Editor’s Note
Recent reports of lab-grown diamonds being misrepresented in the Essen area have sparked wider industry discussion. This article explores the implications for jewelers and consumers, highlighting the growing challenge of distinguishing between natural and synthetic stones in today’s market.
After it became known that lab-grown diamonds were sold as “real” in the Essen metropolitan area, jewelers from Lüdenscheid report on their experiences with these “artificial diamonds.”
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” – Marilyn Monroe already knew that. While Marilyn was only friends with real diamonds back then, one can no longer be sure about the true value today. The raw diamonds that grew in the earth over millions of years, gaining their brilliance through expert cutting, now have competition: lab-grown diamonds. They look the same, are chemically identical, but are worth only a fraction of the natural product.
This is precisely the source of a scandal originating in the Essen metropolitan area. There, it was discovered, customers bought expensive jewelry without being informed that the pieces contained not only real diamonds. This came to light by chance. The police are now investigating.
This not only shakes customers but also the industry. The trust in having purchased “something real” is a cornerstone of the business. The symbolic character, the eternal value, the uniqueness from nature – that counts for many customers.
The Essen scandal has naturally spread and directed stronger attention to cultivated lab-grown diamonds. They cost significantly less than natural, real diamonds, even though one cannot easily distinguish them from each other. That requires special testing equipment. And: there is no legally mandated labeling requirement.
For Dominic Pieper (Goldschmiede Pieper), trust is the decisive basis when buying jewelry. Therefore, he himself also relies on long-grown relationships when purchasing diamonds:
For stones from others, it’s different:
However, the effort is not insignificant; an appraisal costs. But of course, that can be done, “if the stones are so large that it’s worth it.”
Regarding the case of the Essen jewelry sales, where even cubic zirconia – an even cheaper diamond imitation – is said to have been used, the Lüdenscheid goldsmith finds that it should not have gone unnoticed:
With lab-grown diamonds, it’s different; one needs specific testing devices, which suppliers now also offer. For his goldsmithing daily routine, however, he does not see the need for the aforementioned reasons. And:
Knowledge about the origin of the stone is the pivotal point. Fundamentally, it is the customer’s decision what they want. Jens Markes knows that there are customers who decide based on price, not on the type of origin. And he tells of a family who wanted “a large stone but didn’t want to spend much money.” Then a lab-grown diamond could very well be the stone of choice and be specifically ordered. But he points out that the energy expenditure that goes into producing a cultivated two-carat stone is also significant. That, too, could be a decision criterion. In any case, he has already dealt with a lab-grown diamond once in this way: at the customer’s request.
Perhaps it does exist, then, the very special aura of a real best friend.