I’ve spent most of my adult life poking around jewellery counters, interviewing designers, and asking probably too many questions about where our treasures actually come from. And somewhere along the way, I noticed a genuine shift in the conversations Australians are having about diamonds. Ten years ago, no one I knew even mentioned lab grown gems. These days, they’re basically the talk of the town.
If you’re trying to wrap your head around the whole lab grown diamonds vs real diamonds debate, you’re far from alone. Friends ask me about it constantly — sometimes with curiosity, sometimes with that slightly panicked look people get when they’ve just realised an engagement ring is on the horizon and there’s suddenly way too much information on the internet.
So, I thought I’d share the clearest, most down-to-earth guide I can, written from the perspective of someone who’s spoken with jewellers, gemmologists, and plenty of everyday Aussies who’ve bought both.
And honestly? I think you might be surprised by what really matters in the end.
What Even Is a Lab Grown Diamond?
Let’s get this part sorted straight away, because a lot of the confusion starts here.
A lab grown diamond is, quite literally, a diamond. Same carbon structure. Same sparkle. Same science. The only real difference is where it forms. Instead of developing underground over millions of years, a lab created version is grown in a controlled environment that mimics the natural conditions.
There are two main methods:
• HPHT, which basically recreates the crazy high pressure and temperature near the Earth’s mantle.
• CVD, which is a slower process using carbon-rich gas to “grow” a diamond layer by layer.
The result is a gemstone that looks and behaves exactly like the mined variety. A jeweller with nothing but the naked eye couldn’t pick them apart. Even trained experts need special equipment.
Funny enough, when I first learned this, I thought I was being tricked. But after seeing both types side by side, it’s genuinely hard to tell which is which.
And What About Mined Diamonds?
Mined diamonds are the traditional choice — the ones formed deep underground and discovered after quite a lot of digging, sorting, cutting, and polishing. They’re often marketed as the “real” version, the one with romance and rarity on its side.
But even that story is more complicated than the brochures make it sound. Natural diamonds vary enormously depending on where they’re found, which mine they come from, and how transparent the supply chain is. While many companies have improved their standards, it’s still something buyers should feel entitled to ask about.
One thing that absolutely sets natural diamonds apart is age. You’re wearing a little piece of Earth that’s older than human civilisation. Some people genuinely love that thought.
Which One Sparkles Better?
Here’s the part couples always lean in for.
They sparkle the same.
I know that sounds anticlimactic, but it’s the truth. Brilliance, fire, all those shimmery effects — that’s determined by cut quality, not whether the diamond came from underground or a lab.
A well-cut lab grown stone will outshine a poorly cut mined one every day of the week.
If sparkle is your top priority, look for:
• Excellent or ideal cut
• Good symmetry
• Minimal inclusions in areas that affect light return
Honestly, spend your money on a better cut before you spend it on “rarity.”
The Price Difference (And Why It’s So Noticeable)
This is where people’s eyebrows shoot up.
Lab grown diamonds are significantly more affordable — often 60 to 80 percent cheaper than mined diamonds of similar quality.
To some, that makes them a smart, modern choice. To others, it makes them feel too accessible, like they’re not “special enough.” But price doesn’t dictate legitimacy. It reflects production scale and the lack of mining overheads.
What you’re paying for with mined diamonds is scarcity, romance, marketing, and the cost of physically retrieving stones from the Earth.
With man made diamonds, the cost reflects a more streamlined process. Someone growing a diamond in a lab doesn’t have to excavate tonnes of rock to find it.
If you’d like a deeper look at how the two compare, this guide on lab grown diamonds vs real diamonds is one of the clearest breakdowns I’ve seen.
Is One More Ethical?
This topic gets emotional for people, and understandably so. Diamond mining has a long history, and not all of it is pretty. Even with improved regulations, not every operation is equal. Sustainable mining exists, but its availability depends on region and brand transparency.
Lab grown diamonds sidestep many of the traditional concerns:
• No large-scale land disturbance
• No worker safety issues associated with deep-earth mining
• A traceable, predictable supply chain
That said, labs aren’t flawless either. Some consume a lot of energy, and sustainability varies from company to company.
