Editor’s Note
This article examines the complex environmental and social factors that shape the sustainability of lab-grown diamonds. As the industry evolves, understanding these variables is crucial for informed consumer choices and responsible production practices.
The environmental footprint and sustainability commitments of laboratory-grown diamond producers vary significantly depending on where and how the stone is created and how the producer manages energy, chemicals, materials, water and waste. It also depends on social factors such as human rights.
Using independent research, the report explores common misconceptions around laboratory-grown diamonds to clarify terminology, sustainability claims, pricing, and distinctions between natural and laboratory-grown products.
- Unpolished laboratory-grown diamonds created via Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) method.
- Laboratory-grown diamonds are manufactured products that have the same crystal structure as natural diamonds and have nearly the same chemical, physical and optical properties when polished.
- They are not identical to natural diamonds and are always distinguishable with professional equipment*.
- Laboratory-grown diamonds and natural diamonds have very different creation processes.
- Laboratory-grown diamonds are mass-produced in potentially unlimited quantities within days or weeks in factories located primarily in China and India. Natural diamonds are rare gemstones that formed deep within the Earth up to 3.7 billion years ago.
Manufacturing laboratory-grown diamonds requires large amounts of energy in order to sustain for days/weeks temperatures upwards of around 2,000 °F (degrees Fahrenheit) and large amounts of water to cool reactors.
Over 70% are produced in China and India where most grid electricity is generated from fossil fuels (coal). Only a few laboratory-grown diamonds are produced using renewable energy.
Three terms can be used in the marketing of laboratory-grown diamonds: ‘laboratory-grown diamonds’, ‘laboratory-created diamonds’ and ‘synthetic diamonds’.*
*Can vary according to national regulation.
Wholesale prices of laboratory-grown diamonds are down by 95%. Prices of laboratory-grown diamonds have dropped significantly. For example, since 2018, the average price for a 1 carat round near colourless laboratory-grown diamond with very slight inclusions* has dropped by 95% at wholesale and 76% at retail.
* VS1 clarity, FGH colour
As a manufactured product the prices of laboratory-grown diamonds are dependent on manufacturing capacity rather than rarity in nature.
A diamond is something to behold from all angles, its brilliance lying in the way it reflects light in all directions. Sadly, claims about the diamond industry are often polarising, shedding light on single facets but failing to reflect the whole picture.
This is especially the case when laboratory-grown diamonds are discussed online. Although synthetic gems have been on the market since the 1970s, commercial manufacture has dramatically increased in the last decade, as have myths and oversimplifications about what they are and what they mean for the diamond industry. All too often, laboratory-grown diamonds are pitted against natural diamonds in meaningless comparisons that only leave consumers in the dark.
In this report, the latest in our well-received Diamond Facts series, we set out to address some of the common misconceptions surrounding laboratory-grown diamonds and share the latest data from globally respected analysts and researchers.
By examining laboratory-grown diamonds from all angles, we aim to give consumers and other stakeholders a complete and accurate picture about the two different product categories that will inform more nuanced conversations in the public domain and help consumers make confident choices.
– David Kellie, CEO, Natural Diamond Council
Synthetic diamonds were first manufactured some 70 years ago, and the first synthetic jewellery-quality stones appeared on the market in the 1970s. As their number has proliferated so too have inaccurate and misleading claims about them, which has made it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions. In 1971, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) examined the first jewellery-quality synthetic diamond.
In this report, we aim to provide an accurate and balanced source of information about laboratory-grown diamonds, backed by reliable data. We’ll also delve into some of the nuances that are often overlooked or not clearly explained in coverage of this topic.
- Definitions, explaining how laboratory-grown diamonds are made and legally defined.
- Disclosure, explaining grading reports and addressing the misconception that laboratory-grown diamonds are indistinguishable from natural diamonds.
- Sustainability, delving into the nuances of environmental claims made by some actors of the synthetic diamond industry.
- Pricing, examining how production costs have changed over time and how pricing structures differ from those used for natural diamonds.
