This might be one of the most common questions in the jewelry world, and honestly, we get it. Even before starting nocolor, each of us had our own assumptions about lab-grown diamonds. Some of us believed mined diamonds were inherently "better," while others never even questioned it.
So let's clear it up once and for all:
Are lab diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. Completely. 100%.
A lab-grown diamond is chemically, physically, and visually identical to a mined diamond. The only difference is literally how the diamond crystal forms, one deep underground, one in a lab. But both become "real diamonds" the moment they're cut and polished from rough material.
To put it another way, it's like ice: you can find ice naturally in a glacier, or you can freeze it yourself at home. Either way, it's ice. Or think about IVF-babies conceived through IVF are obviously still real babies, just made differently. Same idea here.
Without specialized equipment used by gemologists, you genuinely can't tell lab-grown from mined diamonds, because there’s no visible difference.
Which brought us to the obvious next question…
If Lab Diamonds Are the Same, Why Doesn't Everyone Buy Them?
This was honestly one of the first things we asked ourselves:
If lab diamonds look identical, cost way less, and don’t come with ethical baggage, why would anyone choose mined diamonds at all?
The answer is pretty straightforward: it completely disrupts the existing jewelry industry.
For decades, the biggest companies (think De Beers) have built their entire empires around mined diamonds. If lab diamonds become the norm, their billion-dollar investments in mines, distribution networks, and branding lose their value overnight.
They’re painfully aware of this, so they spend millions trying to convince people mined diamonds are somehow "natural," better, or more romantic (notice how carefully they avoid calling them "mined," given all the ethical concerns).
They even briefly tried to capitalize on lab-grown diamonds themselves. Back in 2018, De Beers launched a lab diamond line called "Lightbox." In its first year, Lightbox generated $100 million but they abruptly shut it down soon after.
Why? Because lab diamonds were starting to cannibalize their much more profitable mined diamond business. Once people realized they could get the exact same diamond for way less money, their mined diamond sales started dropping fast.
But the shift is already happening anyway.
Even brands that swore they'd never sell lab diamonds are quietly adding them to their collections, because at this point, the value proposition of lab diamonds is simply too good to ignore.
What's the Real Difference Between Lab and Mined Diamonds?
Honestly, there's only one actual difference - how they're created:
| Feature | Lab Diamond | Mined Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 100% real diamond | 100% real diamond |
| Origin | Created in a lab, then cut & polished | Dug out of the Earth, then cut & polished |
| Ethics | No mining, no human-rights concerns, minimal water use | Linked to environmental & labor issues, high water use |
| Price | ~70-80% cheaper | Often thousands (even tens of thousands) of dollars |
| Availability | Easily available | Limited by natural supply |
That's it. Everything else exactly the same.
Why We Chose Lab Diamonds (And Why We Won’t Go Back)
By now, it’s pretty clear why we don’t even offer mined diamonds (oops, almost said "natural diamonds" again). They’re simply not the future, it’s like trying to stick with horse-drawn carriages after cars arrived.
And honestly? Most people don’t care about mined vs. lab as much as the traditional industry thinks they do.
When we were first brainstorming nocolor, we asked some of our most fashion-conscious friends what they preferred. Their response?
"I just want the biggest, brightest diamond I can afford."
Even Dev, our resident jewelry expert who we thought was a mined-diamond purist, secretly bought a pair of lab diamond earrings before we even officially launched. (Sorry, Dev, your secret is officially out.)
The industry can spin the narrative however they want, but the truth is pretty clear:
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. They're just better for your wallet and better for the planet. And we're fully on board.
— the nocolor team