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A lab-created diamond is a diamond that is grown in a controlled laboratory environment, which is physically, chemically, and optically identical to a natural diamond. The difference is in their origin: natural diamonds form over billions of years in Earth's mantle, while lab-grown diamonds are made in a matter of weeks or months. The process of growing a lab-created diamond is similar to the way that natural diamonds are formed, but it takes place much faster. Lab-created diamonds are made of the same material as natural diamonds, which is pure carbon. They have the same physical and chemical properties as natural diamonds, and they can be certified by the same gemological laboratories.

The first successful creation of lab-grown diamonds is credited to Dr. H. Tracy Hall, a research scientist at General Electric. In 1954, he and his team developed the High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) method, which replicates the natural conditions of diamond formation. This technique led to the production of synthetic diamonds, primarily for industrial use. Advancements for producing gem-quality diamonds came later with the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) process in the 1980s. While Hall laid the groundwork for synthetic diamonds, the progression to gem-quality production was a collective scientific effort.