Are Lab Grown Diamonds as Durable as Natural Diamonds?

What Makes a Diamond Durable?

Durability in gemstones refers to three key qualities:

• Hardness: This is a gem's resistance to scratching, which is especially important for maintaining surface brilliance over time.
• Toughness: This measures how well a gemstone can resist chipping, cracking, or breaking from impact.
• Stability: This refers to a stone's ability to withstand exposure to heat, light, and chemicals without changing or degrading.

These qualities are especially important for Engagement Rings and other daily-wear jewelry, which are subject to frequent contact, movement, and environmental exposure.

A highly durable gem like a diamond ensures that the piece retains its beauty and structural integrity over many years of wear.

Physical Composition

Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds share the same chemical composition: they are both made entirely of pure carbon.

What sets diamonds apart from other carbon-based substances, like graphite, is how the carbon atoms are arranged.

In both natural and Lab Grown Diamonds, the atoms are organized in a cubic (face-centered cubic) crystal structure, which gives diamonds their exceptional hardness and light-reflecting properties.

This structure forms under conditions of extreme heat and pressure. In nature, diamonds develop deep within the Earth's mantle over billions of years, where intense geological forces create the necessary environment for diamond formation.

HPHT and CVD Methods

Lab Grown Diamonds are created by using two primary methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

HPHT mimics the Earth's natural processes by applying high temperature and pressure to a carbon source. CVD uses a carbon-rich gas in a controlled chamber to build the diamond layer by layer.

Because both types of diamonds have identical physical and chemical properties, they are visually and structurally indistinguishable without advanced gemological testing.

Hardness and Scratch Resistance

Both types of diamonds rank 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, the highest rating possible. This scale measures a material's ability to resist scratching by other substances. A ranking of 10 means that diamonds can only be scratched by other diamonds, making them the hardest known natural material.

Because Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds share the same atomic structure and composition, they offer equal resistance to scratches and abrasions.

This quality is especially important for jewelry pieces that are worn daily, such as engagement rings, wedding bands, and bracelets.

Thanks to their unmatched hardness, both Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds are exceptionally suitable for daily wear.

They can withstand the rigors of everyday life without dulling or accumulating surface damage, making them a reliable and lasting choice for fine jewelry.

Strength and Toughness

While hardness refers to a diamond's resistance to scratching, toughness measures its ability to withstand physical impact without chipping, cracking, or breaking.

Despite being the hardest natural material, diamonds are not the toughest, meaning they can still chip or fracture if struck with enough force, particularly along their cleavage planes.

In terms of toughness, Lab Grown Diamonds are equal in strength to Natural Diamonds. This is because both share the same crystal structure and chemical composition, which determine how a diamond responds to impact.

The ability of a diamond to resist breakage is not influenced by whether it was formed underground or in a laboratory, but by how well it is cut and set.

In fact, any differences in durability are typically the result of cut quality, not origin. A poorly cut diamond (whether natural or lab-grown) may be more vulnerable to chipping, especially if it has sharp or thin edges.

Proper cutting techniques help maximize both the stone's beauty and structural integrity.

Stability Under Heat and Chemicals

Stability refers to a gemstone's ability to resist damage or alteration when exposed to heat, light, or chemicals; common conditions during everyday wear, professional cleaning, and jewelry repair.

Both Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds are highly stable, making them exceptionally durable under a wide range of conditions.

Diamonds, regardless of origin, have a very high melting point (around 7,280°F or 4,027°C) and do not easily degrade when exposed to heat.

This means they can safely withstand the elevated temperatures used during jewelry repairs, such as soldering or resizing. They are also stable under prolonged exposure to UV light, maintaining their brilliance and structural integrity over time.

Additionally, both Lab Grown and Natural Diamonds are resistant to most household and industrial chemicals, including soaps, acids, and solvents.

This chemical stability makes them safe to clean using standard jewelry cleaning methods, including ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaning, or gentle at-home solutions.

Lab Grown Diamonds Are as Durable as Natural Diamonds

At Mark Broumand, we offer a curated selection of both Lab Grown and ethically sourced Natural Diamonds, allowing clients to choose the option that best aligns with their values and preferences.

Whether you're drawn to the traditional appeal of Natural Diamonds or the modern, eco-conscious benefits of Lab Grown Diamonds, you can trust that every piece is crafted to the highest standards of quality, beauty, and durability.