For years, the only undisputed stone when choosing an engagement ring was a woman’s best friend: the mined diamond. But lately, a new competitor has emerged and is gaining more and more popularity: the lab-grown diamond.

Lab-grown diamonds are created in laboratories in a couple of days, while mined diamonds are created inside the earth over millions of years. Since lab-grown diamonds don’t require drilling into the earth, they are a more environmentally conscious choice, which is part of what makes them popular. Not to mention, they typically cost less. 

Lab-grown diamonds are “real” diamonds because they have the same physical and chemical properties that a mined diamond has. With the naked eye, even experts cannot distinguish lab grown from mined diamonds

So, if you are one of the many who are thinking of buying lab-grown diamonds but you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. 

Here’s a selection of the best place to buy lab-grown diamonds.

At a Glance

Brand	Jewelry type	Price Range	Return policy	Differentiation
Grown Brilliance	Engagement rings/ Wedding jewelry	$225- $151,000	30-day returns	Exclusively works with lab-grown stones
Mejuri	Minimalistic	$198- $5,800	30-day returns	Low prices with trendy designs
Blue Nile	Timeless engagement rings/wedding jewelry	$144- $90,000	30-day returns	Customized rings/ Physical stores in USA
Brilliant Earth	Wedding jewelry	$100- $75,000	30-day returns	Diamond transparency/ Customized jewelry
Clean Origin	Wedding jewelry	$450- $45,000	60-day returns/ free shipping	Physical store in NY
Vrai	Modern jewelry	$150- $59,000	30-day returns	You can create your own diamond
Kinn	Vintage-inspired jewelry	$185- $9,000	10-day returns, 20 days for in-store credit	Recycling jewelry
Aurate	Minimalistic	$140- $26,000	14-day returns, 30 days for exchanges	Repair policy
Pandora	Youthful	$100- $5,500	30-day returns	Affordable prices

Grown Brilliance

If you’re looking for luxury and design without compromising the environment, this brand is for you. Grown Brilliance stands out for its focus on sustainability and transparency. That means that their jewelry is ethically sourced and 100% guilt-free. There are no blood diamonds* here; they only work with conflict-free lab-grown diamonds. Grown Brilliance is ethical luxury. 

You can choose this brand whether you want to design your own engagement ring from scratch or if you want to buy some of their ready-made jewelry. 

*Blood diamonds: Those that come from producing countries immersed in armed conflicts, and where the commercialization of diamonds is carried out in flagrant violation of human rights.

What I love: The Curve collection, organic shapes, a variety of diamonds, a minimalist style, and plenty of contemporary elegance.

Key Features

• Collection of lab-grown diamonds
• Design your own ring
• Fine jewelry collection

Pros

• Ethically sourced
• Customizable
• Competitive pricing

Cons

• No mined diamonds
• No complimentary ring resizing for International orders

Best For

Ethically-conscious shoppers looking for customizable lab-grown engagement rings and fine jewelry.

Mejuri

Female-founded brand Mejuri is a great option if you want to buy everyday jewelry. Yes, lab-grown diamonds can be also a piece that you can combine with a pair of jeans, and that is something that makes this brand stand out. Mejuri is known for its timeless, minimalist jewelry, which is easy to style with any look. The label was created thinking about the woman who buys her own jewelry, designed to wear all day long, not just for special occasions.

In 2023, Mejuri entered the lab-grown diamond market in the pursuit of creating more environmentally friendly jewelry pieces. It’s a modern approach to fine jewelry.

What I love: One of Mejuri’s best sellers, the Dome Figure Balance ring, the perfect chunky bold ring for every day. If you love sculptural jewelry, you are definitely going to love it!

Key Features

• Diamond jewelry
• Everyday fine jewelry
• Online and in-store

Pros

• Timeless designs
• Uses recycled gold and silver in many collections
• Physical stores offer an opportunity to view jewelry

Cons

• Limited customization
• Two-year standard warranty is shorter than some competitors’ lifetime warranties

Best For

Shoppers seeking minimalist everyday jewelry, solid gold pieces and understated designs.

