If your first question is whether lab-grown diamonds are diamonds at all, start with our guide Are lab-grown diamonds real?. This page assumes they are, and looks at the trade-offs.
The real disadvantages
1. Resale value is low
A lab-grown diamond is not an asset. There is no established second-hand market for it, and many jewellers will not buy one back at all, or only at a small fraction of what you paid.
What it means for you: buy it to wear, not to sell. If keeping value over decades matters to you, a natural diamond holds value better, although natural stones also resell well below their retail price.
How to protect yourself: decide your budget as money spent on a ring, not money stored in a stone. Do not let anyone sell you a lab-grown diamond as an "investment".
2. Prices keep falling
Production capacity has grown fast, and lab-grown prices have fallen over recent years. Our own July 2026 price index is a snapshot, and we expect the market to keep moving. A stone bought today will likely cost less to replace next year.
What it means for you: the price you pay is the price of the ring on her hand from the day you propose, not a value that will grow.
How to protect yourself: compare a few certified stones of the same grade on the day you buy. If a seller asks close to natural-diamond money for a lab-grown stone, walk away.
3. It does not carry the meaning of "rare"
For some people, and some families, the point of a diamond is that it formed over a very long time in the Earth and is finite. A lab-grown diamond cannot offer that story, however beautiful it is.
What it means for you: this is a personal question, not a technical one. If she or her family would feel differently about a lab-grown stone, that matters more than any price chart.
How to protect yourself: if you can, find out discreetly how she feels about lab-grown diamonds before you buy. Natural remains an honest choice, and Kove offers both.
4. Quality varies from stone to stone
"Lab-grown" describes the origin, not the quality. Lab-grown stones range from excellent to poor, exactly like mined ones, in cut, colour and clarity. Some show a faint brown or grey tint or visible inclusions.
What it means for you: a low price alone tells you nothing. Two "1 carat lab diamonds" can look very different.
How to protect yourself: buy only a stone with an independent grading report from IGI or GIA, and read the grades, not just the carat weight. Our 4Cs guide explains what each grade changes visually.
5. Some stones are treated after growth
Many lab-grown diamonds, especially those grown by the CVD method, are treated after growth (often with high pressure and high temperature) to improve their colour. This is a common and permanent industry process, but it should be disclosed.
What it means for you: a treatment is not a defect, but you have the right to know about it.
How to protect yourself: check the report. IGI reports state whether the stone is "As Grown" or has had post-growth treatment. If the document says nothing and the seller cannot answer, ask why.
6. The origin is disclosed, permanently
A lab-grown diamond is identified as lab-grown on its report, and usually by a laser inscription on its girdle (the thin outer edge of the stone). Under the US FTC Jewelry Guides and international nomenclature rules (ISO 18323, CIBJO), it must be sold with a clear qualifier such as "laboratory-grown".
What it means for you: if keeping the origin private matters to you, know that anyone with a loupe and the report number can see it. For most buyers this is a protection, not a problem: it is exactly what stops a lab stone being passed off as natural.
The real advantages
- It is a real diamond. Same carbon, same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), same sparkle. Day to day, it wears exactly like a mined diamond.
- Much more stone for the budget. In our July 2026 index, a natural diamond of the same colour, clarity and certification cost about 13 times the lab-grown median at around 1 carat, and about 25 times at around 1.5 carats. The gap varies by size and grade, and it moves with the market.
- Higher grades are within reach. The same budget can buy a better cut and a whiter, cleaner stone, which is what people actually see.
- Clear provenance. No mining, and a documented origin on the report.
- Same grading system. IGI grades lab-grown diamonds on the same 4Cs scale as natural ones. Note that since 1 October 2025, GIA describes new lab-grown reports with "Premium" and "Standard" categories instead of detailed colour and clarity grades. Our IGI vs GIA guide explains the difference.
Common misconceptions
"Lab-grown diamonds are fake." No. Fake diamonds are imitations made of other materials, such as cubic zirconia or moissanite. A lab-grown diamond is diamond. The FTC removed the word "natural" from its definition of a diamond in 2018 for this reason.
"They are not durable." They are exactly as hard as mined diamonds. A diamond of either origin can still chip from a hard knock at a weak point, which is why the setting matters.
"They go cloudy or change colour over time." A diamond does not cloud with age, whatever its origin. A ring that looks dull is almost always dirty: skin oil and soap film on the back of the stone. Cleaning brings it back. Our diamond care guide shows how.
"You can tell by looking." You cannot. Neither a jeweller's eye nor a standard handheld diamond tester can tell lab-grown from natural; both read as diamond. Separating them requires specialised laboratory equipment. This is also why the certificate matters so much.
"Lab-grown is always the cheap choice, so the quality must be low." The price reflects how it is produced, not what it is made of. Quality depends on the individual stone and its grades.
How to check what you are buying
- Ask for the report number before you pay, not after delivery.
- Verify it on the lab's own website (GIA Report Check or IGI's online verification). The details must match the listing.
- Check the origin line: "laboratory-grown" or "natural". Never assume.
- Check for treatment: "As Grown" or a post-growth treatment note.
- Compare the 4Cs and measurements, not only the carat weight.
- Look for the laser inscription if the report lists one. A jeweller with a loupe can match it. A hidden or missing inscription is not proof of fraud on its own, but ask.
- Get everything in writing: the stone, the report number and the total price on one document.
At Kove, the centre stone of each ring comes with an IGI or GIA report, the report is shown before you order, and the ring is then made to order within up to 21 business days. Our checklist for buying an engagement ring online covers the rest of the process.
FAQ
Still not sure? Just ask a real person.
Tell us your idea and your budget: we answer personally and spec the best certified diamond for you, with its IGI or GIA certificate. No pressure, no obligation, no checkout.
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries (revised 2018)
- US Federal Trade Commission, press release "FTC Approves Final Revisions to Jewelry Guides" (24 July 2018)
- GIA, Laboratory-Grown Diamonds
- GIA, HPHT and CVD Diamond Growth Processes
- GIA, Report Check
- IGI, Laboratory Grown Diamond Reports
- ISO 18323:2015, Jewellery: Consumer confidence in the diamond industry
- CIBJO, The Diamond Book (nomenclature for synthetic / laboratory-grown diamonds)
- Kove Jewelry, Lab-Grown Diamond Prices: July 2026 Index