While "real diamonds" — or, more specifically, natural diamonds — have long been the diamond industry's most traditional option for engagement rings, the increasing demand for lab grown diamonds is shaking up the status quo of diamond sales. The lab-grown diamond industry has emerged as a key player in the diamond market — and one that commands a wider audience than ever before.
This should be no surprise for anyone who's in the know on the high-end jewelry market. Today's lab-grown options enchant and mesmerize customers just as easily as their more traditional cousins — and at a usually more affordable price point. If you're seeking an elegant, handcrafted work of art, you can as easily find it in a laboratory environment as a traditional diamond mine.
Thanks to the advanced technology and specialized equipment of the 21st century diamond industry, gone are the days where natural diamonds were the only option for a classic diamond engagement ring. Nowadays, a synthetic diamond can produce near-identical optical properties and physical properties alike, making lab diamonds a sustainable alternative for diamond rings — especially when it comes to celebrating that special moment.
Indeed, engagement rings are among the jewelry industry's most important big-budget showstoppers for special occasions, so it should come as no surprise that lab-grown diamond rings are now all the rage. Diamond seed crystals, combined with modern diamond-manufacturing technology, have truly changed the jewelry landscape — and popularized options like lab-grown diamond rings, or even full-blown lab-grown diamond bridal sets.
Lab-Created Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds
A Brief History of Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry
Once upon a time, high end jewelry consumers turned their noses up at the entire idea of "artificial diamonds." Lab-grown diamond jewelry was a preposterous idea. Cheap fashion jewelry for everyday wear was one thing, but serious jewelry demanding larger or higher quality stones were another matter entirely. Mining diamonds the old-fashioned way seemed like the only classy option. Lab-made diamonds simply didn't carry the same cache as traditional diamond mining. The technology necessary for truly high quality lab-grown diamond jewelry didn't yet exist. For that reason, lab-grown diamond engagement rings and lab-grown diamond bridal sets were virtually unheard of.
Now, mainstream consumer perception of diamonds real and artificial is changing in a big way. High-end jewelers have embraced lab-grown diamond jewelry of all kinds. Lab-grown options are, if anything, now considered in vogue. Why?
The answer to that question can be found in the quality of modern technology — and, correspondingly, the quality of lab grown diamonds. Diamonds in laboratories undergo a production process that creates lab-grown stones virtually indistinguishable from the natural stones they imitate. Man-made diamonds produced by the lab-grown diamond jewelry industry have come a long way since the days of cheap fashion jewelry and one-time costume pieces. In terms of quality, the best lab-grown stones match — or even surpass — the so-called "perfect diamond" or "genuine diamonds" long believed to be the sole product of traditional diamond mining.
The reasons for this shift in demand toward lab-grown stones are myriad, ranging from concerns over ethical sourcing for quality diamonds, to the hunt for an affordable option, especially when it comes to larger stones. An accessible price point sometimes simply isn't an option on the traditional diamond market.
Environmental Benefits of Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry
Advancements in technology allow not only a greater selection of diamonds and a broader range of customization options like diamond color — it also creates a more sustainable environmental footprint. These eco-friendly benefits have been a huge factor in the growing popularity of lab-grown diamond bridal sets and related diamond jewelry.
The idea of choosing the "perfect diamond" or comparing carat weights feels hollow in light of growing ethical concerns around responsible choices for the environment. Air pollution, habitat destruction, and soil erosion are among just a few of the environmental concerns associated with traditional diamond producers.
Calculating grams per carat in unit prices for traditionally mined diamonds seems gauche, when faced with the sobering reality of environmental degradation. The ethical production of natural diamonds for jewelry has long been a thorn in the side of the jewelry industry. Seeking a sustainable alternative for industrial purposes used to seem impossible.
Why Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Offers Peace of Mind to a Wider Range of Consumers
Diamond-manufacturing technology allows jewelry companies to sidestep these worries by growing their own center diamonds from diamond seeds. The production of lab diamonds leaves behind a smaller carbon footprint than the less sustainable choice of traditional diamond mining. Lab-grown options provide the best of both worlds: not only ethical production with eco-friendly benefits, but also consistent quality diamonds with a greater affordability factor.
Appealing to a Greater Range of Consumers: The Affordability of Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings
While a romantic-minded bride's personal preferences for larger diamonds in her engagement ring may tempt her toward higher-budget jewelry, she and her spouse-to-be may simply not have the means to spend thousands of dollars on a traditional center diamond. The affordability factor is a hefty concern for many couples.
Enter the controlled environment of a laboratory setting where lab-grown diamond engagement rings can be produced at a far more affordable price point, compared to the regular price of traditional diamonds. Affordable diamonds sold at a fraction of the standard unit price for traditionally mined equivalents have, understandably, done quite a bit to improve the consumer perception of artificial diamonds. Lab-grown diamond jewelry isn't just more environmentally friendly — it's also good for your wallet!
Is Consistent Quality Possible in Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings?
"Affordable diamonds" — again, thanks to the wonders of diamond-manufacturing technology — do not necessarily mean sacrificing quality. In fact, a synthetic diamond's appearance over time typically retains its brilliance, sometimes with more success than natural diamonds. Producing consistent-quality in lab-grown diamond engagement rings has taken some trial and error in laboratory settings, but these days, the process has been more or less perfected. In fact, the predictable and consistent quality of modern day lab-grown options have made lab-grown diamond jewelry a real market in its own right.
In short, if you're hunting down the perfect center diamond, you don't necessarily need to sacrifice the affordability factor — at least, not when it comes to lab-grown diamonds.
Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry: Diamond Rings for a Broader Audience
Lab-grown diamond rings boast consistent quality, appeal to a broader range of consumers, and appease modest budgets with a higher affordability factor. Moreover, a synthetic diamond offers eco-friendly benefits to sustainability-conscious consumers. Not only does purchasing a diamond created in a laboratory environment feel like the budget friendly decision; it's also been marketed as the most ethical choice. In other words, you can buy a lab-grown diamond and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with both fiscally and environmentally responsible choices.
As such, it's no surprise that consumer perception is increasingly favoring lab-grown diamond bridal sets and lab-created center diamonds as an affordable and ethical alternative to traditional diamonds. Lab-grown diamond engagement rings may just prove themselves the way of the future — and indeed, the demand for lab grown diamonds shows no signs of slowing down. The expert craftsmanship behind these exquisite pieces of modern-made yet classic jewelry will no doubt continue to enchant and allure generations of diamond enthusiasts well into the future.