. A lab-grown diamond is a strong value that can open up a larger center stone, a higher quality grade, or a more diamond-intensive band than the same budget would otherwise reach. How much you save depends on the shape, size, and quality you are comparing, which is why we recommend looking at both in person.

Do you offer both lab-grown and natural diamonds for engagement rings?

Yes. We carry both lab-grown and natural diamond engagement rings, and our jewelry consultants can walk you through the differences without pushing you toward either one. It is a personal decision about origin, budget, and what matters to you.

Will a jeweler be able to tell my diamond is lab-grown?

Not by eye. Distinguishing a lab-grown diamond from a natural one requires specialized equipment in a gemological laboratory. This is exactly why the certificate matters, and why every lab-grown diamond we sell comes with independent certification.

Can I create a custom ring with a lab-grown diamond?

Absolutely. Our in-house design studio works closely with you, whether you are starting from scratch, modifying an existing design, or reimagining an heirloom. Our master jeweler can build it with you around whichever stone you select.

What warranty comes with lab-grown diamond jewelry?

Our Eternalle line of lab-grown diamonds comes with the same best-in-class lifetime warranty as our natural diamonds, covering cleaning, inspection, and repairs. Complimentary cleaning and inspection are available at any of our showrooms.

How do lab-grown diamonds hold up to everyday wear?

Exactly as a natural diamond does. They are the same material, so they sit at the same point on the hardness scale and resist scratching the same way. What actually determines how a ring ages is the setting rather than the origin of the stone, so if you work with your hands we will usually point you toward a sturdier prong or a bezel that keeps the girdle protected.

Can I get a matching lab-grown diamond wedding band?

Yes, and it is worth trying the two together before you commit to either. Our lab-grown diamond wedding bands span plain metal through full eternity, and whether a band sits flush against the engagement ring depends on the center stone’s shape and how low it sits. That is a fit question a photograph cannot answer.

Do I need an appointment to see lab-grown diamonds in person?

Walk-ins are always welcome, but we recommend booking a consultation so you have dedicated time with one of our jewelry experts and can view stones without feeling rushed.

You can learn more about our Eternalle lab-grown diamonds, or read our guides to natural diamonds and fancy shape diamonds.

Or find a Robbins Brothers near you to see our lab-grown diamonds in person.