Best Lab Diamonds: Top Retailers for 2025

In short, below are the top seven best places to buy lab-grown diamonds, along with our comprehensive guide on what lab-created diamonds are and when they should be considered for jewelry or engagement rings.

Purchasing a lab-grown diamond online is often the best choice, particularly if you have gathered sufficient information to find quality diamonds at fair prices. From our experience, most local jewelers lack the inventory for meaningful comparisons and the expertise to guide buyers in making informed decisions. 

Before buying lab-grown diamonds online, consider these crucial questions to ensure a smooth shopping experience with a trustworthy jeweler: 

• Does the jeweler provide high-quality diamonds? Are they thoroughly evaluated for quality control or merely drop-shipped from wholesalers? 
• Is the return policy fair, including trade-in options, resale, or other long-term support that reflects the company's dedication to its products? 
• What do the reviews indicate? Analyzing customer reviews offers valuable insights into the jeweler's reputation. 
• While diamonds are the main focus, do not overlook the quality of the setting. Where are the settings sourced from, and how durable are they? 

Among the numerous options for purchasing lab-grown diamonds, selecting a reputable jeweler is crucial. Anticipate paying a slight premium for the convenience of a stress-free, high-quality transaction. 

Below are seven of the best retailers for buying lab-grown diamonds online:

Brilliant Earth

Brilliant Earth is a renowned jeweler known for its commitment to ethically sourced diamonds. Guided by its "beyond conflict-free" policy, which resonates deeply with socially conscious buyers, Brilliant Earth is a premier destination for purchasing lab-created diamond engagement rings. The establishment boasts an impressive collection of over 30,000 IGI-certified lab diamonds and unique ring settings.

What sets Brilliant Earth apart?  

Brilliant Earth enhances the buying experience with its innovative virtual try-on app, allowing prospective buyers to better visualize how a ring might look in person. As the name implies, this clever service enables individuals to virtually try on engagement rings simply by uploading a photograph and selecting their preferred ring style. In addition, Brilliant Earth provides the convenience of virtual sessions and consultations facilitated by its knowledgeable jewelry team.

Brilliant Earth features an exceptional selection of over 75,000 lab diamonds, distinguishing itself with one of the largest online inventories of lab-created diamonds. The company's assortment includes a captivating array of colored lab diamonds, primarily in shades of pink and blue.

Beyond its commitment to ethical stones, Brilliant Earth promotes environmental responsibility by crafting its rings from recycled metals, thus reducing the demand for newly mined resources. Their ring boxes, thoughtfully made from responsibly sourced natural wood, exemplify their dedication to sustainability. The company's impact extends beyond its products, encompassing a crucial social mission that involves giving back to mining communities and actively supporting rainforest conservation initiatives. We invite you to read our comprehensive Brilliant Earth review for an in-depth exploration.

Blue Nile

Since its establishment in 1999, Blue Nile has evolved into one of the world’s most esteemed jewelry brands, gaining widespread recognition as a leader in the online diamond and engagement ring market. Known for its internet-based business model and efficient operations, Blue Nile offers stunning engagement rings of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, while maintaining high standards. In a significant partnership with Lightbox, the company launched a beautiful collection of lab-grown diamond rings in 2020. This compact yet appealing assortment includes engagement rings featuring lab-grown diamonds in white, blue, or pink shades.

What sets Blue Nile apart?

In addition to providing engraving services, Blue Nile offers the convenience of free ring resizing for the first year on all custom-designed engagement rings. Additionally, the company includes a lifetime manufacturer's guarantee and a flexible payment plan, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Blue Nile's product range effectively balances aesthetics, value, and quality. Each lab-grown diamond must meet a minimum VS clarity and a Very Good cut grade. Notably, Lightbox's lab-grown diamonds are consistently priced at $800 per carat, regardless of the selected color—white, blue, or blush pink. This fair pricing strategy provides an outstanding opportunity to purchase a colored diamond at an accessible price. For more information, please refer to our detailed Blue Nile review.

