Cost: Lab-grown diamonds are typically less expensive than natural diamonds. If cost is a major concern, a lab-grown diamond may be the better choice.

Ethics: Some people prefer lab-grown diamonds because they are produced in a more environmentally and socially responsible way than natural diamonds, which can be associated with human rights abuses and environmental damage.

Rarity: Natural diamonds have a long history of being prized for their beauty and value. If you are looking for a stone that has a unique history and rarity, a natural diamond may be more appealing to you.

Quality: Both natural and lab-grown diamonds can be of high quality, but natural diamonds are typically more consistent in their clarity and colour. If you are looking for a stone with the highest possible quality, a natural diamond may be the better choice.

Natural diamonds are formed between 1 to 3.5 billion years ago in the Earth’s mantle, approximately 140 to 190 kilometres below the surface. They crystallise under extreme conditions — temperatures of around 1,000 to 1,200°C and pressures exceeding 45 kilo bars.

These diamonds are then transported closer to the Earth’s surface through deep-source volcanic eruptions, encapsulated within kimberlite and lamproite pipes. Their remarkable age and formation process make them not only valuable gemstones but also geological time capsules, offering insight into the Earth's early history.

Lab-grown diamonds are produced through a process called Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) or High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method. Here are the steps involved in producing a lab-grown diamond using the CVD method:

A diamond seed is placed in a vacuum chamber that is filled with a gas mixture, usually consisting of methane and hydrogen.

The chamber is heated to around 800 to 900 degrees Celsius and the gas mixture is ionised by a plasma torch, which breaks down the methane molecules into their component carbon and hydrogen atoms.

The carbon atoms then deposit onto the diamond seed, gradually building up layers of diamond crystal. The process continues for several days, until a diamond of the desired size and quality is formed. The diamond is then cut and polished just like a natural diamond.

The HPHT method uses a press that mimics the extreme conditions of the Earth's mantle, where natural diamonds are formed.

A small diamond seed is placed in a capsule along with a carbon source and a metal catalyst, and then subjected to high pressure and high temperature conditions. This causes the carbon to dissolve and precipitate onto the diamond seed, gradually building up layers of diamond crystal.

Both methods result in diamonds that are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds, but with a different origin.