Sourcing
Sourcing & certification
This page exists because you deserve to know exactly what you’re buying. Below is how a Lychora piece goes from stone to box, and what arrives with it.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond. It is grown in a controlled environment from a small carbon seed using one of two processes: high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT), which mimics the conditions of natural diamond formation, or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which builds the crystal up layer by layer from a carbon-rich gas. Either way, the resulting stone is chemically, physically, and optically identical to a diamond formed underground — the same hardness (Mohs 10), the same refractive index (2.42), the same fire and brilliance, and the same dispersion of light.
The only differences are origin and price. A 1-carat lab-grown diamond of equivalent quality typically costs 70–90% less than a mined equivalent. Lychora sells only lab-grown stones.
Why IGI for grading
The International Gemological Institute (IGI) is the world’s largest independent grading lab for lab-grown diamonds. Founded in 1975, IGI was the first major lab to issue grading reports specifically for lab-grown stones, and it remains the standard-bearer for the category — GIA, by contrast, only began issuing full 4Cs grading reports for lab-grown diamonds relatively recently. For a lab-grown center stone, an IGI report is the most thorough, most widely-accepted certificate available.
What’s on your certificate
Every center stone we sell at 0.25 carat or above ships with an IGI report listing:
- The 4Cs: carat weight, color, clarity, cut
- Exact measurements (length × width × depth)
- Polish and symmetry grades
- Fluorescence
- A unique report number, also laser-inscribed on the stone’s girdle (visible at 10× magnification)
- The diamond’s growth method (HPHT or CVD)
You can verify any report directly at igi.org/verify-your-report by entering the report number.
Our process
- Stone selection. We work with a small set of established lab-grown diamond suppliers. Every stone arrives with an IGI report on the loose stone before it reaches our bench.
- Setting and assembly. Stones are set into recycled 14K gold mountings (or sterling silver, for prototype pieces).
- Inspection. Before any piece ships, a person checks it by hand: prong tension, stone seating, finish, and the certificate number against the stone’s laser inscription.
- Packaging. Pieces ship in a fitted box with the IGI certificate, a care card, and a verification slip with the report number you can look up.
How to verify your purchase
When your order arrives:
- Open the certificate envelope and note the IGI report number.
- Visit igi.org/verify-your-report and enter the number.
- The full report will load. The carat weight, color, clarity, and cut should match what was listed on the product page.
If anything doesn’t match, contact us within 30 days and we’ll make it right.
What we don’t claim
We don’t claim a lab-grown diamond is a mined diamond. We don’t claim our pieces are heirloom-quality antiques. We don’t claim hand-finishing in places where it doesn’t occur. Plain language matters in this category — for you, for us, and for everyone trying to make lab-grown diamonds a serious option.