Lab-Grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamond vs. Moissanite

Lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds are indistinguishable without specialized equipment due to their identical physical, chemical, and optical properties. Both exhibit the classic fire, scintillation, and sparkle that diamonds are known for. The primary distinction lies in their origins: natural diamonds are mined from Earth, whereas lab-grown diamonds are meticulously crafted in controlled environments. Specialized tests are required to differentiate between the two, as they share similar thermal conductivities, unlike diamond simulants such as cubic zirconia or moissanite.

Diamond simulants, like moissanite and cubic zirconia, offer visual similarities to diamonds but do not match their chemical or physical characteristics. Moissanite, originally found in meteorites, is lab-created and displays a distinctive rainbow sparkle. Cubic zirconia, a synthetic crystal, offers sparkle and durability but not the brilliance or longevity of diamonds.

Gemologists can distinguish these stones by their unique refractive properties; moissanite is double refractive, causing a different kind of brilliance, while diamonds are single refractive. Below is a table summarizing their key differences:

Lab diamonds are created from carbon, just like natural diamonds. Diamond simulants look similar to diamonds but are not created with true carbon crystals. So cubic zirconia and moissanite aren’t diamonds of any kind, though they can look very similar. Simulants do not have the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds and therefore sell at much lower prices than lab created diamonds. Simulants can be distinguished from natural or lab created diamonds using only the naked eye.