Answer first: No. A quality lab-grown diamond does not get cloudy, turn yellow, or fade over time. It is chemically and physically identical to a mined diamond — pure crystallised carbon graded 10 on the Mohs hardness scale — so its colour and clarity are permanent properties set the moment the crystal forms, not a coating or treatment that can wear off. Diamonds that appear to "cloud up" are almost always just dirty (skin oils, soap film, hand cream) and return to full brilliance with a simple clean. Genuine haziness or a yellow cast comes from the stone's original grade, never from ageing, which is exactly why buying a certified colour and clarity matters more than the price alone.
Why a real diamond can't degrade
The reason is structural. In both lab-grown and mined diamonds, carbon atoms are locked into a rigid cubic lattice — the hardest natural arrangement of matter known. That lattice is what gives a diamond its permanence: it does not oxidise like silver, it does not absorb moisture, and it is not attacked by the perfumes, chlorine, or everyday chemicals that dull softer gemstones and cheaper simulants. Since 2018, the FTC has formally recognised lab-grown diamonds as diamonds — not "imitations" — precisely because there is no material difference to age differently. A one-carat lab diamond graded today at E colour and VVS2 clarity will still be E VVS2 in fifty years. Colour and clarity are graded once, at the stone's "birth," and they stay put.
So when someone says their diamond "went cloudy," what changed is almost never the diamond. It is the film on top of it.
The real cause of a "cloudy" diamond: build-up, not ageing
Diamond has a property gemmologists call being oleophilic — it literally attracts grease. Every time a ring is worn, a microscopic layer of skin oil, hand lotion, sunscreen, and soap residue settles onto the pavilion (the underside) where light is supposed to reflect. Light can no longer bounce cleanly, so the stone looks grey, flat, or "foggy." It is the single most common reason a diamond seems to lose its sparkle, and it has nothing to do with whether the stone is lab-grown or mined.
The fix takes five minutes at home: soak the piece in warm water with a drop of mild washing-up liquid for twenty to thirty minutes, brush gently behind the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse, and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. The brilliance returns immediately, because it was never gone — just hidden. Avoid harsh chemicals, and take pavé or delicate settings for a professional clean rather than scrubbing hard.
When haziness is real — and how to avoid buying it
There is one honest exception, and buyers deserve to hear it plainly. A small number of diamonds — lab-grown and mined alike — are genuinely hazy because of their internal characteristics: dense clouds of tiny inclusions, heavy graining, or strong fluorescence can scatter light and give a milky look that no cleaning will fix. This is not the stone changing over time; it is how it was graded from the start.
The protection is simple: buy a certified stone and read the grade. This is why every Infinite Gems ring carries an IGI Certificate for the main diamond, and why our house standard for a centre stone is E colour and VVS2 clarity — high enough that milkiness and visible tinge are off the table. Our multi-stone pieces are graded D–F colour and VVS–VS clarity for the same reason. When the clarity and colour are certified in the range we hold to, "will it go cloudy?" simply is not a risk you are carrying.
Will it turn yellow?
No. A diamond's colour grade is fixed. A stone graded colourless will not drift toward yellow, because the faint colour in any diamond comes from trace elements (usually nitrogen) built into the crystal during growth — not from a surface that yellows with age the way plastic or a cheap plating does. If a ring's setting looks warmer over time, that is the metal, not the diamond: white gold is yellow gold alloyed and finished with rhodium plating, and as that plating gradually wears, the warm gold beneath shows through. The cure is a quick, inexpensive re-plating by a jeweller, which restores the bright white finish. The diamond in it never changed.
What actually threatens a diamond (and how to keep it perfect)
Diamond is the hardest known material, but "hardest" is not the same as "indestructible." A sharp knock at the wrong angle can chip a girdle, and — because only a diamond can scratch a diamond — storing several pieces loose in one box lets them scratch each other. Everyday care is easy: take rings off before the gym, heavy lifting, or gardening; store pieces separately in soft pouches; clean gently every few weeks; and have prongs checked once a year so a stone is never lost. Do that, and a lab-grown diamond stays exactly as brilliant as the day it was set — for a lifetime, and beyond.
This durability is also the quiet case for lab-grown. You are buying the identical material — same hardness, same permanence, same certified colour and clarity — for up to 90% less than a mined diamond of the same specification. The saving is in the origin, never in how the stone wears.
Frequently asked questions
Do lab grown diamonds get cloudy over time?
No. A lab-grown diamond is pure crystallised carbon with the same permanent structure as a mined diamond, so it does not degrade, cloud, or fade with age. When a diamond looks cloudy it is nearly always a film of skin oil, lotion, and soap on the underside of the stone, which blocks light from reflecting. A twenty-minute soak in warm soapy water and a gentle brush behind the stone restores full brilliance. True internal haziness comes from a stone's original grade, not from ageing — which is why buying a certified clarity matters.
Do lab grown diamonds turn yellow?
No. A diamond's colour is graded once and is permanent, because any faint tint comes from trace elements locked inside the crystal, not from a surface that yellows with age. If your white-gold ring looks warmer over time, that is the rhodium plating on the metal wearing thin and revealing the gold beneath — not the diamond. A quick re-plating restores the white finish. A stone graded colourless stays colourless for life.
Why does my diamond look dull or foggy?
Because diamond attracts grease. Hand cream, sunscreen, soap, and natural skin oils build up on the pavilion (the underside), where light should reflect, and that film makes the stone look grey or foggy. It is the most common reason a diamond seems to lose sparkle, and it affects lab-grown and mined diamonds equally. Cleaning removes the film and the brilliance returns instantly — the diamond itself has not changed at all.
How do I clean a lab grown diamond at home?
Soak the piece for twenty to thirty minutes in warm (not hot) water with a drop of mild washing-up liquid, then brush gently behind and around the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse in clean water, and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Do this every few weeks. Avoid bleach, chlorine, and abrasive cleaners, and have delicate pavé or high-set pieces cleaned professionally to protect the setting.
Are lab grown diamonds less durable than natural diamonds?
No. Lab-grown and mined diamonds share the same crystal structure and both score 10 on the Mohs hardness scale — the hardest known material. They resist scratching and everyday wear identically. Neither is truly indestructible: a hard knock can chip either one, and only a diamond can scratch a diamond, so store pieces separately. With normal care, a lab-grown diamond lasts a lifetime — for up to 90% less than a mined stone of the same specification.
By the Infinite Gems gemmology desk — lab-grown diamond specialists, Hong Kong. Reviewed for accuracy against IGI grading practice, July 2026.