Diamonds have always carried weight, not just in carats, but in meaning. The ring that marks a milestone, the necklace worn on the day everything changed, the bracelet you bought yourself because you finally could. And somewhere in this ongoing story, a new chapter began. Lab grown diamonds arrived and quietly reshaped what it means to own something genuinely precious.
If you have heard the term and found yourself wondering what it actually means, how they are made, whether they are truly real, and why more women are choosing them today, you are in the right place.
Lab grown diamonds are not a passing trend. They are a shift, one that has been building since the 1950s, rooted in science, and gaining momentum because people want beauty that does not ask them to compromise.
At Keemti, every piece we craft is set with a lab grown diamond. So before you explore our rings, neckwear, or bracelets, here are 15 things about lab grown diamonds that most people simply do not know.
1. They Are Chemically and Physically Identical to Mined Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds are not stimulants or imitations. They are real diamonds. Same carbon atom structure, same crystal lattice, same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale), same optical properties. The only difference is where they came from.
2. The Science Behind Them Began in 1954
The first lab grown diamond was created by General Electric in 1954 using a process called High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). If you have ever wondered, “diamonds how are they made,” this is where it began.
What took nature billions of years was replicated in a controlled environment for the first time. That was over 70 years ago, and the technology has only grown sharper and more precise since.
3. There Are Two Methods Used to Grow Them
Two primary processes are used in the industry today:
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HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature): Mimics the extreme conditions found deep within the earth, using intense pressure and heat to convert carbon into a diamond crystal.
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CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition): A carbon-rich gas is broken down inside a chamber, allowing carbon atoms to deposit and bond layer by layer onto a seed crystal, forming a diamond over weeks.
4. Every Lab Grown Diamond Starts with a Seed
Both HPHT and CVD processes begin with a diamond seed, a tiny sliver of an existing diamond. The new diamond grows outward from this seed. It is a bit like the origin story we speak of at Keemti. Everything starts somewhere small.
5. Can Be Grown in Weeks, Not Millions of Years Like Natural Diamonds
Natural diamonds form over one to three billion years under immense geological pressure deep within the earth's mantle. In a laboratory, that same process is compressed into two to eight weeks, depending on the growth method and the desired carat size. The result is the same diamond, just without the wait.
6. A Gemologist Cannot Tell Them Apart Without Specialised Equipment
Even trained gemologists cannot distinguish a lab grown diamond from a mined one using the naked eye or a standard loupe. Specialised spectroscopy equipment is required to detect the difference, and even then, what is being identified is the method of growth, not quality or authenticity.
7. They Are Graded by the Same 4Cs
Lab grown diamonds are evaluated by internationally recognised gemological institutes like IGI and GIA using the same grading framework applied to mined diamonds: Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat. At Keemti, every diamond in our pieces is certified, so you always know exactly what you are wearing.
8. They Often Have Higher Clarity
Because the growth environment is controlled and free from geological impurities, lab grown diamonds frequently have fewer inclusions than many mined diamonds. This often results in better clarity grades, typically VS1 or higher, without the premium price that would come with a mined equivalent of the same grade.
9. They Come in a Range of Colours Beyond White
Lab grown diamonds are not limited to white. Through the careful introduction of trace elements during the growth process, they can be produced in yellow, pink, blue, and green. Coloured lab grown diamonds, which are exceptionally rare and expensive when mined, are far more accessible when grown in a laboratory.
10. Scalable Production for Various Sizes and Qualities
One of the most significant advantages of lab grown diamonds is that their production can be scaled to meet specific requirements. Whether a piece calls for a delicate 0.10 carat diamond or a statement 2 carat stone, the growth process can be adjusted accordingly. This scalability means that access to quality diamonds across different sizes and budgets is no longer limited by what the earth happens to yield.
11. The Price Difference Is Significant for the Same Quality
A lab grown diamond of the same cut, clarity, colour, and carat as a mined diamond typically costs 50 to 70% less. This is not a reflection of lesser quality. It reflects a shorter, more direct supply chain without the costs of extraction, transportation, and large-scale mining operations. That saving is what makes pieces like the ones at Keemti possible at honest prices.
12. India Is a Global Leader in Lab Grown Diamond Production
Surat, long known as the world's diamond cutting and polishing capital, is today also one of the largest producers of lab grown diamonds. India accounts for a substantial share of global lab grown diamond manufacturing, making this very much an Indian story as well as a global one.
13. Ethically Sourced, Conflict-Free Diamonds
The term "blood diamond" refers to stones mined in war zones and sold to fund armed conflict. Lab grown diamonds bypass the mining supply chain entirely. There is no displacement of communities, no hazardous working conditions buried deep underground, and no geopolitical entanglements attached to their origin. Every lab grown diamond is fully traceable, and that traceability is built into the process from day one.
14. Environmentally Friendly Production
Traditional diamond mining involves removing and processing hundreds of tonnes of earth to recover a single carat of rough diamond. It also demands significant water usage and causes lasting disruption to surrounding ecosystems. Lab grown diamonds require a fraction of that. Energy consumption during growth is a factor the industry is actively working to reduce, with many facilities already transitioning to renewable energy sources. The overall environmental footprint is considerably smaller than conventional mining.
15. They Retain Their Properties Permanently
Lab grown diamonds do not fade, cloud, or degrade over time. The hardness and brilliance present on day one will remain decades later. Whether it is a Keemti bracelet you reach for in the morning without thinking, or a necklace you save for the moments that deserve something more, the diamond within it will not change. It was made to last.
All of This Comes Back to One Thing
A lab grown diamond is a real diamond. It carries no less brilliance, no less permanence, and no less meaning than one drawn from the earth. What sets it apart is the clarity of its origin and the intention behind its creation.
In many ways, this is where lab grown diamonds explained feels most complete. Not just in how they are made, but in what they represent.
At Keemti, that story matters to us. It is why every collection we design begins with a question: what does this woman want to say, and how much of it does she want the world to see?
For the woman who believes less is more, our Minimalist collection strips everything back to the diamond itself. Clean settings, considered proportions, and the kind of design that works on a Monday morning as well as a Friday night.
For the woman who wants her jewellery to hold more, our Cluster collection brings multiple lab grown diamonds together in one piece. Each stone is distinct, yet the overall effect is one of warmth and fullness, the way a life well-lived tends to look.
And for the woman who is marking something that does not have an end, our Eternity collection speaks in a language that needs no explanation. A continuous line of lab grown diamonds, set to last as long as the feeling it represents.
Each piece holds a lab grown diamond made with intention, for a woman who lives the same way.
The choice of what you wear is entirely personal. We just want to make sure you make it knowing everything.
