Natural or lab-grown? Which is better? Are lab-grown diamonds actually real? Are natural diamonds really an investment? And is one genuinely more ethical than the other?  Let us unpack it for you!

The lab-grown diamond market has exploded in recent years, and with it has come a lot of marketing from both sides.

Lab-grown diamonds are sometimes positioned as the ethical, sustainable alternative to mined diamonds. Natural diamonds are sometimes positioned as inherently more valuable, rare and investment-worthy. Depending on who is trying to sell you one, you can receive two completely different versions of the truth.

As jewellers who work with both, we think there’s a much more useful answer:

There is a place for both.

The important thing is understanding what you’re actually buying, what matters to you, and where some of the industry's more enthusiastic marketing claims deserve a little scrutiny.

Here’s what you need to know.

First things first: lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. Let's clear this one up immediately.

Lab-grown diamonds aren't cubic zirconia, moissanite or another diamond imitation. They are diamonds grown in a controlled environment rather than formed naturally beneath the Earth's surface.

They have essentially the same chemical composition and crystal structure as natural diamonds and, when produced and cut well, the quality can be exceptional.

For most people, distinguishing a high-quality lab-grown diamond from a natural diamond by eye alone simply isn't realistic. Specialist equipment and testing are generally required to reliably determine their origin.

So calling lab-grown diamonds "fake diamonds" isn't particularly accurate.

The difference isn't really about whether one is a diamond and the other isn't.

It's about origin, rarity, price and what those things mean to you.

Why are lab-grown diamonds so much cheaper? This is where things get interesting.

A natural diamond is the product of extraordinary geological conditions occurring deep within the Earth over an immense period of time. Only a fraction of those diamonds ultimately become gem-quality stones suitable for jewellery.

A lab-grown diamond removes much of that geological scarcity from the equation.

Diamond crystals can now be produced in controlled environments in a matter of weeks, and improvements in technology have made it increasingly possible to produce larger, high-quality rough.

That has dramatically changed what your budget can buy.

Someone who may previously have been choosing between a relatively modest natural diamond can potentially purchase a significantly larger lab-grown diamond with excellent colour and clarity for the same or considerably less money.

For many people, that's an incredibly compelling proposition.

Is lab-grown automatically the more ethical or sustainable choice?

Not necessarily.

This is probably the area where we've seen the most greenwashing.

Terms like sustainable, eco-friendly, conflict-free and ethical can be thrown around pretty freely in jewellery marketing, particularly when it comes to lab-grown diamonds.

But growing diamonds requires energy. The environmental footprint of an individual lab-grown diamond can vary depending on how it was produced, where the facility is located and, importantly, where the energy used to grow it came from.

Natural diamond mining obviously has its own environmental and social impacts. But responsible mining operations can also provide employment, infrastructure and significant economic activity within the communities and countries in which they operate.

That doesn't mean one is inherently better than the other.

It means that "lab-grown good, mined diamond bad" is an enormous oversimplification of a complicated subject.

If the environmental or social impact of your diamond is particularly important to you, ask questions about its actual provenance rather than relying solely on the label attached to it.

What about natural diamonds?

For some people, the appeal of a natural diamond isn't purely visual. It's the story.

There is something genuinely extraordinary about a crystal that formed naturally deep within the Earth over geological timescales eventually becoming the centrepiece of something as personal as an engagement ring.

Natural diamonds also possess something that lab-grown diamonds, by their very nature, cannot replicate: natural geological scarcity.

For some clients, that means very little, for others, particularly when creating a piece intended to become an heirloom, it matters enormously.  Neither position is wrong.

Jewellery is sentimental by nature. You're allowed to place value on something that can't necessarily be explained in a spreadsheet.

Are natural diamonds an investment?

This is another word we think the jewellery industry needs to use a little more carefully.

Most diamonds should not be purchased primarily as a financial investment.

Lab-grown diamonds in particular have experienced significant price reductions as production technology has improved and supply has increased. We would therefore never suggest purchasing one on the assumption that it will retain its original retail value.

But the other side of the argument deserves just as much scrutiny.  The fact that a diamond is natural doesn't automatically make it an investment.

There can be a substantial difference between the retail price paid for a natural diamond and what you could realistically receive if you later attempted to sell it. Most commercially available natural white diamonds should therefore be purchased because you love them, not because you're expecting them to appreciate substantially in value.

There are however, some important exceptions.

At the rare and collectible end of the natural diamond market, things can look very different.

Australian Argyle pink diamonds are perhaps the most obvious example.

The Argyle mine in Western Australia became internationally renowned for producing some of the world's most distinctive pink diamonds. With the mine now closed and these stones extraordinarily scarce, exceptional Argyle pink diamonds occupy a very different category from an ordinary commercial white diamond.

The same can apply to exceptional natural fancy-coloured diamonds, including particularly rare pink, blue and red specimens.

But these stones are the exception rather than the rule.  So when somebody tells you that a natural diamond is an "investment", it's worth asking:  Which diamond, specifically?

Rarity, provenance, colour, quality, certification and market demand all matter.

So, should you buy natural or lab-grown?

This is where we generally bring the conversation back to the person actually wearing it.

If your priority is size, colour and clarity for your budget, a lab-grown diamond can offer extraordinary value.

If you have $8,000 to spend and would prefer a spectacular larger diamond rather than spending considerably more to achieve the equivalent specifications naturally, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing lab-grown.

Equally, if you find meaning in geological rarity, natural origin and the idea of owning something created by the Earth over an almost incomprehensible period of time, then a natural diamond may be worth the additional cost to you.

The important thing is that you're making that decision with accurate information rather than being pushed into one camp or the other.

Don't forget about the jewellery surrounding it.

This is the part that can sometimes get lost in the diamond conversation.

A beautiful diamond still needs to be set into beautifully made jewellery.

We've seen enormous attention placed on carat weight, colour and clarity while the quality of the ring itself becomes almost an afterthought.

Whether you choose natural or lab-grown, consider the quality of the metal, the construction of the setting, the thickness and proportions of the piece, how securely the stone is held and how the jewellery has actually been made.

A three-carat diamond isn't particularly exciting if the ring holding it together isn't designed to survive decades of wear.

The quality of the jewellery should complement the quality of the stone.

So, what's the verdict?

There isn't one. And that's probably the point.

Lab-grown diamonds have made beautiful, high-quality diamonds accessible to an enormous number of people who may otherwise have had to compromise significantly on size or quality.

Natural diamonds offer something fundamentally different: geological rarity, provenance and a connection to the natural world that simply can't be manufactured.

Neither needs to be demonised for the other to have value.

At Ribs & Dust, our approach is to explain the advantages, limitations and realities of both - without the smoke and mirrors.

We'll talk you through natural and lab-grown options, help you understand where your money is actually going and make sure the diamond you choose aligns with your priorities, your budget and, most importantly, what you want the finished piece to represent.

Because ultimately, whether your diamond took billions of years or a matter of weeks to form, the sentimental value begins with you. 

Ready to design your unique piece with us? We would love to chat!