Introduction

In search the question is usually simple: should one buy a synthetic diamond, natural or laboratory. A “yes/no” without terms almost always misleads. Three different things get mixed:

1. Diamond — the material: carbon in the crystal structure of diamond.
2. Brilliant — in everyday speech a faceted diamond; from autumn 2026 in Russian retail the word is tied more tightly to natural origin.
3. Imitation (cubic zirconia, moissanite and others) — another material that only looks similar from outside.

A natural and a laboratory stone are both diamond as substance. To the eye, at close parameters, they are usually indistinguishable: both have diamond optics. Confusion starts when “the same in chemistry” is read as “the same product in meaning, price and resale”. For jewellery, a gift and still more for an “investment”, origin and how supply is arranged on the market matter.

Below is desk research from open sources. The aim is a vocabulary and a frame of choice before September 2026 and after, without a valuation of a specific stone and without a promise of return.

Method and sources

The base is Gemological Institute of America (GIA) materials on laboratory-grown diamonds and HPHT/CVD methods; RF Government Decree No. 657 and clarifications of the Ministry of Finance / Assay Chamber / ALROSA on buyer-information rules from 01.09.2026; industry data on wholesale lab-grown prices (Edahn Golan / Tenoris, Rapaport reviews); Russian surveys and retail (Smart Diamonds, Sokolov, 585 Zolotoy — more in a separate note); publications on industrial and quantum uses of synthetic diamond (Chemical & Engineering News / Diamfab; reports on NV centres and commercial diamond systems).

Caveats. Identical chemical composition does not mean identical price, liquidity or legal status on the counter. Wholesale lab-grown indices are not a retail price tag in the RF. Industrial CVD diamond for electronics and a jewellery setting are related but different markets. Scenarios at the end are flagged separately. Labelling rules should be checked against official texts on the date of the deal.

A short glossary

GIA puts it this way: a laboratory-grown diamond is obtained by a technological process, not a geological one; it has essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure, optical and physical properties as natural; at the same time it is not the same as a natural stone. The eye often cannot tell them apart; a laboratory determines origin and growth method with instruments.

What a natural stone is

A natural diamond formed in the Earth’s mantle at high pressure and temperature and was brought to the surface by kimberlite (and related) processes. The time scale is geological: from millions to billions of years in typical industry descriptions, not a week in a reactor.

After mining the stone is sorted, cut, certified. Rarity here is not a slogan:

• not every diamond is fit for jewellery;
• inside the jewellery segment, combinations of size, colour and clarity are rare;
• fancy colors (saturated yellow, pink, blue and others) are a narrow market with a different price and supply logic than mass colourless 1 ct.

Natural origin cannot be scaled the way a plant scales CVD batches. That does not make every natural stone an expensive asset. It makes supply tied to mining, the mine mix, sanctions, cutting and demand — not only to reactor capacity. More on indices and the “investment stone” — in the note on investment diamonds.

What a synthetic / laboratory stone is

A synthetic (laboratory, lab-grown) diamond is grown from carbon under controlled conditions. The result is diamond as material. GIA stresses separately: this is not an imitation.

Two main industrial methods for jewellery quality:

HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature)

A capsule with a carbon source and a metal catalyst is heated to about 1300–1600 °C at a pressure of the order of 5–6 GPa (on GIA descriptions — pressure comparable to depths of the order of 150–190 km). Growth proceeds around a seed. Size depends on time and capsule volume. HPHT is also used to treat the colour of already grown or natural stones — that is a separate line in a laboratory report.

CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition)

In a chamber at low pressure, carbon-bearing gases (often with microwave-plasma activation) decompose; carbon deposits on diamond seeds in layers at temperatures of the order of 700–1200 °C (GIA estimates). Growth is closer to layer-by-layer build-up of the crystal. Size depends on seeds and time. Some CVD stones then go through HPHT colour finishing — that too is recorded in reports.

Both methods give diamond. Differences are in growth features, typical inclusions, spectroscopic markers that a laboratory reads. For a buyer at the counter something else matters more: origin is stated in the documents and on the tag, not “by eye”.

