Could Be! Considering that 52% of couples in The Knot's 2025 study opted for lab-grown engagement rings. This shift in consumer preferences has been huge but shouldn’t seem that surprising (driven by a desire for both sustainability AND affordability).
“I just traded in my natural diamond (after 18 years) for a bigger lab diamond,” one REDDIT user confessed. “And my lab diamond sparkles so much more. The price difference was huge. I’ll never go back to natural diamonds.”
Thanks to advancements in technology and production over the last decade, lab-grown diamonds went from selling for 10% less than mined to 80% to 90% less! And where lab-grown stones once accounted for just 1% of diamond sales, they’re now more than 20%. The notion that "a diamond is a diamond" regardless of origin has gained traction, since there is no readily available way for consumers to tell the difference. And many will go as far as saying, "A jeweler has to assume practically every diamond is lab grown today."
Myth = Money. The word “diamond” comes from the Greeks, who named the stone “adamas,” meaning unbreakable or unalterable. And it was the diamond’s extreme strength that made them a favorite of royalty (who believed they offered invincibility). Hindus and Egyptians believed them to be magical talismans for luck, while others imagined them to be the solidified tears of gods or fragments of stars. Certainly it's the rarity of mined diamonds that results in their mythic quality (and the high price tag to match). And one wonders if this will be lost with manufactured stones.
Even among advocates of lab-grown, there are those unable to fully shake the mined diamond mystique. For one REDDIT follower whose habit of misplacing earrings forced her to switch to lab-grown studs, “They just don't sparkle the same to me even at a similar grade and identical cut.” Science says otherwise--their properties are exactly the same. And with no readily available way for consumers to tell them apart, the notion that “a diamond is a diamond” was born. What was once a spiritual symbol might become a sustainable one.
FORBES challenged the mythos of mined diamonds by likening lab-grown diamonds to generic medications. “Lab diamonds are chemically and visually identical to mined diamonds, just as generics match brand-name drugs in active ingredients. The only difference is cost.”
And as the cost of lab-grown continues to drop, diamonds will move on from symbolizing wealth to redefining luxury for a younger generation who value ethical and environmental aspects… and even equity.
Rarity, Romance & Royalty? Yes, natural diamonds will continue to stand for rarity (today, the annual production of 5 carat+ diamonds would fit into a basketball!). And for romance (with the first documented diamond ring proposal between the Archduke Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy in 1477). But long gone are the days when they were Kings' and Queens' alone.
They say, “A Diamond is Forever.” We believe a Diamond is for Everybody and are committed to making the timeless mix of real diamonds and luxe metals available to all.
Visit our Ring Creator to start building the ring of your dreams.