Prices quoted below are live gemhub.in prices in September 2026, GST included, and will change with gold, platinum and stone rates. Use them as a scale, not a quote.
The short answer
All three stones look white and bright on the hand, and all three are hard enough to wear every day. They differ in what they are made of, how they sparkle, how much they cost per carat, and how they are certified.
- Natural diamond: pure carbon mined from the earth. Highest price per carat, graded by laboratories such as IGI. The choice if a mined origin matters to you.
- Lab-grown diamond: pure carbon grown in a reactor. Chemically and optically identical to natural, IGI certified, at a fraction of the natural price. The best value if you want a real diamond.
- Moissanite: silicon carbide, a different gemstone with more rainbow fire, GRA certified, and the lowest price. The best value if you want maximum size and sparkle on a budget.
Composition and how to tell them apart
| Property | Natural diamond | Lab-grown diamond | Moissanite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Carbon | Carbon | Silicon carbide |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 10 | 10 | 9.25 |
| Refractive index (brilliance) | 2.42 | 2.42 | 2.65 to 2.69 |
| Dispersion (rainbow fire) | 0.044 | 0.044 | 0.104 |
| Origin | Mined | Grown (CVD or HPHT) | Grown |
| Certificate at GemHub | IGI | IGI | GRA |
| Passes a basic thermal diamond tester? | Yes | Yes | Yes (needs an electrical tester to separate) |
A natural and a lab-grown diamond are the same material; no jeweller can separate them by eye. Laboratories identify lab-grown stones with spectroscopic equipment, which is why an IGI report states "Laboratory Grown" on the certificate. Moissanite is a different crystal: it bends light more and splits it into more colour, which trained eyes notice as extra rainbow flashes, especially in sunlight.
Sparkle: brilliance versus fire
Brilliance is white light returned to the eye; fire is the rainbow flashes. Diamonds, natural or lab-grown, have the balance most people picture when they think of a diamond: strong white brilliance with restrained fire. Moissanite has roughly double the dispersion, so it throws more coloured flashes. Some buyers love that extra fire; others prefer the calmer diamond look. The only way to decide is to see both under the same light, which is why we keep moissanite and lab-grown pieces side by side at our Sector 45 showroom in Gurugram.
Cut quality matters more than stone type. A well-cut moissanite outshines a poorly cut diamond, and an Excellent-cut lab-grown round outshines a Good-cut natural round at the same carat weight.
Durability for everyday wear
Diamond is the hardest known natural material at 10 on the Mohs scale; moissanite is 9.25, harder than sapphire and ruby. In practice all three resist scratching from daily life. What wears out is the setting, not the stone: choose 14K or 18K BIS-hallmarked gold or 950 platinum for a ring worn daily, and keep gold vermeil for occasional pieces.
Moissanite does not cloud, yellow or lose its sparkle; that reputation belongs to cubic zirconia, a much softer stone that is sometimes mis-sold as moissanite. A GRA certificate is the difference.
Price: what the same money buys in India
Here is what the three stones cost on gemhub.in today, so you can see the scale without a sales pitch.
| Piece (live on gemhub.in) | Stone | Metal | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round solitaire ring, 1.15 ct | Natural diamond, IGI | 14K gold | Rs. 83,818 |
| Round solitaire with pavé band, 4.04 ct | Lab-grown diamond, IGI | 18K gold | Rs. 2,38,816 |
| Round solitaire ring, 4 ct | Lab-grown diamond, IGI | 14K gold | Rs. 1,82,289 |
| Radiant stud earrings, 3 ct total | Lab-grown diamond, IGI | 950 platinum | Rs. 1,00,600 |
| Round stud earrings, 4.4 ct total | Moissanite, GRA | 18K gold vermeil | Rs. 9,600 |
| Solitaire ring | Moissanite, GRA | 18K gold vermeil | Rs. 16,200 |
| 3 ct pendant | Moissanite, GRA | 18K gold vermeil | Rs. 5,400 |
Three patterns stand out. First, a 1 carat natural diamond ring costs about as much as a 4 carat lab-grown diamond ring in the same gold family, which is why lab-grown now dominates engagement rings. Second, moissanite is priced per stone rather than per carat, so a 4 ct pair of studs costs less than a tenth of a 3 ct lab-grown pair. Third, the metal is a large share of the price for small stones: a 1 carat lab-grown solitaire in 18K gold costs more than the same stone in 14K, and far more than in gold vermeil.
For a full breakdown of lab-grown pricing by carat, colour and clarity, read our 1 carat lab-grown diamond price guide.
Certification: what to insist on
- Natural and lab-grown diamonds: an IGI (International Gemological Institute) report listing carat, cut, colour, clarity and measurements, with the report number printed on your invoice. Verify it on the IGI website before you pay; our step-by-step IGI verification guide shows how.
- Moissanite: a GRA certificate confirming the stone is genuine moissanite, its carat weight, colour (DEF) and clarity (typically VVS1).
- Gold: the BIS hallmark and HUID number on every gold piece, whichever stone is set in it.
Uncertified "lab diamond" or "American diamond" jewellery sold on price alone is the single biggest risk for online buyers in India. If a seller cannot show a report number you can check yourself, walk away.
Resale and sentiment
Be realistic about all three. Retail jewellery of any kind resells well below purchase price; natural diamonds retain a higher share of value than lab-grown, and moissanite has little resale value. If you are buying to wear rather than to trade, this matters less than how the piece looks on the hand and what you paid for it.
Which should you choose?
- Choose natural if a mined origin is part of the story you want the ring to tell, and the budget allows a well-cut stone with an IGI report.
- Choose lab-grown if you want a real diamond with a real certificate and would rather put the budget into carat, cut and metal. This is the majority choice for engagement rings at GemHub.
- Choose moissanite if you want the largest, brightest stone for the money, love a little extra fire, or want an everyday piece you do not have to worry about.
Still undecided? Book a free video call or visit the GemHub experience store at Green Wood Plaza, Sector 45, Gurugram (10 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week) and compare all three under the same light. Then browse lab-grown diamond engagement rings, natural diamond jewellery or moissanite jewellery.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lab-grown diamond a real diamond?
Yes. It is pure carbon with the same crystal structure, hardness and optical properties as a mined diamond, and it is graded by IGI on the same 4Cs.
Which sparkles more, moissanite or diamond?
Moissanite has more rainbow fire because of its higher dispersion; diamonds show more white brilliance. Neither is "more" sparkly, they sparkle differently, and cut quality matters more than stone type.
Can a jeweller tell lab-grown from natural?
Not by eye or with a basic tester. Laboratories use spectroscopy, and an IGI report states whether the stone is laboratory grown.
Will moissanite pass a diamond tester?
Moissanite passes most thermal testers because it conducts heat like a diamond. An electrical conductivity tester separates the two.
Which is best for an engagement ring in India?
Lab-grown diamond is the most popular choice for a real diamond at a realistic budget; moissanite is the best value for a large stone; natural diamond suits buyers who want a mined origin. All three are hard enough for daily wear.