Same in composition — different in origin

What the sources confirm:

• As substance and optics: both are diamond (carbon in the diamond structure; close optics and hardness). There is no difference of “the natural sparkles, the synthetic does not”.
• As origin: natural is a geological object; laboratory is a product of technology in a short time.
• As supply: natural is limited by mining and ore quality; laboratory scales with growing capacity.
• As meaning of the purchase: for some people origin enters the value of a gift; for some, size and budget decide at a close outward look.

Confusing lab-grown with cubic zirconia is an error in one direction. Saying “this is simply the same diamond cheaper” without a caveat on origin and the language of the counter is an error in the other.

How much synthetics are on the market and why they are cheaper

The international bridal segment shows the scale of the category. The Knot (US, Real Weddings) in 2026 publications indicated about 61% lab-grown centre stones in engagement rings in its sample. That is US bridal, not the whole world and not Russia.

On the price side, industry reviews record a multi-year fall in wholesale prices of grown stones. On Lab Diamond Wholesale Price List data (Edahn Golan): in 2025 wholesale lab-grown prices fell on average by about 26% y/y; a quarterly slowing of the fall was also noted, but the annual trend remained down. Earlier Tenoris / trade-press series described a fall in synthetic wholesale prices of tens of percent over several years (in some Rapaport reviews — of the order of 87% since 2018 on a number of metrics). Exact percentages depend on the basket of sizes and quality; the direction is one: growth of technological supply presses the wholesale price.

In Russian retail, chains publish different shares, but growth of the category is visible. Sokolov in Q1 2026 put the share of grown stones in sales of jewellery with settings at about 25%; 585 Zolotoy — 6.9%. A public example from Kommersant / 585 Zolotoy: a ring with a grown 0.5 ct about 50 thousand ₽ versus about 200 thousand ₽ with a natural one — an illustration of a budget gap, not a universal price list. A review of surveys and dual-shelf is in natural vs lab in the RF.

The result for the buyer: synthetics on the counter often give a larger size in the same budget. That is a strong argument for jewellery “for now”. It is a weak argument for the idea “I’ll buy and then resell at a profit”.

Terminology in Russia from 01.09.2026

From 1 September 2026 updated rules of sale of goods take effect (RF Government Decree No. 657 of 30.05.2026; clarifications of the Ministry of Finance, the Assay Chamber, ALROSA statements and business press).

The substance for the counter and advertising (from open clarifications):

• the word “brilliant” and derivatives — for a natural stone;
• for settings of artificial origin, when a mineral name is used, “synthetic” must be indicated ( “Synthet.” is allowed);
• the Ministry of Finance separately confirmed the permissibility of the designation “faceted synthetic diamond”;
• for synthetics the familiar “brilliant” language of description is restricted (including quality-colour characteristics and weight in carats in a logic that mixes synthetics with a natural brilliant; the weight of a synthetic setting — in grams, on the clarifications);
• words that create an impression of natural origin (“natural”, “precious”, “ecological” and analogues — in the context of designating synthetics) cannot be used.

The practical meaning for the buyer: after the rules take effect, the tag and the product card should make origin explicit. The question “is this a brilliant?” will remain in everyday speech; in documents and on the tag the language will become stricter. Those choosing now are well advised already to read the certificate and the tag as if the new rules were in force: origin on a separate line, without advertising substitutions.

This is not a ban on selling grown stones. It is a ban on selling them under the name and description of a natural brilliant.

Gift, jewellery, “expensive” — different jobs

Surveys in the RF show a gap between knowledge and choice: some people do not fully understand the difference but are ready to take lab-grown because of price; some principally want only natural. This is not a victory of one shelf — different purchase scenarios.

Investment and the secondary market: why synthetics usually lose

If the question is “buy as an asset”, look at the full cycle of the deal, not the outward look of the stone. Outwardly natural and lab-grown of comparable quality are close; the economy of exit is not.

1. Supply. A natural stone is limited by mining. Lab-grown scales. When supply grows faster than demand, the wholesale price falls — this is already visible in wholesale lab-grown price series.

2. Expectation on exit. The secondary jewellery market is already narrow. For lab-grown a buyer on resale compares with current retail of new grown stones, which has had time to cheapen. “Bought dear yesterday — sold as new today” breaks faster than for a rare natural lot.

