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June 19, 2026 7 min read
If you have started shopping for an engagement ring or wedding jewellery in the past year or two, you have almost certainly come across the lab grown diamond conversation. What started as a niche topic among jewellery enthusiasts has become one of the most common questions couples bring into our store at Stylessence Fine Jewellery in downtown Toronto. And honestly, it is a great question to be asking.
The decision between a natural diamond and a lab grown diamond is not as straightforward as some people make it sound. There is no universally correct answer, and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something. What there is, however, is a clear set of facts that makes the decision much easier once you understand them. This guide walks through everything that actually matters so you can make the choice that is right for you, your partner, and your budget.
Yes. Fully, completely, and without qualification.
This is the most important thing to understand before anything else. A lab grown diamond is not a diamond simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite. It is not a synthetic imitation or a lookalike. A lab grown diamond is a real diamond, chemically, physically, and optically identical to one formed in the earth over billions of years. Both consist of pure carbon atoms arranged in the same crystal structure. Both have the same hardness, the same refractive index, and the same fire and brilliance. Even the world's most sophisticated gemological equipment cannot distinguish between them without testing for specific growth characteristics.
The only meaningful difference between a natural diamond and a lab grown diamond is where it came from and how long it took to form. One took billions of years underground. The other took weeks or months in a controlled laboratory environment. The end result is the same stone.
There are two primary methods used to create lab grown diamonds, and understanding them briefly helps explain why these stones are genuinely comparable to their natural counterparts.
High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) replicates the conditions deep in the earth where natural diamonds form. A small diamond seed is placed in pure carbon and subjected to extreme pressure and temperatures exceeding 1,400 degrees Celsius. The carbon melts and crystallises around the seed, growing into a diamond over the course of several weeks.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) works differently. A diamond seed is placed in a sealed chamber filled with carbon-rich gas. The gas is energised until it breaks down and the carbon atoms deposit onto the seed layer by layer, gradually building a diamond crystal over a period of weeks to months.
Both processes produce diamonds that are graded using exactly the same standards applied to natural diamonds: cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, collectively known as the four Cs. Every lab grown diamond sold at Stylessence comes with certification from reputable gemological institutes, so you know precisely what you are buying.
With the basics established, here are the factors that genuinely distinguish natural and lab grown diamonds and that are worth weighing when making your decision.
This is where the difference is most immediately noticeable. Lab grown diamonds typically cost significantly less than natural diamonds of comparable size and quality. The savings can be considerable, often allowing couples to choose a larger carat size, a higher clarity grade, or a better cut than their budget would have allowed with a natural stone.
For couples who want the beauty and permanence of a diamond but are also managing the realities of a wedding budget, a mortgage, or other financial priorities, this is not a trivial consideration. The diamond on the ring looks and performs identically. The difference is simply how much of your budget it consumes.
This is the one area where natural diamonds hold a clearer advantage, and it is worth being honest about. Natural diamonds have historically retained resale value better than lab grown diamonds, largely because they are finite. There is a limited supply of diamonds that can be mined from the earth, and that scarcity underpins their long-term value as a commodity.
Lab grown diamonds, by contrast, can be produced in increasing quantities as the technology improves, and their resale market is still developing. If resale value is an important consideration for you, a natural diamond is the stronger choice.
That said, most couples who buy an engagement ring or wedding band do so with the intention of keeping it forever. For the vast majority of buyers, the resale question is largely theoretical. A wedding ring is not typically an investment vehicle, and choosing one primarily on that basis misses the point of what it represents.
This is a topic that genuinely matters to many modern couples, and it deserves a balanced treatment rather than a simple answer.
The appeal of lab grown diamonds from an ethical standpoint is clear. They are not associated with mining operations that have, in some parts of the world, been linked to environmental harm, labour concerns, and in historical cases, conflict financing. For couples who want certainty about the origins of their stone, lab grown diamonds offer that straightforwardly.
