DIAMONDS
Lab grown versus natural
They are the same material. The difference is origin, rarity, and price, and there is no correct answer, only an informed one.
MaterialCarbon, cubic, 10 MohsCarbon, cubic, 10 Mohs
FormedOver a billion years, undergroundOver six to twelve weeks, in a reactor
Price per caratThe benchmarkRoughly a third to a half
ResaleThin but establishedVery thin, still forming
Told apart byGrowth patterns, lab equipmentGrowth patterns, lab equipment
On the passportNamed as natural, origin givenNamed as lab grown, reactor and method given
How we think about it
If the object is meant to be an heirloom with a story about the earth, buy natural and buy a smaller one cut beautifully. If the object is meant to be worn and enjoyed at a size that makes you happy, buy lab and put the difference into the setting or into nothing at all.
What we will not say
We will not tell you lab diamonds are a compromise, and we will not tell you natural diamonds are a scam. Both sentences are sales tactics. The stones are identical in the hand and different on the receipt.