Our diamonds are grown above ground in a matter of weeks — atomically identical to mined stones, certified by the same laboratories, at a fraction of the footprint. The only difference is the story. Yours begins here.
How a diamond grows
A laboratory-grown diamond starts as a sliver of diamond seed. In a chamber filled with carbon-rich gas, carbon atoms settle onto the seed layer by layer — the same crystal structure nature produces under the earth, arrived at by patience and physics rather than pressure and millennia. The process is called chemical vapour deposition — CVD — and it takes a few weeks per stone.
The same stone, by every measure
Hardness: 10 on the Mohs scale, the hardest natural material known. Brilliance, fire, dispersion: identical, because the crystal is identical. A jeweller's loupe cannot tell the difference; nor can a thermal tester, because there is no difference to tell. What distinguishes a laboratory-grown stone is microscopic growth morphology — visible only to specialist laboratory equipment, which is exactly how certification works.
Certified, independently
Every Sertelle centre stone above 0.30ct arrives with its own report from IGI or GIA, recording its precise colour, clarity, cut, measurements and laser-inscribed girdle number. The certificate is yours; the number on it matches the number inscribed on the stone. Ask us to show you under the loupe — we enjoy it.
The honest economics
Grown stones cost less than mined ones — not because they are lesser, but because their supply is not artificially scarce. We pass that difference on, and spend our margin where you can feel it: 18k gold and platinum, hand-setting, UK hallmarking, insured delivery and a lifetime of care.
The four decisions
Shape, carat, quality, metal. That is the whole of it, and every product page walks you through all four. When you want the long version, read the buying guide in our Journal.
Certified by IGI or GIA. Hallmarked at the London Assay Office. Yours for life — resizing, re-polishing and care, on the house.