Plainly answered.
The considered questions clients ask before commissioning — on authenticity, origin, the honest limits of the process, and how a commission proceeds.
Are CEPHI diamonds real, or a simulant?
CEPHI diamonds are real diamonds grown in a laboratory — sharing the exact optical brilliance, crystalline structure, hardness and chemical composition (pure carbon) of a mined diamond. They are not cubic zirconia, moissanite, glass or any other imitation.
The only difference from a mined stone is provenance: ours is grown, in a chamber, from a known source of carbon, rather than found in the ground.
Can the stone be independently certified?
Yes. CEPHI stones are graded by the same universal metrics as any diamond — carat, colour, clarity and cut — and independent international gemological certification accompanies every stone. It sits alongside your Certificate of Biological Origin: one document attests that the stone is a diamond, the other attests where its carbon came from.
Does my hair or fur colour affect the stone’s colour?
No. Once your material is reduced to pure elemental carbon, its original colour is gone — all sources become the same element. A stone’s colour is engineered deliberately during growth through trace-element chemistry, and specified in your commission dossier. A black coat does not make a dark stone.
Is my commission processed alongside other material?
Never. Every commission is grown in its own sealed growth cell, seeded and closed for that commission alone. No two commissions — human or companion — share a cell, an instrument chamber or a capsule at any point, and the chain of custody records each stage against your engraved sequence.
Does the diamond contain my DNA?
No — and we would rather be clear about this than imply otherwise. The process that purifies your material to carbon uses heat that does not preserve cells, proteins or DNA. What carries through to the stone is the carbon itself: the physical atoms your body assembled over months of living.
A CEPHI diamond is therefore a material relic — grown from the actual substance of a person or animal — rather than a genetic archive of one. We think that truth is more beautiful than the myth, and it is the version we stand behind.
How do I know my own sample was used?
Through an unbroken chain of custody and direct visual proof. The moment your clippings are sealed, they occupy a dedicated Repository Capsule registered under a unique alphanumeric sequence, which follows your material through every stage in the laboratory.
You also receive a private, high-definition video capturing the precise moment your carbon signature initiates growth within the seed crystal. That footage corresponds directly to the sequence on your physical Certificate of Biological Origin.
Is the whole diamond made from my material?
That is the aim, and for many commissions it is achievable. Where a sample yields insufficient carbon for the specified size, our Allocation Guard introduces ultra-pure mineral carbon — the identical element — to secure the stone’s structural integrity and final carat scale.
When supplementation is used, your biological carbon is distributed evenly throughout the entire crystal, not confined to a core or seam. The proportion achievable from your material is discussed candidly at consultation, and a smaller, fully-derived stone is always an option.
Are these the same as cremation or memorial diamonds?
No. CEPHI is dedicated entirely to living bonds — couples embarking on marriage, family lineages, and companion animals at your side today. Our craft celebrates presence, not absence, and we do not process memorial remains.
How much material do you need?
Up to five grams of clean, dry clippings — visually, a lightly compressed tennis ball, or one tightly packed measuring cup. The measure scales with carat: 3.0 g grows a one-carat stone; 5.0 g, one and a half. No root or follicle is required. Full guidance is on the protocol page.
Why can’t I just cut the sample myself?
You may — though five grams is more than it sounds, and gathering it yourself is fiddlier than most expect. We suggest letting your hairdresser, barber or groomer set it aside during a routine appointment: no disruption, a clean sample, nothing to measure. Simple instructions are sent with your capsule.
My pet has a short coat. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Short coats, small animals and birds simply accumulate material across several routine grooming appointments. Keep the Repository Capsule and seal it only once the five-gram measure is met. Feathers from natural moult are equally suitable.
Can you combine more than one person or animal?
Yes. Our Lineage Matrix processing fuses carbon signatures from multiple sources — both partners, several generations of a family, or every animal in a household — into a single founding stone. Each contributor is named on the Certificate of Biological Origin.
Does everyone whose material is used need to consent?
Yes. Documented consent is required from every living contributor to a stone, recorded in the commission dossier. In practice this means a Union stone is rarely a complete surprise — and most clients find that the shared commissioning becomes part of what the stone means.
What happens to material that isn't used?
Surplus material is destroyed once growth is complete; nothing is retained. For this reason we encourage you to provide only the required measure.
What does a CEPHI piece cost?
Pricing is by enquiry only. Because every piece is an individual commission, the figure depends on carat ambition, colour, cut and setting. Your consultation establishes the specification, and pricing follows from it — discussed openly, with no obligation.
Why does a CEPHI stone cost more than an ordinary lab-grown diamond?
