It’s Easy To See Why Lab-Grown Diamonds Are Becoming More Popular

While naturally occurring diamonds still have the edge, evidence continues to show that synthetic stones are getting much closer to becoming more popular than the real thing.

There are a few basic reasons for this trend, but perhaps the most obvious is that they just look really good.

Diamonds 101

Chances are you know what a diamond looks like even if you don’t own one. But how much do you know about what it takes to make one? For the natural diamonds mined from the Earth, the process can take billions of years of pressure on carbon atoms, packing them so tight that they turn into the precious gemstones people are willing to pay big bucks to wear.

But only the best examples actually fetch the highest prices and most natural diamonds are filled with too many impurities to reach that threshold.

Though the atomic building blocks have been known since the 18th century, it wasn’t until the 1900s that scientists figured out a way to replicate the natural process in a laboratory. And the results have only gotten more impressive over the past several decades.

From 1950 to today

There was a rush during the mid-20th century to create the first lab-grown diamond, with General Electric establishing a special team to accomplish the goal in 1950. Four years later, the first synthetic diamond was created … but for years, these gems were very small and actually more expensive than natural stones.

A series of advancements, including state-of-the-art equipment and improved methods, led to the creation of larger, cheaper, and more pristine lab-grown diamonds than ever before.

And millions of consumers are convinced, as evidenced by data showing that 46% of engagement rings sold last year contained synthetic diamonds.

Chris Agee September 10th, 2024

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