Lab-Created Diamonds are Real Diamonds

Lab-created, lab-grown, or synthetic diamonds have the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as their mined counterparts. The only significant difference between a lab-created and mined diamond is that one forms in a controlled environment in a laboratory, the other forms over time in the uncontrolled environment of the Earth. Both lab-created and natural diamonds are real diamonds.

Note that diamond simulants, such as cubic zirconia and moissanite, differ from both lab-created and mined diamonds. These gem materials have different properties than diamonds. Though they may resemble or “simulate” the appearance of diamonds, they are not diamonds.

“Get That Ice or Else No Dice”

To understand what’s the same and what’s different between a lab-grown gem and a natural gem, think of ice. You can create ice in your freezer or scrape some off your driveway (in the winter). Both pieces would constitute real ice. Both consist of frozen water. However, cutting a chunk of ice off your driveway takes some time and physical effort. Ice is ice, but you may still want to take some extra time to find a piece you’d like to put in your drink. Not…