James Allen

James Allen understands that while purchasing an engagement ring online can be reasonable and quick, visualizing its real-life appearance can be challenging. In response to this issue, the retailer employs captivating 360-degree video technology to showcase their jewelry, along with round-the-clock customer service and unmatched pricing. This combination provides customers with a truly exceptional shopping experience, all from the comfort of their homes. With their innovative Ring Studio service, James Allen further enhances this commitment by giving clients complete creative control over their setting style, enabling them to choose the metal and design for the ring's head and shank.

Beyond its extensive inventory of natural diamonds, James Allen offers an impressive selection of over 35,000 lab-created diamonds, ready to be incorporated into any engagement ring. The company also offers more than 1,000 fancy-colored lab diamonds.

James Allen sets itself apart through its unwavering commitment to outstanding customer service. Prospective buyers can engage in real-time diamond consultations anytime without needing an appointment, connecting with experts to compare stones and review specifications. For more detailed insights, please refer to our comprehensive James Allen review.

Ritani

Founded in 1999 by a family of jewelers, Ritani is renowned for its elegant, high-quality fine jewelry. Expert artisans in New York uniquely design Ritani's jewelry pieces. While they offer reasonable pricing on loose diamonds, their settings and semi-mounts truly shine. Additionally, Ritani's transparent diamond pricing, complimentary in-store preview, free returns, price matching policy, lifetime care package, and lifetime warranty are all valuable and advantageous features.

Benefits of Buying at Ritani

• Transparent Pricing: Ritani provides a transparent breakdown of each diamond's wholesale price, operational costs (such as shipping, packaging, and processing), and the final margin earned by Ritani.
• Market Analysis: Ritani's software analyzes over 200,000 diamonds to offer the best possible prices.
• Price Matching: The company has a comprehensive price matching policy.

Whiteflash

Whiteflash is a highly esteemed and trusted jeweler located in Sugar Land, Texas. Earning a spot among our top-rated retailers, this establishment has recently expanded into the realm of high-quality, precision-cut lab-grown diamonds. Renowned for its coveted "A Cut Above" diamonds, Whiteflash boasts an impressive array of accolades, including outstanding customer reviews and the prestigious Better Business Bureau's Pinnacle Award—a distinction the company has repeatedly received. For a deeper insight, our comprehensive Whiteflash review serves as a helpful resource.  

What sets Whiteflash apart?  

Whiteflash's distinctiveness shines through several defining attributes that collectively contribute to an unparalleled customer experience:  

• Unique Brand: A reputation that precedes itself, Whiteflash's brand excellence is a hallmark of its offerings.  

• Exceptional Customer Service: A commitment to customer satisfaction underscores Whiteflash's approach, elevating the purchasing journey to new heights.  

• A Cut Above Diamonds: Whiteflash's "A Cut Above" collection epitomizes its dedication to excellence, renowned for precision-cut diamonds.  

• Free Shipping and Returns: The convenience of complimentary, hassle-free returns further solidifies Whiteflash's customer-oriented approach.

Aurate

Founded in 2015, Aurate offers exceptionally well-crafted fine jewelry at highly affordable prices. Aurate's designs are recognized for their contemporary style and elegance. The company also deeply cares about environmental sustainability and maximizes its use of recycled gold. For your everyday fine jewelry needs, Aurate is an outstanding choice.

What makes Aurate a great option?

• High-quality fine jewelry at affordable prices
• Contemporary, classic, and elegant designs
• Excellent customer service

Clear Origin

Founded in 2017, Clear Origin has carved a unique niche by focusing exclusively on lab-grown diamonds, primarily improving the diamond purchasing experience. The founders possess decades of invaluable expertise gained from their extensive work in the diamond industry. In addition to its focus on lab-created diamonds, Clear Origin also offers distinctive and exquisite fine jewelry collections.

