IGI Certified Lab Grown Diamonds: Grading, Reports & Value

An IGI certified lab grown diamond is a laboratory-grown diamond that has been independently graded by the International Gemological Institute and issued a report documenting its carat weight, colour, clarity and cut. The certificate is what turns a beautiful stone into a verified one — proof, in writing, of exactly what you are buying.

Lab grown diamonds are chemically and optically identical to mined diamonds. Because the two cannot be told apart by the naked eye, certification is the only reliable way to confirm a diamond's origin and quality. IGI grades laboratory-grown diamonds on the same 4C scale used for natural stones, so the language on the report is one you can compare directly against any mined diamond.

This guide explains what IGI certification means, how to read a laboratory-grown diamond report, the colour and clarity ranges you will encounter, and where the value sits. For a wider view, see our overview of lab-grown diamonds and the full range of lab created diamond rings.

What Is an IGI Certified Lab Grown Diamond

The International Gemological Institute is one of the world's largest independent diamond grading laboratories. An IGI certified lab grown diamond is simply a lab-grown diamond that IGI has examined, measured and described in a formal grading report.

The word certified matters. A lab grown diamond is a real diamond grown above ground rather than mined from the earth. It has the same crystal structure and the same hardness — a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale. A certificate does not make a stone real; it documents the qualities the stone already has, so a buyer is not relying on a seller's word.

IGI reports for laboratory-grown diamonds clearly state the diamond's origin as laboratory grown, alongside its full grading. That transparency is the point. Two diamonds can look identical across a table, and only the report tells you which came from a lab and which from the ground.

How to Read an IGI Laboratory Grown Diamond Report

An IGI laboratory-grown diamond report differs from a natural diamond report in one essential way: it states the origin. The header identifies the stone as a lab grown diamond, and many reports carry a small laser inscription on the girdle noting the same. The grading method, however, is shared.

Every report records the 4Cs and the stone's measurements. Read them in this order:

• Carat weight — the diamond's mass, given to two decimal places.
• Colour grade — placed on the D to Z scale.
• Clarity grade — from FL down to I3.
• Cut grade — Excellent through Poor, describing how well the diamond returns light.
• Measurements and proportions — depth, table, symmetry and polish.

Because IGI lab grown diamond reports use the same vocabulary as natural diamond reports, you can compare a lab grown stone and a mined stone line by line. The only field that separates them is origin. For a sense of how weight changes price and presence, our guide to the 3 carat lab grown diamond is a useful reference point.

Lab Grown Diamond Colour Grades: D–Z Scale

Colour in a white diamond is measured by its absence. The IGI colour scale runs from D, the most colourless grade, through to Z, where a faint yellow or brown tint becomes visible. Lab grown diamonds are available across the full D to Z range.

The grades fall into recognisable bands:

• D–F — colourless. The most prized, with no perceptible tint.
• G–J — near colourless. Excellent value, with colour rarely visible once set.
• K–Z — faint to light tint, increasingly noticeable as the scale descends.

For most buyers, a diamond in the D–F or G–J range delivers the clean, white look they imagine when they picture a diamond. Because lab grown diamonds can be produced in high colour grades at lower cost, a colourless lab grown stone is often more attainable than its mined equivalent.

Lab Grown Diamond Clarity Grades Explained

Clarity describes the tiny natural characteristics — called inclusions — formed inside a diamond as it grows. IGI grades clarity from Flawless down to Included, the same scale used for natural diamonds.

An eye-clean diamond is one whose inclusions cannot be seen without magnification. Many VS and SI graded stones are eye-clean, which is why these grades are a sensible balance of beauty and value. Lab grown diamonds are commonly available in VS+ clarity with D–F colour.

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Carat Weight and Price: Lab Grown vs Mined

Carat weight is the most visible driver of price. As weight rises, price climbs steeply — but the gap between lab grown and mined diamonds means a larger, higher-graded stone is far more reachable in lab grown form.

Lab grown diamonds typically cost 40–60% less than mined diamonds of equivalent carat, colour, clarity and cut. The same report, the same 4Cs, the same brilliance — at a meaningfully lower figure. That is why a couple choosing a lab grown diamond can often move up a colour grade, a clarity grade, or a carat band for the same budget.

Certification protects that value. With an IGI report in hand, a buyer can verify that a lab grown diamond's quality matches its price, rather than paying a premium built on assumption.

The Satéur Alternative: Diamond-Look Gemstones at 1% of the Price

Not every buyer is choosing between mined and lab grown diamonds. Some want the look of a flawless diamond without a diamond budget at all. This is where a diamond simulant earns its place — and where Satéur sits.

A diamond simulant is a gemstone engineered to imitate the visual appearance of a diamond. It is a distinct category: it is not a diamond and is not graded as one. Satéur gemstones are designed to deliver the clean white brilliance and presence of a D–E colour, excellent-cut diamond — indistinguishable from a diamond with the naked eye, across the table.

The numbers tell the story. A Satéur gemstone reaches a Mohs hardness of 9.25 with fire dispersion roughly 2.4 times that of a mined diamond, for approximately 1% of a mined diamond's cost — with pieces starting from around $88. For couples who want a certified diamond, a lab grown diamond is the answer. For those who want the look at an entry price, Satéur is The New Diamond Standard. Begin with The 1% Ring, or browse the full lab diamond tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

A lab grown diamond gives you a certified, real diamond at a far gentler price. A Satéur gemstone gives you the look of one at a fraction more gentle still. Either way, the era of paying a premium on assumption is over — this is The New Diamond Standard, and it begins with The 1% Ring.