As lab-grown diamonds take center stage in today’s bridal jewelry market, their influence on natural diamond sales is impossible to ignore. In this article, jewelry designer and Graduate Gemologist Christopher Duquet comments on the rise of lab diamonds and their impact on the natural diamond market. We also surveyed consumers and explored Google search data to gain additional insights on the American perspective.

The Rise of Lab-Grown Diamonds in Bridal Jewelry

As the bridal jewelry market continues to evolve, Christopher Duquet shares why diamonds remain a timeless choice and how lab-grown options are transforming the engagement tradition:

Bridal jewelry, which is the core of almost all independent fine jewelers, remains a consistent market. Most retail jewelers rely on diamonds as their most important product. Even as alternative gemstones (such as moissanite and lab diamonds) become more popular, diamonds remain the number one choice for American engagement rings and wedding bands. 

In the past five years, the diamond market has shifted dramatically: demand for lab-grown diamonds has skyrocketed, especially among young couples and urban populations. The trend is spreading even into rural markets and fashion jewelry. 

Lab-grown diamonds have found their champion in young couples. Created diamonds have become a sort of “cheat code” for the bridal-age adult who wants a significant symbol of love, but who, by nature of age, is financially limited. These young adults want a beautiful rock in an engagement ring that speaks to the values of the tradition: commitment, devotion, and love, and now, they can acquire a diamond that’s bigger and cleaner than ever at a fraction of the cost.

This perspective highlights how lab-grown diamonds are opening new possibilities for younger couples, letting them honor tradition while embracing affordability and modern values.

Lab-Grown Diamond Popularity Statistics

By analyzing Google Search data, we were able to further explore the rapid increase in lab-grown diamond interest. Across America, search volume nearly doubled from 2022 to 2024, increasing by 98%. In this timeframe, trend-setting U.S. cities saw rapid growth as well: New York City (80%), Chicago (70%), Los Angeles (67%), and Houston (63%).

Lab-Grown Diamond Consumer Insights

We additionally surveyed over 1,000 Americans to learn more about their opinions of lab-grown diamonds. Findings show that 16% of Americans own lab-diamond jewelry–25% of Gen Z and 23% of Millennials. However, of those who have purchased diamond jewelry, 56% prefer natural diamonds. The majority (59%) would choose natural diamonds over synthetic if cost were not a factor. 

Of those who prefer natural diamonds, the top reasons they prefer them include:

1. Quality perception
2. Tradition and heritage
3. Rarity and uniqueness

Interestingly, quality perception is also a factor in preferring lab diamonds. Of those who prefer lab-grown diamonds, the top reasons why include:

1. Environmental impact and price (tied)
2. Ethics
3. Quality perception

While lab-grown diamonds have their upsides, the top concerns include: being perceived as less authentic, resale value, and being less meaningful.

What This Means for Jewelers

Christopher Duquet reflects on his experiences with the rise of lab-grown diamonds in the jewelry industry:

The growth of lab-grown diamond purchases surprised most jewelers. Survival and success in fine jewelry have shifted to other priorities. Rather than heavy investment in material, investment in marketing becomes more pivotal: brand awareness is the key to success.

Prosperity is now, more than ever, about the fundamentals of our unique trade. We are in the business of beauty and identity: the more of both, the better. As the market transforms and trends come and go, we must continue to innovate or risk irrelevance. 

Markets change over time, and it’s conceivable there will be a renaissance in demand for natural diamonds in the bridal market. Natural diamonds will continue to enchant consumers; regardless of the source of our materials, the quality of customer interaction is paramount. Our clients have come to expect us to deliver a compelling product, in a good location, with outstanding service, and that’s what we’ll have to deliver if our trade is going to continue to flourish into the future.

The takeaway here is that while lab grown diamonds are a compelling portion of business, client relationship and brand are more important to long-term success than any one material.

The Science Behind Lab-Grown Diamond Creation

Let’s break down exactly what a lab-grown diamond is and how it compares to its natural counterpart.

What is a Lab-Grown Diamond?

It’s simple: a lab-grown diamond is a diamond. That is, it’s carbon that’s undergone a chemical transformation under extreme conditions. This transformation results in a stone that can be cut and polished into a spectacular diamond ready to be set in a piece of jewelry.

Lab-Grown Diamonds and Natural Diamonds Compared

The only difference between a natural diamond and a lab-grown (aka created, manufactured, or synthetic) diamond is the origin: a natural diamond forms deep within the earth’s crust over thousands or millions of years. A lab-grown diamond is created in a laboratory over the course of weeks or months. Of course, the other difference is the price! Lab-grown diamonds typically cost about 30% of natural stones of the same size and quality.

How Lab-Grown Diamonds are Created

Most gem-quality lab-grown diamonds are created using one of two methods: chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and high pressure high temperature (HPHT). CVD technology was developed in the 1950s, but the diamonds it created were initially of poor quality and used exclusively for industrial purposes (Eaton-Magaña et al.). In the mid-2000s, the technology improved, and jewelers began incorporating CVD diamonds into their designs, and by 2024, the CVD diamond market was worth USD 14.92 billion (“CVD Lab-grown Diamond Market”).

CVD Diamond Production

CVD diamond production begins with a diamond seed. This can be a natural or manmade stone, but must be of good quality, as poor-quality seeds will yield poor-quality stones. This seed, usually shaped into a flat tablet, is placed in a chamber filled with a specialized mix of gases, including carbon. Microwaves are used to create plasma, which causes the carbon to undergo a series of reactions and deposit–atom by atom–diamond onto the diamond seed. 

