What a lab-grown diamond is
A lab-grown diamond is crystallized carbon with the same structure, hardness and brilliance as a natural diamond. It is produced by one of two methods: HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) or CVD (chemical vapor deposition). It is not a simulant like cubic zirconia or moissanite: chemically it is a diamond, and only a gemological laboratory with specialized equipment can tell it apart from a natural one.
For the jeweler the difference is commercial, not visual: the price per carat is considerably lower than natural, which allows offering larger or higher quality stones at the same retail budget.
Certification: IGI and GIA
A wholesale lab-grown diamond should always come with a report from an independent laboratory. The two we work with at Bamo are:
- IGI (International Gemological Institute). The most widely used laboratory for lab-grown diamonds worldwide. Its report clearly states "Laboratory Grown" and the growth method.
- GIA (Gemological Institute of America). Issues the "Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report" using the same color and clarity scales it applies to natural diamonds.
Both reports can be verified online with the certificate number, and the stone carries that number laser-inscribed on the girdle. See our guide GIA vs IGI: which one to choose.
How wholesale buying works
At Bamo the process for a jeweler is:
- Accreditation. Request access stating your store or brand. We verify the profile and issue credentials to the private catalog.
- Selection. Choose stones from our Monterrey inventory or from our international supplier network, filtering by shape, carat weight, color, clarity and cut.
- Quote by certificate. If you already have an IGI or GIA certificate number, send it and we quote that exact stone. See how to buy by certificate number.
- Delivery. Stones in local inventory are delivered immediately in Monterrey or shipped to your city. Stones from the international network typically take one to four weeks depending on origin.
What to know before selling lab-grown
- Disclosure. The stone is always sold as lab-grown. The certificate states it and the end customer must be told.
- Pricing. The lab-grown market moves faster than natural. We quote per stone at the time of the request, not from fixed price lists.
- Replacement. If a specific stone has already sold, we propose equivalents with the same specifications.
- Melee. Calibrated melee is also available for pavé and micro-pavé. See the calibrated melee guide.