3. Documents and language. After a tightening of terms in the RF, the confusion “brilliant = any faceted stone” should shrink. That supports a distinction of shelves, and does not automatically lift the lab-grown price.

4. Natural rarity ≠ any natural stone. Mass commercial 1 ct and a rare fancy / large quality stone live differently. Confusing “natural is always an investment” is as harmful as “lab-grown is always advantageous”.

A confirmable conclusion: as jewellery for a budget, lab-grown is often appropriate; as a bet on holding value it is weaker than the natural rarity segment, because technology scales supply. We do not issue the claim “the synthetics market will become fully illiquid” as a fact: demand for fashion and bridal may remain at a low resale price. In the scenarios below — a separate hypothesis about the secondary market as an “asset”.

Where synthetic diamond wins outside jewellery

Separately — industrial and research synthetic diamond. Here controlled properties of the material are valued, not carat weight for a ring.

Open publications of 2025–2026 describe:

• CVD / MPCVD for growing monocrystalline diamond plates (wafers) for electronics and power electronics; startups such as Diamfab position diamond as a material for harsh conditions (in a Chemical & Engineering News review, July 2026);
• NV centres (nitrogen-vacancy) in diamond — a platform for quantum sensors and qubit experiments; in a number of schemes diamond is of interest for work at room temperature, unlike some superconducting approaches with cryogenics;
• commercial announcements of NV-diamond systems (for example, July 2026 reports on SAXON Q products) — a signal of industry interest, not proof that “jewellery synthetics = a quantum processor”.

De Beers / the trade press earlier recorded a shift of accent from jewellery Lightbox to industrial uses — that is consistent with the picture: jewellery lab-grown competes on price, industrial — on a specification of purity, defects and plate geometry.

In short: one class of material (synthetic diamond) serves different markets. A fall in jewellery-wholesale margin does not cancel demand for electronic / quantum grade. But that is not an argument “buy a ring — it will come in handy in a processor”.

A practical frame: to buy or not

The answer depends on the question you are actually asking.

Buy lab-grown as jewellery / an engagement in a budget? Yes, if size and design matter to you, you understand origin and you accept the future language of the tag (“synthetic”, not “brilliant” in the sense of the new RF rules). Require a clear laboratory certificate (GIA / IGI and analogues) and a laser inscription of lab-grown where it exists.

Buy lab-grown as an expensive gift “for the ages” and status? Only if the recipient shares the value of origin. If for the family it is precisely a natural stone that matters, a saving on lab-grown may devalue the gesture.

Buy lab-grown “as an investment”? As a rule, no: look at the dynamics of wholesale prices and the logic of supply. An unpacking of the natural investment segment is in investment diamonds.

Buy natural? It makes sense when origin, rarity, the long meaning of the object matter and you are ready to pay a premium. Do not confuse any natural commercial stone with a rare lot.

Scenarios and hypotheses

Limitations

This text is not a recommendation to purchase, an offer or a valuation of a stone. The rules of RF Government Decree No. 657 and regulator clarifications need to be checked against official texts on the date of the deal. The Knot figures are US bridal. Wholesale lab-grown % are foreign wholesale series, not the ticket of a Moscow store. Announcements of quantum diamond systems are company and trade-press reports; commercial success and scale-up are not guaranteed. The material does not promise a return.

Conclusions

1. Lab-grown and a natural stone are the same in class of material (diamond) and different in origin. In outward look at comparable quality they are usually indistinguishable.
2. Imitations (cubic zirconia and others) are a third object; they cannot be mixed with lab-grown.
3. Growth methods are mainly HPHT and CVD; a laboratory can tell them apart.
4. From 01.09.2026 in the RF the word “brilliant” is tied more tightly to a natural stone; for synthetics — explicit labelling and wordings such as “faceted synthetic diamond”.
5. Synthetics are cheaper and more mass where size and budget decide; natural rarity (especially fancy) is arranged differently.
6. As jewellery lab-grown is often appropriate; as an “investment” or a bet on resale — usually weaker.
7. Outside jewellery, synthetic diamond is a material of electronics, sensors and quantum research; that is another market, not an argument for the price of a ring.

