For diamond shoppers, yet another choice to make

UNITED STATES – With Thanksgiving marking the unofficial start of engagement season – late November through Valentine’s Day is when marriage proposals are common – ring buying is top of mind for many couples considering marriage.

The four Cs – carat, cut, colour and clarity – have traditionally been used to evaluate diamonds. Now, couples buying diamond engagement rings have another choice to make: natural diamonds, which are mined from the earth, or lab-grown diamonds, which are man-made but chemically identical.

The once straightforward process of picking a stone is now fraught with confusion. Along with their style preferences, couples are now considering the ethics and sustainability of each type of diamond.

“I was surprised by how much uncertainty and how much of an opinion existed on both sides of the fence,” Mr Chris Lawlor, 35, of New York, said about his experience designing an engagement ring for his fiancee in 2021. “People didn’t seem to be on the same page.”

Mr Lawlor, a founder of Black Creek Digital, a New York-based artificial intelligence computing company, had looked at both natural diamonds and those created in factories using machines that mimic the pressure needed to produce natural stones.

He found the lab-grown stones attractive, but was also drawn to the rarity of natural stones and their long history as the traditional engagement ring stone.

After discussing both types of stones with a jeweller, he designed a ring with a brilliant-cut, natural diamond. “It came down to the simple fact that engagement rings are a fully emotional purchase,” he said. “You want to make sure that it is special.”

The rise of lab-grown diamonds

Some people believe that lab-grown diamonds are not real diamonds. This is false. They are chemically identical, said chief creative officer of Catbird Jewelry in New York Leigh Plessner.

Just like natural diamonds, lab-grown stones are graded on the four Cs.

When lab-grown diamonds were introduced to consumers in the mid-2010s, they offered the same sparkle as natural diamonds but at a much lower price – by some accounts, 60 to 80 per cent lower. The companies that make them also maintain that lab-grown diamonds are more ethically produced and more sustainable.

Lab-grown diamonds make up about a quarter of retail diamond sales, according to trend analytics company Tenoris. As they have risen in popularity, so have consumer misconceptions.

“People just hear talking points about conflict diamonds or blood diamonds, or how lab is more sustainable,” said Ms Jennifer Gandia, an owner of Greenwich St Jewelers in New York. “And that’s not necessarily true.”

The hunt for ethical diamonds

Today’s consumers are increasingly seeking ethical diamonds, which can be lab-grown or natural diamonds that are sourced or created with minimal environmental impact and without contributing to human rights abuses.

A common misconception is that natural diamonds are “blood diamonds”, a term for stones that are mined in war zones in parts of Africa and sold to fund armed groups or terrorism. The term was popularised after the 2006 film Blood Diamond, which highlights the connection between mining and the 1990s civil war in Sierra Leone.

Couples today still echo concerns based on the film.

Ms Raquel Steineman, 32, and her husband Brett Steineman, 33, a scientist, credit their gemologist, Ms Virginia Hay-Arthur of Virginia-Ann Design in Frederick, Colorado, with putting them at ease about the ethical sourcing of the natural, cushion-cut square diamond in Ms Steineman’s engagement ring.

“I know there has been controversy around this for years,” said Ms Steineman, a public relations executive from New York. “But there is nothing like knowing this diamond is uniquely mine and cannot be repeated.”

While enthusiasts of lab-grown diamonds point to the ethics and sustainability of their choice, some jewellers, even those who sell lab-grown stones, believe that marketing for these gems can be misleading.

The price to sparkle

Rings can also be pricey. The average cost nationwide of an engagement ring was US$5,500 (S$7,400) in 2023, according to a survey by the wedding planning company The Knot, though prices can easily move into six-figure territory or higher.

Price is often a major factor driving the decisions of couples who opt for lab-grown diamonds. Because stones made in a lab are continuously produced, there is plenty of supply, lowering the cost.

Couples looking for a specific cut, colour or size also have a larger catalogue to choose from.

Ms Hannah Nowack, senior weddings editor of The Knot, said lab-grown diamonds were a solution for those “unwilling to sacrifice stone size due to budget constraints”.

Ms Tina Khiani told her husband, lawyer Malcolm Bates, that she “wanted a big rock, and he didn’t fail to deliver”. The couple, both 33 and based in Haddonfield, New Jersey, married in October 2022, in Philadelphia.

Ms Khiani wore a brilliant-cut, lab-grown diamond ring weighing 4.8 carats.

“No one can tell whether my diamond is traditional or lab-grown,” said Ms Khiani, owner of the Mama Coach, which provides lactation consulting for new mothers. “What people notice is the size of the diamond.” NYTIMES