Benefits of Buying at Clear Origin:

• Free shipping with 100 days of returns
• Modern website featuring a 360-degree view of diamonds
• GIA and IGI certified diamonds
• Hand-picked and inspected lab diamonds only.

Lab-grown or synthetic diamonds are produced in laboratories. These diamonds undergo a meticulously designed technological process that reflects the natural progression of diamond formation beneath the Earth's surface. This controlled environment enables the precise engineering and cultivation of these diamonds. 

Lab-grown diamonds possess physical, chemical, and optical properties similar to those of their naturally mined counterparts, making them virtually indistinguishable. Essentially, they present the appearance of naturally occurring GIA certified loose diamonds. The journey of lab diamonds has involved continuous experimentation over many centuries, culminating in remarkable success in recent decades. Ongoing efforts strive to further enhance the growth of diamonds with even purer physical, chemical, and optical qualities, expanding the possibilities within this innovative field.

Lab-created diamonds offer a compelling array of advantages that render them an alluring choice:

• Affordability: One of the most significant benefits of lab-made diamonds is their cost-effectiveness. These diamonds offer comparable value to their natural counterparts while featuring a considerably lower price tag. Lab-grown diamonds typically cost about 50-75% less than their naturally mined equivalents.
• Conflict-Free Origins: Lab-grown diamonds possess a conflict-free lineage. Cultivated, treated, and precisely cut in controlled laboratory environments, they avoid the ethical dilemmas often tied to diamonds sourced from the Earth. This stands in stark contrast to naturally mined diamonds, which may unintentionally contribute to societal issues and environmental damage.
• Comparable Beauty: Lab-made diamonds showcase a stunning allure that rivals natural diamonds in every aspect. To explore their visual similarities further, read our comprehensive article on lab-made versus natural diamonds.
• Superior Quality: Lab-created diamonds proudly present admirable qualities regarding clarity, color, cut, and carat size. Their characteristics are on par with those of natural diamonds. Moreover, they are available in a variety of enchanting hues, ranging from classic white to vibrant shades of yellow, green, pink, and blue.

The appeal of lab-grown diamonds extends from their affordability to their ethical and aesthetic features, making them a captivating choice for fine jewelry.

Growing lab diamonds is relatively straightforward; these diamonds are cultivated in a controlled chamber, where they are subjected to intense heat, pressure, and a specialized deposition process. This carefully managed environment mimics the natural conditions similar to diamond formation within the Earth's crust.

Watch the explainer video.

Crystallization is an essential technique for creating lab-grown diamonds. This method facilitates a diamond seed's gradual growth and maturation over six to ten weeks, culminating in its eventual cutting and polishing. Following this transformative process, the fully grown and expertly polished diamond undergoes evaluation by a grading laboratory to ascertain its 4Cs—carat weight, cut, color, and clarity—as well as other pertinent indicators of quality.

The composition of trace elements in colored and white lab-created diamonds shows subtle variations from their naturally mined counterparts. Detecting these differences necessitates specialized equipment that can distinguish the minor changes in crystal growth and the presence of trace elements.

Methods for Growing Lab Diamonds

• HPHT (High-Pressure, High-Temperature): This original technique, introduced in the 1950s, facilitates diamond growth and enhances colors, including captivating shades like blue, pink, and yellow.

• CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition): This method, which emerged in the 1980s, employs lower pressure and more compact machinery to simulate diamond formation within interstellar gas clouds. In this process, a diamond seed is placed in a vacuum chamber filled with carbon-rich gas and subjected to temperatures of up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. The high temperatures convert the gas into plasma and carbon, creating an environment for the seed to thrive.

Comparing HPHT and CVD

HPHT and CVD have unique merits and drawbacks, requiring a case-by-case assessment of each stone. While some dealers remain neutral, others prefer HPHT to address crystal strain issues or CVD to reduce any trace of blue nuance or changes in phosphorescence. Notably, a significant portion of today's diamond market consists of CVD diamonds, particularly those in the D/E color range and weighing 1.25 carats or more.