I’d love to say one is “good” and the other is “bad,” but reality isn’t that tidy. The more helpful approach is simply to ask questions. A jeweller who’s proud of their sourcing will happily walk you through it.
Durability: Will One Last Longer?
This is the myth that refuses to die.
Lab grown and mined diamonds share the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), the same toughness, and the same resistance to scratches. They’re indistinguishable in practical day-to-day wear.
Your ring is more likely to be damaged by being run over by a car or dropped on tiles than by whether the diamond came from a lab or the ground.
From a durability perspective, they’re equal players.
Value and Resale (The Part No One Wants to Talk About)
If you’re buying a diamond purely for long-term resale value, you’re entering a risky game. Most retail jewellery — mined or lab grown — depreciates the moment it leaves the shop. It’s the same reason your brand-new car loses value the moment you drive away.
Mined diamonds traditionally hold value better because they’ve long been marketed as luxury goods tied to scarcity. But that doesn’t guarantee profit or even break-even resale.
Lab grown diamonds, being newer to the mainstream market, don’t currently have strong resale demand. That might evolve as generational attitudes shift, but for now, they’re not something you buy expecting a financial return.
If you’re buying jewellery as a genuine investment, this guide on man made diamonds touches on when gemstones make sense within a broader investment strategy.
But for most people, diamonds aren’t stocks. They’re sentimental. They’re chosen for love, celebration, memory, or personal joy.
And honestly, I kind of prefer it that way.
How Australians Are Thinking About Diamonds in 2025
This is where things get interesting. After speaking with multiple jewellers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane over the past year, there’s a noticeable generational divide forming.
Younger Australians tend to ask about ethics first, price second, and tradition a distant third. For them, lab grown diamonds tick the practical boxes without the moral stress.
Older buyers — not all, but many — still gravitate toward mined diamonds because they grew up in an era where the natural stone was seen as the ultimate, irreplaceable symbol.
Then there’s a third group: the “I just want the one that feels right” crowd. They try both, look at different settings, consider size and sparkle, then simply choose the diamond that speaks to them. And honestly, that’s probably the healthiest approach of all.
A Quick Reality Check on Identity, Meaning, and Sentiment
This may sound a little sentimental, but after all these years around jewellery, I’ve learned something: people remember the moment they received a diamond far more than the paperwork that came with it.
No one tells engagement stories like this:
“We were standing on the beach at sunset, and when he opened the ring box, I gazed upon its flawless HPHT-sourced lab certificate…”
They say things like:
“I cried so hard I forgot to say yes.”
Meaning comes from the moment, the memory, the commitment, not the mine location.
That doesn’t mean the details don’t matter. But they should be part of a decision, not the entire decision.
How to Choose Between Lab Grown and Natural: A Fresh, Honest Guide
Instead of rules, here are the questions I always ask people to consider:
• What kind of story do you want your jewellery to tell?
• Are ethics or environmental factors important to you?
• Do you prefer a larger stone at a better price, or a smaller one tied to natural rarity?
• Will you ever realistically care about resale?
• How do you feel when you look at each option side by side?
You’d be amazed how often the last question answers everything.
The Verdict (Or Something Close to One)
If you’ve made it this far, I suspect you’re still weighing up the lab grown diamonds vs real diamonds decision. And while I wish there was an easy universal answer, jewellery just doesn’t work that way. It’s personal. Deeply so.
Lab grown diamonds are modern, ethical, accessible, and every bit as beautiful as mined ones. Natural diamonds carry a sense of history, rarity, and heritage that some people cherish.
Neither choice is wrong. What matters is choosing one that feels aligned with your values, budget, and emotional instincts.
If you walk into a shop and your heart leaps toward a particular stone — lab grown or natural — that’s usually your answer.
A Final Thought
Jewellery has always been tied to big emotions: love, commitment, celebration, memory. And I think that’s why this conversation matters so much to people. When you’re choosing something that might sit on your hand every day for the next 50 years, it’s natural to want to get it right.
Just remember: the sparkle you choose won’t define your relationship or your worth. It’s simply a beautiful thing you get to enjoy. Pick the diamond that feels good to look at, good to wear, and good in your heart.
