Buyer's Guide · Lab Grown Diamonds
Buying lab grown diamonds direct from China can look cheaper, but buyers face real risks, including moissanite sold as lab diamond, fake or copied grading reports, and no local recourse if something goes wrong. The safest way to buy is through a specialist who handles diamonds every day and lets you inspect the stone before you pay.
Or call 07 3152 8686
01 · The appeal
A large share of the world's lab grown diamonds are produced in China and India, and buying direct from a manufacturer or online seller can appear to cut out the middleman. Prices are often attractive and stones arrive with photos, videos and a grading report.
The problem is that the buyer usually cannot check any of it until the stone has already been paid for and shipped.
02 · The most common scam
Moissanite is a much cheaper gemstone that looks very similar to diamond. Here is how the scam works.
The seller advertises a lab grown diamond with a grading report.
The stone that arrives is moissanite, laser inscribed with a report number so it appears to match the certificate.
Many basic diamond testers that check heat conductivity read moissanite as diamond, so the buyer believes the stone is genuine.
By the time a jeweller identifies the stone, the payment is gone and the seller is unreachable overseas.
A laser inscription on its own proves nothing. Anyone with the right equipment can inscribe any number on a stone.
Orlaithea · Brisbane Showroom
03 · What else can go wrong
A real report number can be copied onto a different, lower quality stone, or the report itself can be forged.
Colour and clarity can be worse than described, and photos and videos can be edited or show a different stone.
If the stone is wrong, returning it overseas and getting your money back is slow, costly and often impossible.
GST and other import charges may apply, and parcels can be held at customs.
Many overseas sellers ask for bank transfer or crypto, which cannot be reversed.
04 · If you still buy overseas
05 · The safer option
We understand the price point. It is the reason so many people look overseas in the first place. Our goal is to help you feel safe buying your diamond, while still giving you a great deal on it.
Orlaithea deals with diamonds every day from our Brisbane showroom and workshop. We supply wholesale lab grown diamonds from $400 AUD per carat, so you get pricing that competes with buying direct, without the risk. As a guide, a 1 carat stone is from $400, 2 carat from $850 and 3 carat from $1,400.
06 · Enquire
Tell us what you are looking for and we will come back to you with matching stones and pricing.
Your enquiry has been sent. We will be in touch shortly.
07 · Questions
It can be risky. Buyers have received moissanite instead of lab diamond, stones with copied or fake grading reports, and stones of lower quality than described, often with no way to get their money back.
A seller ships moissanite laser inscribed with a grading report number so it looks like a certified lab grown diamond. Basic heat testers often read moissanite as diamond, so many buyers do not discover the swap until much later.
Check the report number on the grading lab's website, confirm the weight and measurements match, and have the stone tested by a jeweller with equipment that can tell moissanite from diamond.
Yes. We understand the price point, which is why Orlaithea offers wholesale lab grown diamonds from $400 AUD per carat. You get a great deal on your diamond and the safety of buying from a local specialist.
Orlaithea supplies wholesale lab grown diamonds from $400 AUD per carat from our showroom at 150 Edward Street, Brisbane, where you can inspect each stone before you pay.
Buy with Confidence
Wholesale lab grown diamonds from $400 AUD per carat, inspected in person in Brisbane.
150 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 · 07 3152 8686
Updated October 2026