Diamonds are a girl’s best friend — whether extracted from a mine or created in a laboratory. But for Neelam Kothari Soni, lab-grown diamonds just do not cut. “If someone gifted me lab-grown diamonds, would I be as excited? No,” she told jewellery expert Julia Chafe during a recent conversation. According to the actor, “lab-grown is a parallel market, but real natural diamonds are special and a girl’s best friend.” So, are lab-grown diamonds truly as special as real diamonds? Disha Shah, Founder of DiAi Designs, told indianexpress.com that lab-grown diamonds are often misunderstood, mostly because of the word ‘lab’. Many misconceptions suggest they are fake or artificial, but in reality, they are similar to mined diamonds as they share the same chemical, physical, and optical properties. “The only difference is their origin. One forms deep in the earth, and the other is created in a modern, controlled environment that mirrors natural processes,” she said. Shah said that lab-grown diamonds are remarkable owing to the customisation possibilities they offer. “They allow you to create pieces …