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Education›Lab Grown Diamond Guidance›Are Lab Grown Diamonds Lower Quality?

Lab Grown Diamond GuidanceFenora Guide8 min read

Are lab grown diamonds lower quality?

No. Lab grown diamonds are not lower quality than mined diamonds. They are graded on exactly the same IGI scale, by the same graders, using the same instruments and standards. A lab grown diamond with an Excellent cut, G colour and VS2 clarity is the same quality as a mined diamond with those same grades.

The direct answer — no

Lab grown diamonds are not lower quality than mined diamonds. Quality in a diamond is defined by the 4Cs — Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat — and these are graded on the same IGI scale regardless of whether a diamond is lab grown or mined. The same graders, the same instruments, the same published criteria.

There is no separate or lower grading standard for lab grown diamonds at IGI. A D colour on a lab grown certificate means the same thing as D colour on a mined certificate. Excellent cut means the same thing. VS2 clarity means the same thing. The quality grades are directly comparable because the material being graded is identical.

“Quality in a diamond is a measurement, not an opinion. The IGI measures cut, colour, clarity and carat the same way for lab grown as for mined. If the grades are the same, the quality is the same. It is that straightforward.”
— Yash Chandpara, Founder

The quality comparison — grade for grade

Quality Factor	Lab Grown Diamond	Mined Diamond	Are They the Same?
Cut grade	Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor — IGI scale	Same scale, same criteria	Yes — identical grading
Colour grade	D-Z scale — same as mined	D-Z scale	Yes — identical grading
Clarity grade	Flawless to I3 — same as mined	Flawless to I3	Yes — identical grading
Carat weight	Same weight measurement	Same weight measurement	Yes — identical
Polish	Excellent to Poor	Same scale	Yes
Symmetry	Excellent to Poor	Same scale	Yes
Laser inscription	Yes — girdle inscription linking stone to certificate	Yes	Yes

Can lab grown diamonds be higher quality than mined? — Yes

Because lab grown diamonds are produced in controlled conditions rather than forming randomly underground, the growth environment can be specifically managed to produce consistent, high-quality crystals. Lab grown diamond production can yield a higher proportion of top-colour, high-clarity stones than natural mining.

In practical terms, this means a buyer's budget in lab grown diamonds accesses better quality grades than the same budget in mined. A $3,000 budget in lab grown might buy a 1.5ct G VS2 Excellent — an exceptional quality stone by any measure. The same budget in mined might buy a 0.5ct of modest quality.

Where lab grown often exceeds mined in quality per dollar

Higher colour grades accessible at lower prices — D-F colour is achievable in lab grown at what G-H costs in mined
Higher clarity accessible at lower prices — VVS2 and VS1 clarity is more affordable in lab grown
Excellent cut always — the budget that would require a Good cut compromise in mined can access Excellent in lab grown

Common quality myths about lab grown diamonds

Do lab grown diamonds fade or change colour over time?

No. The colour of a diamond — lab grown or mined — is determined by the crystal structure and trace elements within it. These are permanent features. A G colour lab grown diamond remains G colour permanently. No fading, no yellowing, no change.

Do lab grown diamonds become cloudy?

No. Cloudiness in a diamond is usually a surface coating of product buildup — lotion, oil, soap — which cleans off completely. It is not a change in the stone. Lab grown and mined diamonds both accumulate surface buildup at the same rate and clean identically.

Are lab grown diamonds softer than mined diamonds?

No. Both are carbon in a cubic crystal lattice — Mohs hardness 10. Hardness is a property of the crystal structure, not the origin. Lab grown and mined diamonds are equally hard.

Do lab grown diamonds have more inclusions than mined?

No — and in many cases fewer. Inclusions in a diamond are formed during crystal growth under specific conditions. Lab grown growth conditions can be more precisely controlled than geological formation, often producing cleaner stones than natural mining of equivalent price.

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