The environmental picture is more nuanced. Lab grown diamond production requires significant energy, and the environmental impact depends heavily on the energy source powering the facility. Labs running on renewable energy have a genuinely lower carbon footprint than mining. Labs powered by fossil fuels less so.
Natural diamond mining has also made real progress on both ethical and environmental standards over recent decades. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme exists specifically to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market, and many mining operations today operate under strict environmental regulations. The picture is not as stark as it is sometimes presented.
The honest summary is this: if ethical sourcing and environmental impact are priorities for you, lab grown diamonds offer a more straightforward path to that certainty. Natural diamonds from reputable retailers with certified ethical sourcing are also a responsible choice.
There is something that some people find meaningful about the fact that a natural diamond formed in the earth billions of years ago, under conditions of extraordinary pressure and heat, and found its way to their finger. That is not a logical argument. It is an emotional one. But emotions are entirely legitimate when you are choosing something you plan to wear for the rest of your life.
For some couples, the natural origin of a diamond carries a weight and significance that matters to them. For others, knowing that their stone was created ethically and efficiently, without mining, is equally meaningful in the opposite direction. Neither feeling is more valid than the other. They are simply different, and which resonates with you is a personal matter.
Rather than prescribing an answer, here are the situations where each choice tends to make the most sense.
You want the largest, most brilliant stone your budget allows. You care about certainty of ethical and environmental sourcing. You are prioritising other financial goals alongside the ring, whether that is a wedding, a home, or simply starting your life together without unnecessary financial pressure. You are choosing a piece beyond the engagement ring, such as diamond earrings, a pendant, or a diamond band, where the emotional significance of natural origin is less central to the decision.
The idea of a stone formed naturally over billions of years carries personal significance to you or your partner. Long-term resale value is a genuine priority. You are buying a piece as part of a family tradition where natural diamonds hold specific meaning. You want a stone whose rarity is part of what makes it feel precious.
One of the most practical applications of lab grown diamonds that often goes undiscussed is their value for jewellery beyond the engagement ring. When it comes to diamond earrings, pendants, bracelets, and anniversary pieces, the emotional weight attached to natural versus lab grown is typically lower, and the practical advantages of lab grown diamonds become even more compelling.
A pair of lab grown diamond earrings at the one carat total weight mark, for example, offers spectacular brilliance at a price point that makes them a genuinely accessible gift or personal purchase rather than a major financial event. Our Lab Grown Diamond Earrings collection at Stylessence features a wide range of styles in 10K and 14K yellow and white gold, from classic solitaire studs to elegant fancy cuts, with prices that reflect the real value lab grown diamonds offer.
Whether you choose a natural or lab grown diamond, certification matters. A certified diamond has been assessed by an independent gemological laboratory and graded against the four Cs: cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight. This gives you an objective, verifiable record of exactly what you are purchasing.
For natural diamonds, certifications from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society (AGS) are the gold standard. For lab grown diamonds, the International Gemological Institute (IGI) is widely recognised and respected, and all lab grown diamonds in our collection at Stylessence come with appropriate certification.
Do not buy a diamond, natural or lab grown, without a certificate. A reputable jeweller will always be able to provide one.
Reading about diamonds is useful. Seeing them in person is something else entirely. At Stylessence Fine Jewellery in the Concourse at 2 Bloor Street East, our team is genuinely happy to show you natural and lab grown diamonds side by side so you can see for yourself how they compare, ask every question you have, and find the piece that feels right without any pressure.
We carry a carefully curated selection of both, including:
We offer free shipping across Canada on orders over $199, and we are always available in store for couples who want to take their time, try things on, and make this decision properly.
The natural vs lab grown diamond conversation does not have to be complicated. Both are real diamonds. Both are beautiful. Both will last a lifetime. The difference comes down to origin, price, and what feels meaningful to you personally. Once you understand those factors clearly, the right choice usually becomes obvious.
If you are still not sure, come and see us. That is what we are here for.
Explore our Lab Grown Diamond collection or browse our Natural Diamond jewellery online, and visit us at the Concourse at 2 Bloor Street East whenever you are ready to find the one.