FAQ

Should you buy a synthetic diamond? As jewellery in a budget — often yes, if you understand origin and future labelling. As an investment — usually no. After 01.09.2026 in the RF it should not be sold under the word “brilliant” in the sense of the new rules.

Should one buy a synthetic diamond? Look at the job: size and design vs origin and rarity. Lab-grown has real diamond chemistry; there is no geological rarity. Outwardly at close quality it does not “sparkle worse”.

Should you buy a laboratory diamond? The same question as about synthetic: laboratory-grown = a grown diamond. Check the certificate, the tag and the seller’s return/exchange terms.

Natural or synthetic diamond? Not “who is better in look”, but “for what”. Natural — origin and limited supply. Synthetic — controlled growth and another price. From autumn 2026 in the RF the language of the counter will split these shelves more tightly.

Is lab-grown a fake? No. A fake/imitation is another material. Lab-grown is a diamond grown in a laboratory. GIA describes it as a real diamond in composition and properties, but not as natural.

How does HPHT differ from CVD? In pressure, temperature and the way carbon grows (a press vs a gas phase). Both give diamond; the method is written in the laboratory report.

Can they be told apart by eye? Often not. A laboratory, instruments and documents are needed.

Will synthetics become “illiquid”? As a good for resale “at a profit” — the risk is high: supply grows, wholesale prices have already fallen strongly. As a jewellery category — demand may remain. Sources do not prove a full “death of the market”.

Why then grow diamonds if jewellery is cheapening? Besides jewellery there are abrasives, optics, power electronics, quantum sensors and NV-centre research. Those are other specifications and another economy.

Bibliography

1. GIA. Laboratory-grown diamonds; HPHT and CVD; simulants vs synthetics: https://4cs.gia.edu/ ; https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/what-are-synthetic-diamonds/
2. GIA. Simulants, Moissanite and Lab-Grown Diamonds (growth methods, HPHT/CVD parameters): https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/simulants-moissanite-and-lab-grown-diamonds/
3. Government of the RF. Decree No. 657 of 30.05.2026 — rules of sale / information (takes effect 01.09.2026). See also Ministry of Finance and ALROSA publications: https://alrosa.ru/press-center/news/2026/pravitelstvo-rf-utverdilo-novye-pravila-informirovaniya-pokupateley-yuvelirnykh-izdeliy-brilliantami/
4. Federal Assay Chamber. New requirements for jewellery tags: https://probpalata.gov.ru/novye-trebovaniya-k-birkam-yuvelirnyx-izdelij/
5. Ministry of Finance of the RF / trade press. Permissibility of the designation “faceted synthetic diamond”: https://uvelir.info/news/minfin-rf-podtverdil-dopustimost-oboznacheniya-ogranennyij-sinteticheskij-almaz/
6. Forbes.ru / Kommersant. Context of the ban on calling synthetics “brilliants”: https://www.forbes.ru/biznes/562784-sinteticeskie-almazy-v-rossii-zapretat-nazyvat-brilliantami
7. Edahn Golan / Tenoris. Lab-grown wholesale price lists 2025 (about −26% y/y): https://www.edahngolan.com/lab-grown-diamond-wholesale-prices-2025/
8. Rapaport. Reviews of synthetics and price dynamics (including a long-term squeeze of wholesale prices): https://rapaport.com/
9. The Knot. Real Weddings Study — lab-grown share in US bridal (context, not the RF).
10. Sokolov; 585 Zolotoy; Smart Diamonds — shares and perception in the RF (see also natural-vs-lab).
11. Chemical & Engineering News. Diamond as semiconductor / Diamfab CVD wafers (July 2026): https://cen.acs.org/materials/electronic-materials/forget-silicon-diamond-next-semiconductor/104/web/2026/07
12. The Quantum Insider / Quantum Computing Report. Reports on commercial NV-diamond systems (SAXON Q, July 2026) — corporate announcements, not a jewellery price list.
13. BrillPulse. Related Open Research: natural vs lab in the RF, investment diamonds, market analysis.