They are chemically identical, optically identical and, to the naked eye, indistinguishable. Yet a lab-grown diamond and a natural one now sit in completely different worlds of value. In 2026, that divide is reshaping the entire jewelry industry.
At a glance
- Market share: more than 45% of US engagement ring purchases were lab-grown by 2025.
- Price gap: lab-grown costs roughly 80–90% less than a comparable natural diamond.
- Price trend: lab-grown wholesale prices fell about 74% between 2020 and 2025.
- History: the first reproducible diamond synthesis came from General Electric in 1954.
What is a lab-grown diamond?
A lab-grown diamond is real diamond, pure crystallized carbon, made in weeks by high-pressure, high-temperature presses or by chemical vapor deposition, instead of over billions of years underground. Gemological labs can tell the two apart with specialized instruments, and reputable grading reports state the origin.
A 70-year history
In 1954, scientists at General Electric produced the first reproducible synthetic diamonds, tiny industrial crystals. Gem-quality stones took decades longer. By the 2010s, technology had advanced enough for jewelry, and in 2018 De Beers launched its own lab-grown brand, Lightbox, pricing stones as affordable fashion. De Beers announced in 2025 that it would close Lightbox, but by then the market had changed for good.
Same carbon, same sparkle, different story. And in jewelry, the story is the value.
Lab-grown or natural: which should you buy?
If you want the largest, brightest stone for your budget, lab-grown delivers. If you care about rarity and the story of a stone formed deep in the earth, natural remains the choice, and it is still the norm in high jewelry. Natural diamonds have generally kept more of their value than lab-grown ones, though resale prices for any diamond are typically well below what you paid at retail, and past prices are no guide to future value. Great maisons build their collections around natural stones precisely because they cannot be made to order.
Frequently asked questions
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They have the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds; only their origin differs.
Do lab-grown diamonds hold their value?
Generally no. Wholesale prices fell about 74% between 2020 and 2025, according to Edahn Golan Diamond Research, so resale value is very limited.
Sources: Draco Diamond, citing Edahn Golan Diamond Research and BriteCo · Bloomberg