Distinct indicators define each method:

• CVD characteristics include brown and grey undertones, black polycrystalline inclusions (especially near the girdle), strain or graining within the diamond, striations indicative of iterative growth patterns, and potential signs of HPHT post-growth treatment, which may result in a "straw" or light-yellow grey color.

• Expert examination of HPHT diamonds involves recognizing signs of boron-induced blue nuance, grey undertones related to titanium, phosphorescence (distinct from fluorescence), growth sector zoning, and metal flux inclusions.

Lab-Made Diamonds Quality Attributes

• Hardness on the Mohs Scale: 10
• Internal Crystal Structure: Face-centered cubic
• Hardness Comparison: 2.42 (lab-grown) vs. 2.42 (mined)
• SP3 Carbon Diamond Bonds: 100%

In terms of appearance, lab-grown diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from their mined counterparts; even a skilled diamond specialist would require a microscope or a jeweler's loupe to detect any differences. Notably, 10x magnification may only be effective if a lab-grown diamond is laser engraved, a feature that is not always present.

A blue hue raises legitimate concerns about HPHT diamonds, as they can appear unnatural.

Conversely, CVD stones exhibit distinctive strain lines and patterns as telltale signs of their lab-grown origin. These patterns resemble internal graining but are noticeable throughout the stone. Occasionally, a grader might also identify post-growth treatments that enhance a diamond's color. CVD diamonds within the D, E, and F color ranges often undergo such treatments, given that these hues are not typically inherent and are frequently achieved post-growth.

Jewelers often hand-select lab-grown diamonds and bring them to their showrooms for a thorough examination. During this process, each diamond is confirmed, analyzed, assessed, videotaped, and tested. Traditional tools are combined with advanced lab techniques to evaluate the diamond's quality. These assessments typically take place in a private area under full-spectrum lighting. Some jewelers refrain from sourcing diamonds from trade shows or offices where lighting might be adjusted to hide imperfections.

Quality control for lab-grown diamonds follows gemological principles similar to those of natural diamonds. Key questions addressed include:

• Is the diamond's grade accurate? 
• Do the color, clarity, and cut/make align with what is observed in person? 

Further evaluations are conducted for specific characteristics, such as bow ties, light leakage, crown paneling, pavilion bulge, culet size, fish eyes, lifeless centers, and irregular chevrons, especially in fancy-shaped diamonds over 2 carats.

While Ideal Scope or ASET photographs provide some insight, they only show a partial view of a diamond’s true appearance. 

Comparing lab-grown diamonds to those of varying quality is often more effective than evaluating them in isolation to assess their unique properties. Global dealers rely on the discerning eyes and expert judgment of lab diamond specialists, which is why detailed comparisons, clips, and insights are regularly shared with them.

While obtaining a lab-grown diamond with a grading report or certification may not be strictly necessary due to the significant price drop, certification from reputable labs can still be advantageous. Notable certification labs for lab-grown diamonds include the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), International Gemological Institute (IGI), Antwerp World Diamond Center (HRD), Gemological Science International (GSI), and Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL). 

The grading process is consistent among these labs, with impartial evaluations ensuring that buyers receive an accurate assessment of their diamonds. However, occasional discrepancies may occur, with a diamond sometimes receiving a different grade upon reevaluation, even by the same lab. 

This variability leads to differing opinions among retailers and customers regarding which lab provides the most reliable grading. Nevertheless, the labs mentioned above are generally trusted for grading lab-grown diamonds, with GIA often seen as the most reputable.

Lab-grown diamonds are seeing steady, gradual growth. Rather than being viewed as substitutes for natural diamonds, they serve better as complementary options. Each fulfills a unique role in the gem and jewelry industry. Lab-grown diamonds offer an attractive value proposition for buyers on a tight budget.