Before you buy a lab-grown diamond, get three things in writing. An independent grading report you can verify yourself, a clear answer on how the stone was grown and whether it was treated, and the full terms for returns, repairs and warranty. The twelve questions below cover everything else worth knowing, from the metal to how the piece will be cared for over the years.
A good jeweler answers every one of them without hesitation. If a question makes someone uncomfortable, that tells you something too.
About the stone
1. Which laboratory graded this diamond, and can I check the report myself?
Ask for a report from a recognized laboratory such as GIA or IGI, not a certificate or appraisal written by the seller. Every report has a number you can check yourself, using GIA Report Check or IGI's report verification. Many graded stones also carry a microscopic laser inscription on the girdle that matches the report number. Ask your jeweler to show it to you under magnification.
2. What does the report actually tell me?
Reports from different laboratories aren't written the same way. Since October 2025, GIA no longer gives colorless lab-grown diamonds individual color and clarity grades. It rates them either Premium or Standard, and stones below Standard receive no GIA report at all. IGI still grades lab-grown diamonds on the full 4Cs scale. Colored lab-grown diamonds receive a separate GIA report that still describes their color. Neither approach is wrong, but you should know which one you're reading. Every Evelina Lavrenova diamond comes with an IGI report, and we explain every part of it in our guide on how to read an IGI lab-grown diamond report.
3. How was it grown, and was it treated afterward?
Lab-grown diamonds are made by one of two methods. CVD (chemical vapor deposition) builds the diamond layer by layer from a carbon-rich gas, while HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) recreates the extreme conditions deep in the earth where natural diamonds form. Some stones are also treated after growth. Treatment isn't a flaw, and laboratories consider these changes permanent. But it should never be a surprise. A good report states the growth method and any treatment, and IGI reports note "As-grown" when there was none.
4. If it's a colored diamond, where does the color come from?
Colored lab-grown diamonds get their color in different ways. Blue usually comes from boron added during growth, while pink is most often created by treatment after growth. Ask whether the color formed during growth or was created afterward, and check that the report says the same. If you're considering one of the five color expressions of our Signature Halo Collection, we'll show you exactly what its report says.
5. Can I see it in more than one light?
Jewelry store lighting is designed to make diamonds sparkle. Ask to see the stone in daylight and in softer indoor light too, because that's where you'll actually wear it. Two stones with similar reports can look quite different side by side.
Every diamond in the Signature Halo Collection comes with a grading report, in five color expressions from clear Lumière to golden Aurelia.
Explore the Signature Halo Collection
About the piece
6. What metal is it, and is it stamped?
Fine jewelry should be marked with its metal content. In Europe you'll usually see the fineness in parts per thousand, so 750 means 18 karat gold and 585 means 14 karat. If you're choosing white gold, ask whether it's rhodium plated. Most white gold is, and the plating wears over time, so it will need renewing every so often.
7. Who makes it, and where?
The stone gets the attention, but the setting holds it for decades. Ask where the piece is made, by whom, and who you go to if a stone loosens or a clasp needs repair. Ours are made with an atelier in Bulgaria that has worked in fine jewelry since the 1990s.
8. Can I wear it in more than one way?
A piece you can wear in different ways earns its place more often, from daytime to evening, alone or layered. Ask whether a design is modular and how easily it changes. Our Signature Halo is designed exactly for this, with two ways to wear the earrings and three for the necklace.
9. What am I actually paying for?
With lab-grown diamonds, the stone is often a smaller part of the price than people expect. Much of the value sits in the metal, the design and the hours of hand finishing that go into the setting. Ask your jeweler how the price breaks down. A jeweler who is proud of their work will be glad to explain it.
Looking for something made only for you? Custom commissions start with a conversation about what the piece should mean.
After you buy
10. Will the receipt describe the stone in full?
Your receipt or invoice should describe the stone as laboratory-grown and list its grading report number, along with the metal and its fineness. It's a small detail that protects you if you ever need to insure or repair the piece.
11. What are the return and warranty terms?
Ask for them in writing before you pay. If you buy online from a seller in the EU, you normally have 14 days to change your mind, but made-to-order and personalized pieces are excluded. Separately, every purchase in the EU carries a legal guarantee of at least two years against faults. Any extra warranty a jeweler offers comes on top of that, not instead of it. You'll find ours in our returns policy.
12. How will you look after it over the years?
Fine jewelry needs a little care to stay at its best. Ask whether the jeweler offers cleaning, checks on the setting and rhodium replating for white gold. A jeweler who makes pieces to last should be there to look after them too.
How we answer these questions
At Evelina Lavrenova Fine Jewelry, every lab-grown diamond comes with an independent grading report, and every piece is made with our atelier in Bulgaria. Our founder, Evelina Lavrenova, holds the GIA Applied Jewelry Professional diploma, and our Signature Halo Collection was recently shown on the Flying Solo runway during New York Fashion Week. We're happy to go through every one of these questions with you, stone by stone, and if your piece ever needs care, we're here to help.
Not sure which color expression is yours? Find your Signature Halo in 7 questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a lab-grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond has the same chemical, physical and optical properties as a mined diamond. The only difference is origin, since it's grown in a laboratory rather than formed in the earth.
Is GIA or IGI better for lab-grown diamonds?
Both are respected laboratories. IGI grades lab-grown diamonds on the full 4Cs scale, while GIA has rated colorless lab-grown diamonds Premium or Standard since October 2025. What matters most is that the report comes from a recognized laboratory and that you can verify it yourself.
Can a jeweler tell a lab-grown diamond from a mined one?
Not by eye. Lab-grown and mined diamonds look the same, even under a jeweler's loupe, and confirming a diamond's origin requires advanced laboratory instruments. That's why a grading report matters.
Are lab-grown diamonds laser inscribed?
Usually, yes. IGI inscribes every lab-grown diamond it grades to identify its origin, and GIA inscribes every lab-grown diamond it assesses with the words "Laboratory-Grown" and its GIA number. You can see it under magnification.
