The Conscious Buyer’s Guide to Diamonds

Every diamond in Ton Ton jewelry is lab-grown. Our diamonds are grown, cut and polished under one roof, then set by hand in solid recycled 14K or 18K gold by our goldsmiths in Stockholm. This guide explains what a lab-grown diamond is, how it is made, and what to look for when choosing one.

What is a lab-grown diamond?

A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. Like a mined diamond, it is made of crystallized carbon and shares the same chemical, physical and optical properties — the same hardness, and the same way of catching and returning light. The difference is where it forms: in a controlled environment above ground, rather than deep in the earth. Without specialized equipment, a lab-grown and a mined diamond cannot be told apart.

How are lab-grown diamonds made?

There are two established methods.

HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature)
Recreates the conditions deep in the earth, where carbon crystallizes into diamond under intense heat and pressure.

CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition)
Carbon-rich gas is broken down in a vacuum chamber, and carbon settles layer by layer onto a small diamond seed until a crystal has formed.

Both methods produce the same material. Once grown, each rough stone is cut and polished exactly as a mined diamond would be.

The 4Cs: what to look for

Diamonds, lab-grown or mined, are described by the same four qualities.

Cut
How well a diamond is proportioned and polished to return light. Cut has the greatest influence on a diamond's brilliance.

Color
Graded on a scale from D (colorless) downward. The less color, the whiter the stone appears — most noticeable in white gold settings.

Clarity
Describes tiny natural inclusions within the stone. In small diamonds, most are invisible to the naked eye.

Carat
A measure of weight, not size. Smaller stones, like those in fine everyday jewelry, are often described by their diameter in millimeters instead.

Why origin matters

Mined diamonds often pass through many hands and several countries between the mine and the jeweler, which can make their journey difficult to follow. Our lab-grown diamonds take a shorter path: grown, cut and polished under one roof before they are set into our jewelry. No mining is involved at any stage.

Diamonds in Ton Ton jewelry

You'll find lab-grown diamonds throughout our collections — in The Diamond Hoop and The Petite Diamond Hoop, the Solitaire and Diamond Duo studs, The Diamond Threader, and the Bezel and Flora necklaces and bracelets. Earrings are made in solid recycled 14K gold, and necklaces, bracelets and The Diamond Threader in 18K, each available in gold or white gold. Read more about our materials.