Lab Grown Diamond vs Natural Diamond vs Moissanite

3 min read

The short answer

A natural diamond is mined, is the most expensive of the three, and holds resale value best. A lab grown diamond is the same stone chemically and optically, grown in a laboratory, and costs noticeably less. Moissanite is not a diamond at all: it is a separate gemstone, silicon carbide, and it is the lowest priced of the three.

What each one actually is

Natural diamond. Carbon that crystallised deep in the earth over an extremely long time, then was mined. When we sell a natural diamond, it comes with a GIA report.

Lab grown diamond. Also carbon, with the same crystal structure, the same hardness and the same optical behaviour as a mined diamond, grown in a reactor in weeks rather than found in the ground. It is a real diamond, not an imitation. When we sell lab grown, it comes with an IGI report.

Moissanite. A different mineral entirely: silicon carbide. It is clear and extremely bright, but it is its own gemstone and we never describe it as a diamond. When we sell moissanite, it comes with a GRA report.

Side by side

What you are comparing	Lab grown diamond	Natural diamond	Moissanite
What it is	A real diamond, grown in a lab	A real diamond, mined from the earth	Silicon carbide, a separate gemstone
Mohs hardness	10	10	9.25
How it sparkles	Like any diamond	Like any diamond	Noticeably more rainbow fire, because it bends light more strongly than diamond does
Certificate we supply	IGI	GIA	GRA
Where it sits on price	Middle	Highest	Lowest
Resale value	Low. Buy it to wear, not as an investment	Best of the three	Low. Buy it to wear, not as an investment
Best for	Getting a larger diamond within a set budget	Buyers who want a mined stone and care about resale	Buyers who want the most size and sparkle for the least money

How to choose between them

Work backwards from what matters most to you.

If the stone must be mined, and resale matters, choose a natural diamond with its GIA report.
If you want the biggest diamond your budget allows and are comfortable that it was grown rather than mined, choose lab grown with its IGI report.
If the look is what you are buying and the material matters less, moissanite with its GRA report gives you the most size and sparkle per dollar.

One thing does not change: the setting. Whichever stone you choose, we set it in solid 10K, 14K or 18K gold, made to order in your size, and delivered free worldwide with 60-day free returns.

Frequently asked questions

Is moissanite a diamond?

No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, a separate gemstone. It is not a diamond and should not be described as one.

Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes. A lab grown diamond has the same chemistry, crystal structure and hardness as a mined diamond. The difference is where it formed, not what it is.

Will a diamond tester tell them apart?

A standard thermal tester reads a lab grown diamond as a diamond, because it is one. Moissanite behaves differently, and a tester that also measures electrical conductivity will flag it as moissanite.