Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings

What is a lab-grown diamond?

A lab-grown diamond (also called lab-created) is a diamond. It's pure carbon in the same crystal structure as a mined stone, so it has the same hardness, 10 on the Mohs scale, and the same fire and brilliance. The only difference is where it formed: in a growth chamber over a few weeks, instead of underground over billions of years.

That makes it different from moissanite and cubic zirconia, which only look like diamond. Mixing them up is the most common mistake first-time buyers make. A lab-grown diamond passes a standard diamond tester, and telling it apart from a mined stone takes laboratory equipment, which is why every centre stone we set comes with an independent IGI or GIA report.

One line worth reading on any lab-grown report is the comments. "As grown" means the stone wasn't treated after growth to improve its colour, which keeps appraisal and insurance simple. Our lab-grown diamond guide explains how they're made and how to read the certificate.

Lab-grown or natural: what does the money buy?

	Lab-grown diamond	Natural diamond
Material	Diamond	Diamond
Hardness and sparkle	Identical	Identical
Price for the same size and grade	A fraction of natural	Several times more
Resale value	Low	Below what you paid, but higher than lab-grown
Grading report	IGI, graded in full	GIA or IGI

For most couples, lab-grown is where the budget stretches furthest. The same budget buys a larger stone, a better grade, or both. We source natural diamonds too (source a stone), and they remain a lovely choice if a mined origin matters to you.

The honest caveat: don't buy a lab-grown diamond as an investment. Prices have fallen as production has grown, and resale value is low. Buy it for the ring.

Which diamond grades actually matter?

Lab-grown diamonds are usually grown to high colour and clarity, so the useful decisions are different from buying a mined stone.

• Cut first. Cut decides how much a diamond sparkles, and every stone we offer is Excellent cut. An Excellent cut at a slightly lower colour looks better, and costs less, than an average cut at a top colour.
• Colour and clarity to the eye, not the certificate. We offer three grades: Perfect to the Eye (F colour, VS1 clarity), Jeweller's Choice (E-F, VVS2, our default) and Heirloom (D, flawless to VVS1). In round, oval and other brilliant shapes, VS1 is clean to the eye. Step cuts like emerald and asscher show more, so they're worth a higher clarity.
• Buy just under the round numbers. Prices step up at whole and half carats. A 1.9ct looks identical to a 2ct and costs less.
• Check which lab graded it. Since 1 October 2025, GIA no longer gives lab-grown diamonds a specific colour and clarity grade. IGI still grades every one in full, which makes an IGI report the practical standard for lab-grown stones in 2026.

The 4Cs guide goes through each grade in detail.

Which diamond shape should you choose?

• Round has the most sparkle of any shape, and the highest price per carat, because more of the rough crystal is cut away to make it.
• Oval, pear and marquise look bigger per carat than a round and lengthen the finger. Watch for a "bow-tie", a dark band across the middle of the stone, which is easiest to judge on video rather than in a photo.
• Emerald and asscher are step cuts: long, mirror-like flashes instead of sparkle. They show inclusions and colour more, so choose a cleaner, whiter stone.
• Princess, pear and marquise have points, and points are where diamonds chip. A claw over each point protects them.

Every setting on this page can be made with any shape. Not sure which suits them? Start with how to choose an engagement ring shape.

Which setting suits you?

• Solitaire engagement rings: one stone and nothing competing with it. The style least likely to date.
• Hidden halo engagement rings: a ring of small diamonds under the centre stone, seen from the side. Extra sparkle without changing the solitaire look, and usually less than a full halo, so more of the budget goes into the centre stone.
• Halo engagement rings: a visible frame of diamonds that makes the centre stone look larger.
• Trilogy engagement rings and toi et moi rings: three stones or two. Toi et moi is the most distinctive look of the moment, so choose it because the story matters to you, not because it's in fashion.
• Bezel set engagement rings: a rim of metal around the stone. The most secure setting for busy hands, but it uses more gold, so at 2026 gold prices it costs more than claws.
• East-west engagement rings: an elongated stone set sideways, for a modern take on a classic.

Platinum, white, yellow or rose gold?

• Platinum is naturally white and never needs plating. We price it the same as 18ct white gold, which removes the main reason people used to choose white gold instead.
• White gold is gold alloyed with white metals and plated with rhodium for its bright finish. The plating wears with time and needs redoing.
• Yellow gold and rose gold are warmer. A yellow setting also hides a hint of warmth in the diamond, so you can choose a lower colour grade and not see the difference.

Our settings are made in 18ct gold as standard, with 14ct and 9ct as lower-priced options. The gold and platinum guide compares them in full.

Engagement rings for women, and for anyone

Most engagement rings are bought for women, but none of ours is fixed to one wearer: any design can be made with a wider or heavier band. Two things matter more than carat for how a ring looks on the hand. A slim band makes the centre stone look larger, and the same stone looks bigger on a slender finger than on a broad one.

If you don't know their ring size, we'll send a free ring sizing kit, or you can choose "Help Me Later" when you order. Most designs also include one free resize in the first 12 months.

Designing a unique engagement ring

Every ring here is a starting point. Change the metal, restyle the setting, swap the stone or adjust the band, and keep what works. It starts with a free consultation, in our Melbourne studio or by video. Sketches and 3D renders come next, and you can change anything until it's right. The big decisions happen at the sketch stage, where changing your mind costs nothing.

Once you approve the design, your ring is made in our workshop and delivered in about three weeks from payment, insured and signed for. Read more about custom engagement rings, or design your own engagement ring online.

What does a lab-grown diamond engagement ring cost?

The price on each ring includes the setting and a lab-grown diamond at the carat weight selected above the grid, so you're comparing finished rings, not settings. That matters when you shop around: a stone quoted on its own can be thousands short of the finished ring once the setting, side stones, metal and GST are added. Ask every jeweller for the finished price including GST.

Australian couples spent about $6,800 on average in 2026, and most spent between $5,000 and $8,000. Spend what you're comfortable with: "three months' salary" was an advertising slogan. To make a budget go further, choose 14ct instead of 18ct, a hidden halo instead of a full one, or a stone just under a round carat weight, and put the saving into the diamond. Interest-free payment plans are available through PayRight and Elevant.

Every ring comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, and your centre stone's certificate. When you're ready, book a free consultation.