Couples Preference for Engagement Rings Shift towards Lab Grown Diamonds

According to a survey conducted in 2024, more than 50% of couples who were committed to each other admitted that the engagement ring that they acquired featured lab grown diamonds. For the sake of comparison, at the beginning of this year a one carat round lab grown diamond was priced at approximately $850 whereas a naturally mined stone of a similar spec under the 4Cs cost an approximate $3,900.

The kicker for this comparison is the fact that, consumers are well aware of the fact that the one carat lab grown diamond that cost significantly lower might just be a better-quality diamond with lesser flaws and higher brilliance. According to a poll conducted by ‘Real Weddings’ recently the popularity of synthetic diamonds has increased by 40% since 2019 and the figures are still rising. The data was based on data that was collected from an approximate 17,000 couples who tied the knot in 2024 and 2025.

Lab grown diamond rings are raging in the market because of undeniable practical facts; they are of equal quality if not better and carry a much lower price tag. The new generation of consumers which includes couples in general are frugal and try to cut costs wherever they can, and this includes wedding costs. People are aware of the fact that synthetic diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties of natural diamonds, and hence are tied down to the “four C’s” diamond grading system.

Another factor that appeals to the general masses is the fact that both natural and synthetic diamonds are optically the same and cannot be told apart just by looking at them with the naked eye.

Purchase Decisions – Facts to Consider About Lab Grown Diamonds

It has become obvious that the biggest advantage that lab grown stone have over natural diamonds is the lower cost for the same quality and due to the increasing supply, leading to low cost lab grown diamonds. Apart from the lower cost of these stones, ethical considerations also come into play. Lab grown diamonds are not linked to unethical practices, extreme ideologies or political positions as natural diamonds occasionally.

Lab grown diamonds are created in lab environments far away from conflict and human rights abuses and as such they carry more weight than natural diamonds within the scope of ethics. Then there is also the environmental element where lab grown diamonds come out on top again. The creation of lab grown diamonds in labs does not cause any form of environmental destruction as traditional mining does. Mining activities in general does not only cause pollution, but they also more often than not result in the destruction of habitats.

The only cause for concern when it comes to the production or manufacturing of synthetic diamonds is the issue of high energy consumption, which still allows lab grown diamonds to be considered ‘greener’ and environmentally more friendly that their natural counterparts. Finally, the thought of spending a three-month salary total on a diamond engagement ring is not an appealing ‘thought’ as it once was decades ago.