Because they are made differently. Commodity lab diamonds are grown in batches — reactors of many stones, graded afterwards, the best sold on and the rest discounted. A CEPHI diamond is grown alone: one sealed cell, one seed, one finite measure of carbon that exists nowhere else, brought to your commissioned size, colour and clarity in a single dedicated run — there is no duplicate, and no second attempt. That discipline — time, energy and attention spent on a single stone rather than spread across thousands — is the cost. You are not paying for a diamond picked from inventory; you are paying for the only one that could ever exist.
What if there's a mistake in my quotation?
If a quotation contains an obvious error — a mistyped figure or specification — we will correct and reissue it before anything is agreed. Nothing binds until you accept a correct quotation, so an honest slip on our part is never yours to carry.
May I cancel a commission?
Until your capsule is dispatched to the laboratory, yes. Your payments are returned less a fixed atelier fee — disclosed at quotation — which covers the coffret, couriers and the laboratory reservation. Once your capsule is dispatched, the commission is considered in process for growth and is non-refundable.
What if a growth run does not meet the specification?
Each commission is a single dedicated growth: one seed, one run, no second attempt. The laboratory commits its full discipline to bringing that one run to the commissioned specification, and nothing below the commissioned grade is ever delivered. In the rare event a commission cannot be brought to specification, amounts paid are returned.
Will my commission be photographed or published?
The maison photographs completed commissions for its archive and portfolio; you may opt out at commission. Your identity and the circumstances of your commission remain strictly confidential — any account the maison publishes is anecdotal, and anything identifying appears only with your express consent.
Is my design exclusive to me?
Designs remain the maison's, and elements may recur across the atelier's work. If you wish, a design can be reserved solely for you — ask at commission and it will not be replicated.
How long does a commission take?
Timelines vary with the stone specified and the growth method used, and are confirmed in your consultation. Crystal growth alone runs over days to weeks; cutting, polishing and setting follow. We prioritise the result over the calendar, and keep you informed at each state of the protocol.
Do you offer stones without biological material?
Yes. Custom commissions for laboratory-grown diamonds, coloured gemstones and fine cultured pearls — independent of any biological source — are available upon inquiry. Raise it in your consultation and we will design to your brief.
How is the finished piece shipped, and is it insured?
By insured, signature-on-delivery courier, door to door. The Repository Capsule likewise travels to you and back under courier insurance, with the return leg prepaid. Should material ever be lost in transit, the courier's insurance applies and the harvest is simply repeated — your commission dossier and engraved sequence remain. In Singapore, both the capsule and the finished piece may instead be collected in person, by appointment; the atelier address is provided when your appointment is booked. The full remote arrangement is set out on the Remote Commission page.
Will I owe duties or taxes on delivery?
No. Duties and import taxes are included within your quotation: it is a single delivered figure, with nothing owed at the doorstep.
How is payment structured?
Payment is staged by milestone, each stage invoiced against your commission dossier.
For Union and Companion commissions, the deposit is 50% on commission, 25% at crystallisation, and the final 25% before dispatch or collection. Custom non-biological commissions are simpler: 50% on commission and 50% before dispatch or collection.
Once your deposit is received, the commission begins: your Repository Capsule is dispatched, and — for pieces with a setting — CAD drawings of the commissioned design are prepared for your approval before any stone is set.
Can I commission from abroad?
Yes. CEPHI consults in writing or by private video, so a commission can begin from anywhere. The Repository Capsule is dispatched to your residence and returned by insured courier or by hand.
Is the piece under warranty?
Yes. Every CEPHI piece is guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship — a fault in how the piece was made, such as a poorly seated stone or a failed solder — which the maison repairs at no charge. As with any fine jeweller, the guarantee does not extend to accidental damage, normal wear, or loss, which are matters for your own insurance; and work performed by another jeweller ends it, since your stone's documented provenance depends on no other hands touching the piece.
How do I insure the piece?
Every commission is delivered with its independent grading certificate and an itemised invoice. A maison valuation stating the replacement value is issued upon request — together, these are what an insurer requires to schedule the piece on your policy.
How is ring sizing handled?
A ring sizer travels in the coffret with your Repository Capsule, so your size is confirmed before growth ever begins. Should resizing be needed later, it is available as a chargeable service, quoted on request and subject to the design — some settings resize more gracefully than others.
How is the piece maintained over time?
The maison cleans and inspects your piece as a courtesy whenever you wish to send it in — you cover insured shipping to the atelier, and we return it insured at our cost. A light professional clean also keeps the guarantee's inspection current, so a loose stone is caught before it is lost.
What care does the piece need day to day?
Care guidance accompanies every commission, written for its particular stone, metal and setting rather than issued generically. It travels with the piece.
Ask us anything, in person.
A private consultation is the best place for the questions a page can’t anticipate.