Blue Nile

Blue Nile, one of the pioneers in the diamond sales industry, was born from the idea of ​​modernizing wedding ring purchases. Nowadays, this brand has a wide variety of diamonds that you can combine with your jewelry or buy alone. The purchase of your lab-grown diamond comes with a GIA or IGI report.

Custom engagement rings are the specialty of the brand, offering lab grown diamond engagement rings and wedding bands in a wide range of styles. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t find everyday jewelry, such as tennis necklaces or diamond stud earrings. 

Blue Nile is one of the most reputable brands in online diamond sales, and that is due to the quality of its pieces and its great service. There are many options, not only diamonds, but colored stones to design your own jewelry to create customized looks for any occasion.

What I love: Classic engagement ring styles like pavé or solitaire, beautiful and timeless designs at an affordable price. You can’t go wrong with these designs!

Key Features

• Customizable rings
• Diamond upgrade program
• Lifetime cleanings and inspections

Pros

• Large selection
• Detailed diamond information
• Complimentary aftercare

Cons

• Limited fully bespoke designs
• Less competitive pricing than others

Best For

Shoppers who want a large selection of certified diamonds, customizable engagement rings and established retailer aftercare.

Brilliant Earth

Brilliant Earth was founded with a mission to transform the industry to make it more responsible, sustainable, and transparent. And we can see that it delivers on its promises.  The brand first introduced lab-created stones in 2012, long before other brands and long before lab-grown diamonds became popular.

All of their collections justify the brand’s mission, like the Jane Goodall collection, in which 10% of their profits are donated to the foundation or the Renewable Energy Lab Grown Diamonds, lab-grown diamonds made with renewable wind and solar energy.

In addition, the brand offers customized rings, free lifetime guarantees and the client has many options of diamonds, traceable stones, colored stones, and designs to choose without compromising transparency and sustainability.

What I love: The Versailles Eternity Lab Diamond Ring is the next ring on my list. This piece of fine jewelry is a blend of modern sophistication that does not go unnoticed.  

Key Features

• Customized rings
• Responsible sourcing
• Virtual consultations and physical showrooms

Pros

• Extensive selection
• 24/7 customer support
• Diamond upgrade program

Cons

• No returns for custom pieces
• No standalone settings without a center stone

Best For

Shoppers seeking customizable engagement rings, responsible sourcing options and flexible lifetime diamond upgrades.

Clean Origin

Clean Origin is a 3rd generation diamond jewelry business. They focus on responsible practices, and they exclusively use ethically created and conflict-free lab-grown diamonds for their designs.

The label prioritizes a specific type of consumer: the next-generation Millennials and GenZ customers, who are the next generation to enter the bridal market. And for those who hesitate when buying their first diamond, each order comes with free shipping and free returns.

What I love: The minimalist selection of engagement rings. This style pairs beautifully with a stacking ring or wedding band.

Key Features

• Lab-grown diamonds
• Customizable engagement rings
• Easy returns

Pros

• Competitive pricing
• 60-day return window
• Large selection

Cons

• Primarily online
• Custom orders only eligible for store credit

Best For

Shoppers seeking competitively priced lab-grown diamonds, customizable engagement rings, price matching and a longer-than-average return window.

VRAI

It’s one of the brands chosen by Hollywood royalty, like Jennifer Lopez, Emma Watson, and Reese Witherspoon. The reasons?  Design and sustainability. The brand proclaims real zero carbon footprint and conflict-free lab-grown diamonds.

VRAI can be described in two words: innovation and luxury. The label offers a customized cut diamond, this is an advantage in terms of the shape, as it offers other variations, unlike classic models such as round, pear or emerald.  All the diamonds come with a certificate of authenticity that guarantees both quality and sustainability credentials.

What I love:  the brand offers to customize your lab-grown diamond in shapes that aren’t so easy to find elsewhere, such as trillion cut or Oval rose. 

