To the naked eye, lab grown and natural diamonds are indistinguishable. Only gemologists can detect the following minor differences using specialized, high magnification equipment:
- Internal Growth Patterns: lab diamonds may exhibit growth patterns that slightly differ from the octahedral growth pattern in natural diamonds.
- Inclusions: Natural diamonds often contain inclusions from natural minerals, while lab diamonds may contain metallic inclusions or other markers related to the HPHT or CVD growth process.
- Laser Inscription: Most lab diamonds are inscribed on the girdle with a microscopic mark indicating their lab origin.
Do you think you can tell the difference between lab grown and natural diamonds just by looking? Test your eye with these side-by-side images and see how well you do:
Could you tell that the center diamond in the top row and the left diamond in the bottom row are natural diamonds? The other four diamonds are lab grown. Most people find it nearly impossible to distinguish between lab grown and natural diamonds with just their eyes. This similarity is part of what makes both options so appealing.