Using this method, laboratories can create large blocks of diamond in three or four weeks (Shigley). These blocks are then cut into shape and polished like natural diamonds. Because the conditions are less controlled than other diamond production methods, CVD diamonds sometimes contain impurities that discolor them. These impurities are easily removed with post-growth treatment. 

CVD is capable of producing exceptionally large stones, such as the 75.33 ct. square emerald-cut diamond displayed at the 2024 JCK gem show in Las Vegas. A natural diamond of this size is inconceivable, but the Celebration of India was grown in only 9 months (Eaton-Magaña et al.). CVD labs continue to produce some of the largest crystals available on the market, and there’s no doubt the technology will continue to improve in the coming decades.

HPHT Diamond Production

HPHT diamonds entered the gemstone market in the 1990s and were initially fancy colors like orange, blue, and yellow. Since 2010, however, colorless HPHT stones have been grown in sizes upwards of 90 carats, with the largest recorded rough weighing 150.42 ct. (Eaton-Magaña et al.) HPHT attempts to replicate the process by which diamonds are formed naturally. 

Like CVD, HPHT begins with a diamond seed. This seed is placed into a chamber capable of producing the extreme conditions required for diamond formation. The chamber is heated to 1300-1600°C and subjected to pressure above 870,000 psi. Over several days or weeks, carbon atoms within the chamber crystallize into diamonds (Shigley). The resulting stones are often colorless and need no further treatment.

CVD vs. HPHT Diamonds

By introducing elements like nitrogen and boron, laboratories can produce fancy colors, which are highly desirable but exceedingly rare. While the initial cost of an HPHT lab is greater than a CVD lab, HPHT is nearly twice as efficient: a 2022 study found that, while CVD requires 3.43 labor hours/ct. of diamond produced, HPHT labs can produce the same amount with only 1.83 hours of labor (Zhdanov et al., 2022). HPHT is also more water- and energy-efficient than CVD and even mined diamond production. 

A 2021 study revealed that HPHT labs require only 28 kilowatt-hours/ct. of diamond. Mined stones and CVD require 150 kWh/ct. and 215 kWh/ct., respectively. HPHT also doesn’t need the large quantity of clean water CVD requires for processing. (Zhdanov et al., 2021).

While HPHT and CVD are the most popular means of producing lab-grown diamonds, they’re not the only methods. Researchers are experimenting with new techniques, including detonation and crystallization inside liquid metal (Nield). As the lab-grown diamond industry continues to grow, jewelers will find new ways to incorporate these stones into their designs as long as customers continue to demand them.

Should I Purchase a Lab-Grown Diamond?

Lab-grown diamonds offer the same benefits as natural diamonds. The symbolism inherent to a diamond remains in a manmade stone, but at increasingly accessible price points. 

Millennial and Gen-Z couples are especially attracted to lab-grown engagement rings. Buyers aged 28-30—the average marriage age in the United States—currently opt for lab-grown stones nearly 40% of the time. And while these couples might be spending less on diamonds, the stones they are purchasing are increasing in size. The average carat weight of a lab-grown engagement ring is 160% that of natural rings (“Everything you need to know”). 

In addition to the price, buyers are attracted to lab-grown diamonds for ethical reasons. Although most jewelers in the United States adhere to the Kimberley Process—an international agreement prohibiting the purchase and sale of conflict diamonds—young couples,  increasingly focused on making eco- and labor-friendly purchases, are turning to lab-grown stones. 

HPHT diamonds indeed require less energy and water to produce than natural or CVD diamonds, and both CVD and HPHT labs are safer production facilities than diamond mines. Diamond deposits are often found in remote locations, and a lack of timely emergency services is the primary contributor to injury or death in a diamond mine (“Top 10”). That said, HPHT and CVD are both less efficient than mined diamonds in terms of labor hours/ct. produced; and, while HPHT is especially energy efficient, it still requires raw materials such as graphite, which must be mined  (Zhdanov et al., 2022).

In the end, any jewelry purchase is a personal one. One buyer might prefer a natural diamond’s history, while another might admire the technical innovation of a man-made stone. Lab-grown diamonds are simply another tool in the jeweler’s toolbox. The romance of a diamond ring, the drama of a tennis bracelet, and the everyday charm of diamond stud earrings are suddenly more attainable than ever, especially to young couples and self-purchasers.

Methodology

In June 2025, we surveyed 1,046 Americans, ages 18 and over, about their lab-grown diamond opinions. 49% were men and 51% were women.

We also analyzed over 5 million Google searches pertaining to lab-grown diamonds from 2022-2024 to gauge popularity.

Sources

“CVD Lab-grown Diamond Market by Application, Carat Weight, Product Type, Sales Channel-Global Forecast to 2030.” Research and Markets, May 2025.

Eaton-Magaña, Sally, et al. “Laboratory-Grown Diamonds: An Update on Identification and Products Evaluated at GIA.” Gemological Institute of America.

“Everything You Need to Know About Engagement Rings This Holiday Season.” Edahn Golan, 7 Dec. 2023.

Nield, David. “Forget Billions of Years: Scientists Have Grown Diamonds in Just 150 Minutes.” Science Alert, 25 Apr. 2024.

Shigley, James E. “HPHT and CVD Diamond Growth Processes: Making Lab-Grown Diamonds.” Gemological Institute of America, 16 July 2013.

“Top 10 health and safety risks in the surface diamond drilling sector.” Workplace Safety North.

Zhdanov, Vladislav, et al.”A Comparative Analysis of Energy and Water Consumption of Mined versus Synthetic Diamonds.” Energies, edited by Franz Winter and David Borge-Diez, 4 Aug. 2021.

Zhdanov, Vladislav, et al. “Comparative analysis of labor input required to produce one carat at different methods of synthesis and mining of diamonds.” National Library of Medicine, 11 Nov. 2022.