Key Features

• Make their own diamonds
• “Cut for You” diamonds
• Online and in-person consultations

Pros

• Ethically-sourced diamonds
• Customization options
• Diamond upgrade program

Cons

• No mined diamonds
• No returns on customized items

Best For

Shoppers looking for modern lab-grown diamond engagement rings, sustainability-focused production, and lifetime diamond upgrade options.

Kinn

Founded in 2017 by Jennie Yoon, with a clear purpose: make jewelry to last a lifetime. It all started when she wanted to replace her family’s stolen jewelry; this beginning defined the brand’s mission to create jewelry that lasts for generations and tells a story.

Each design is inspired by a vintage aesthetic of luxury and minimalism. Kinn offers pieces with diamonds as well as lab-grown diamonds. The jewelry is made with recycled 14k gold to help to reduce the demand for newly mined metals. 

What I love: The KinnCycle, the brand’s proposal involves recycling jewelry provided by the customer, so you can recycle your old fine jewelry to create new pieces.

Key Features

• Recycled gold
• Custom jewelry
• KinnCycle

Pros

• Specializes in solid 14k gold
• Designs for everyday wear
• 3-year care and repair service

Cons

• Limited return window
• Care service costs extra

Best For

Shoppers seeking minimalist solid-gold jewelry, custom heirloom pieces, and everyday fine jewelry with recycling practices. 

Aurate

Aurate

NYC-based Aurate offers fine jewelry made from ethically sourced, sustainable gold, and the diamonds- mined or lab-created are conflict-free, all thanks to the Kimberley Process*.  We are talking about a modern, minimalist jewelry brand with excellent quality diamonds and sustainable practices.

Aurate’s Bold Diamond Baguette Ring makes its pieces perfect for layering or wearing solo. As well as the Lab Grown White Sapphire tennis necklace that you can combine and wear for every day. Aurate is an elegant, minimalist jewelry label that makes jewelry for every woman.

* The Kimberley Process: is an international certification system that prevents “conflict diamonds”.

What I love: The always elegant Solitaire Necklace, and if you still have budget, I would include a pair of diamond studs to combine. 

Key Features

• Solid gold jewelry
• Uses the Kimberley Process
• Minimalist designs

Pros

• Recycled gold
• Material variety
• Transparent sourcing

Cons

• Short return window
• Not exclusively fine gold

Best For

Shoppers seeking minimalist everyday fine jewelry made with recycled gold from transparent sources. 

 Pandora

The Danish jewelry brand is demonstrating that sustainability is the new luxury. In 2021, Pandora committed to using only lab-grown diamonds, demonstrating its commitment to the environment. Not only that, but two years ago all its jewelry was made with 100% recycled silver and gold sourced from certified, responsible refiners. A giant like Pandora adopting all these environmentally responsible measures confirms that the future of jewelry lies in environmental awareness. 

The brand already has five collections of laboratory diamonds perfect for taking your first steps into this universe.

What I love: The Talisman collection, youthful styles, easy to combine with any look.

Key Features

• Lab-grown diamonds
• Material variety
• Personalization options

Pros

• Accessible prices
• Wide selection
• Recycled precious metals

Cons

• Not exclusively fine jewelry
• Limited repair options

Best For

Shoppers seeking affordable personalized jewelry, charm bracelets, and gift purchases.

FAQ

Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?

They are “real” diamonds, it means that they are not an imitation, because they have the same physical and chemical properties that a mined diamond. With the naked eye, even experts cannot distinguish lab from mined diamonds.

So, Who Sells the Best Lab-Grown Diamonds?

Times have changed; buying a lab-grown diamond for an engagement ring is an option that more and more people are choosing. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds; no one can distinguish them from a mined diamond without a microscope. Plus, they are more ethical because there is no mining involved.

Blue Nile and Brilliant Earth are excellent options if you are looking to design your engagement ring. If you want everyday jewelry, I recommend Mejuri and Aurate, and for classical luxury, my recommendation is Grown Brilliance and Clean Origin.

Remember that when you buy a lab-grown diamond it must come with a certificate from reputable gemological labs, such as GIA or IGI; it’s the only way to prove its quality and ensure you received the diamond you chose online.