Natural gemstones and lab-grown gemstones are chemically identical. A lab-grown emerald has the same molecular structure as one pulled from a Colombian mine — the same hardness, the same refractive index, the same green. If you put both under a standard jeweller's loupe, you likely wouldn't be able to tell them apart.
And yet they are not the same thing. Here's an honest breakdown of what actually differs — and how to decide what matters to you.
What "lab-grown" actually means
A lab-grown gemstone is not a fake. It is not glass, it is not plastic, it is not a simulant. It is a real gemstone — grown in a controlled environment that replicates the conditions under which natural stones form, just vastly accelerated. What takes the earth millions of years, a lab achieves in weeks or months.
What is actually different
Origin and rarity
A natural gemstone formed over millions of years under specific geological conditions, in a specific place on earth. That history is part of what you're buying. A Burmese ruby, a Kashmir sapphire, a Colombian emerald — these aren't just stones, they're geography made solid. Lab-grown stones have no origin story beyond the facility that made them.
Rarity also drives value. Natural stones of high quality are genuinely scarce. Lab-grown stones are not — production can be scaled to meet demand, which is precisely why their prices have dropped significantly in recent years.
Inclusions and character
Natural stones almost always have inclusions — tiny internal features formed during the growth process. A completely flawless natural ruby is extraordinarily rare and extraordinarily valuable. Lab-grown stones tend to have fewer inclusions, or different kinds.
These inclusions are also how gemologists identify natural stones — and for many buyers, a stone's internal "fingerprint" is part of its character. The tiny rutile needles in a natural sapphire that create its silky asterism. The garden of inclusions inside an emerald that gemologists call its jardin. These are not flaws. They are proof of life.
Environmental impact — the honest version
Natural gemstone mining, done badly, is genuinely destructive — to land, to water, to communities. Done well, with responsible sourcing, it supports local economies and can be conducted with significantly reduced environmental damage. Certifications like the Responsible Jewellery Council exist for this reason.
Lab-grown stones require significant energy to produce — particularly HPHT diamonds, which are enormously energy-intensive. If that energy comes from fossil fuels, the carbon footprint is not negligible.
Price
Lab-grown gemstones are significantly cheaper than natural equivalents — sometimes 50–80% less for diamonds, and similarly reduced for coloured stones. This has made genuinely beautiful jewellery accessible to more people, which is a real and meaningful benefit.
What Pataaka uses — and why
At Pataaka, we work with natural semi-precious gemstones: moonstone, labradorite, amethyst, opal, pearl, Lapis Lazuli, and others. Semi-precious natural stones occupy a particular sweet spot — they are genuinely natural, with all the character and origin that implies, at price points that don't require a second mortgage.
We choose natural stones because we believe in the object having a story before it reaches you. A labradorite pulled from Madagascar carries something a lab-grown stone simply doesn't — millions of years of geological history, a specific place on earth, an irreproducibility that makes each stone slightly different from every other.
That matters to us. And we think it matters to the woman who wears our jewellery. The best jewellery is bought with full information. Now you have it.
Pataaka uses natural semi-precious gemstones in all our pieces. We're always happy to answer questions about specific stones and their sourcing — connect with us @pataaka_
