Editor’s Note
This article explores the remarkable concentration of lab-grown diamond production in a single Chinese county, which now accounts for nearly half of the global supply. It highlights the shifting consumer acceptance and market dynamics of these synthetic gems, which are chemically identical to their mined counterparts.
Can you believe that nearly half of the world’s diamonds are produced in a small county in China? It’s true. Of course, the diamonds referred to here are not natural diamonds mined from the earth, but lab-grown diamonds ‘cultivated’ in factories. However, they are ‘real diamonds’ with chemical and physical properties identical to natural diamonds.
In recent years, lab-grown diamonds have been increasingly accepted by consumers. In 2025, the sales share of lab-grown diamonds in the global diamond jewelry market had already exceeded 40%, a figure representing an increase of over eight times compared to 2019. China’s lab-grown diamond production capacity accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s total. Within China, a small county in central Henan Province, Zhecheng, accounts for 60% of the nation’s total production, as reported by the semi-official China News Service on the 18th.
Natural diamonds are non-renewable resources formed from carbon under high temperature and pressure deep underground over billions of years, giving them scarcity. Since the 19th century, scientists have studied their formation principles, aiming to artificially recreate the same conditions to produce diamonds.
In the 1950s, a GE research team in the US succeeded in producing the first ‘laboratory diamond’ through high-temperature, high-pressure experiments mimicking mantle conditions. However, the quality at that time did not reach gem-grade. Later, with technological advancements in the late 20th century, it became possible to produce transparent, clear gem-grade diamonds.
Currently, the main methods for manufacturing lab-grown diamonds are the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method and the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) method. China primarily uses the HPHT method, with the core equipment being the ‘cubic press’.
According to China News Service, the background of Zhecheng’s growth into a diamond industry hub dates back to the 1950s.
At that time, China established an abrasive tools factory in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan, to foster its manufacturing industry. Since industrial diamonds largely relied on imports and domestic reserves were limited, the Chinese government decided to pursue self-development of lab-grown diamonds.
In 1965, China’s first cubic press was developed in Henan Province, successfully producing the first lab-grown diamonds. In the 1980s, an engineer with the surname Feng, who had been conducting research in Zhengzhou, returned to his hometown of Zhecheng and established the first lab-grown diamond factory there.
According to China News Service, prices have also dropped significantly due to mass production. Currently, lab-grown diamonds are sold at a fraction, even one-tenth or less, of the price of natural diamonds. For example, a 1-carat lab-grown diamond is typically sold online for 1,000 to 2,000 yuan (approximately 200,000 to 400,000 Korean won), which is cheaper than the setting price for an 18K gold ring.
In 2025, a company in Zhecheng even broke a world record by producing a ‘super-large’ lab-grown diamond rough weighing 156.47 carats.
With their price competitiveness and added environmental and ethical benefits, lab-grown diamonds are rapidly changing the landscape of the global jewelry market. China News Service emphasized that the small city of Zhecheng, with a population of 600,000, is establishing itself as a central hub of the world’s diamond industry.