The Truth About Lab-Grown Diamonds: Facts That Matter

• How Lab-Grown Diamond Prices Crashed by 70% in Just 5 Years

They promised a revolution. Ethical. Affordable. Disruptive.
Reality?
One carat now costs less than dinner for two. Prices are collapsing faster than the hype around “the future of luxury.”
From $350 to just $95 per carat in only five years.
The latest B2B wholesale data for lab-grown diamonds (1 carat, Round), based on Edahn Golan’s LGD Wholesale Price Lists and industry analysis, reveals the following pricing trends:

• 2020: ~$250–350
• End 2021: ~$200–240
• End 2022: ~$160–190
• End 2023: ~$150–160
• End 2024: ~$130–150
• Q1 2025: ~$100
• Q2 2025: ~$95

Why?

Oversupply from China and India, intense production and seller competition, and an overflow of memo stock.

Examples of Actual (Q2 2025) B2B Offers from Indian Suppliers:

• 1 ct Round (E/VVS2): $110
• 5 ct Pear (E/VVS2): $630

And yet, some sellers are still trying to charge $11,000–$13,000 retail for a 5-carat lab-grown diamond. That’s not luxury — it’s a markup scam wrapped in marketing language.
Some even proudly promote “generous discounts” off Rapaport pricing for synthetics — a charming gesture, if only Rapaport pricing applied to lab-grown diamonds. It doesn’t. That benchmark is strictly reserved for natural diamonds.
This is the reality: the so-called “ethical” alternative to natural diamonds has become… disposable.

• When “Luxury” Comes by the Kilo

Synthetics are neither rare nor unique — they can be manufactured endlessly.
Unlike natural diamonds, synthetics do not retain their value. And there is no secondary market for lab-grown diamonds.
Due to their unlimited production, synthetics are comparable to mass-market goods. In essence, they’re no different from bijouterie.

Martin Rapaport, Chairman of The Rapaport Group and one of the most influential figures in the diamond industry, said it best: “Natural diamonds are a luxury. Lab stones? A cheap imitation.”

Natural diamonds are different. Rare. Finite. Truly valuable. That’s what makes them luxury.
Rarity isn’t optional — it’s the point. And mass-produced synthetics were never a luxury to begin with.

• GIA Drops the 4Cs for Lab-Grown Diamonds

The GIA has announced it will no longer apply its traditional 4Cs grading system to lab-grown diamonds. Instead, these artificial stones will now be categorized as “premium,” “standard,” or — if the quality is too low — not graded at all.
The line has been drawn: natural diamonds remain the true standard of luxury — everything else is just a product on a Walmart shelf. Because when something is mass-produced, it doesn’t need a grading report. It needs a barcode.

• HRD Antwerp Walks Away from Synthetic Diamonds

HRD Antwerp — one of the world’s most trusted international gemological laboratories — will officially cease grading synthetic diamonds in 2026.
As part of a new campaign promoting natural diamonds, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) installed a gumball machine at a trade show, filled with synthetic diamonds that could be “won” for €5.
So now the industry is quite literally turning lab-grown diamonds into candy?
When something can be manufactured in a lab, in unlimited quantities, and sold from a vending machine — it’s no longer a diamond. It’s a product. And the industry is finally saying it out loud.

• The End of the Experiment: De Beers Said Goodbye to Lab-Grown Diamonds

De Beers, the industry giant of the modern diamond industry, shut down Lightbox — its lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
As of May 2025, all consumer operations had ceased. The official website entered farewell mode, offering discounts of up to 85% before closing on July 31. All sales were final.
If even one of the biggest names in the diamond industry walked away from lab-grown diamonds, what’s left to prove?

This decision reflected both the collapse of consumer confidence in lab-grown diamonds and the lack of real profit potential in the sector.

De Beers made it official: You can’t fake forever.

• France Draws the Line: No More Sugarcoating Synthetic Diamonds

France took a firm stance: Lab-grown diamonds had to be labeled as “synthetic,” without the sugarcoating of marketing language.
And that mattered. In luxury — as in everything — trust began with transparency.

• Science Doesn’t Bend to Marketing — Synthetic Is Still Synthetic

Some claim that lab-grown and natural diamonds are “the same.” But if that were true, why can machines tell the difference in seconds?
Advanced tools like UV scanners, spectroscopy, and high-powered microscopes reveal critical distinctions:

• Natural diamonds form over billions of years, displaying irregular growth patterns and strain lines.
• Lab-grown diamonds are produced fast, often exhibiting metal flux inclusions or parallel growth structures.
• Chemical composition varies — natural diamonds typically contain nitrogen, while synthetics often show traces of boron or metal.

Are they the same? Not even close.

• “Eco-Friendly” — or Just Marketed That Way? The Industrial Reality of Synthetic Diamonds

Despite being marketed as an “eco-friendly” alternative to natural diamonds, synthetic stones — the majority of which are manufactured in China and India, where fossil fuels remain the primary energy source — can have a significant negative impact on the environment.
The High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method used to produce synthetic diamonds is highly energy-intensive and contributes to:

• Significant CO₂ emissions
• Contamination of air and water resources

Marketing claims of “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” production often do not reflect the actual environmental reality.

• The Lie of “Ethical” Luxury: The Human Cost Behind the Shine

Lab-grown diamond production lacks transparency — with no global standards and limited disclosure about where and how these artificial stones are made, particularly in countries with weak labor protections.
Manufacturing jobs for synthetic diamonds are heavily concentrated in India and China, where labor is often low-cost. In many LGD polishing factories — especially in India — wages can be extremely low, sometimes just a few dollars per day. Workers in these facilities often endure:

• Long hours shifts
• Poor working conditions
• A lack of healthcare, benefits, or labor protections — especially in small-scale, unregulated operations

In Contrast: The Natural Diamond Industry

Responsible natural diamond mining supports millions of jobs across developing nations. In countries like Botswana, Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), entire communities rely on the diamond industry for employment. Mining taxes and royalties in these regions help fund:

• Critical public infrastructure
• Education
• Healthcare

A decline in natural diamond sales threatens not only economic stability, but also the long-term development of these countries.

• What It All Comes Down To — Conclusions

Lab-grown diamonds were marketed as a revolution — but they’ve collapsed into a commodity.
Mass-produced.
Devalued — prices have dropped by 70% in just 5 years.
They’re not rare. Not luxury. Just synthetic sparkle with no soul — and no resale value. No investment potential.
Don’t fall for the marketing.
Natural diamonds are forever. These? Just overpriced bijouterie.
Don’t be misled — make thoughtful choices and value your money.