{"id":369661,"date":"2025-12-24T22:02:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T22:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/369661\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T22:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T22:02:14","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-before-you-buy-lab-grown-versus-natural-diamonds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/369661\/","title":{"rendered":"What you need to know before you buy lab-grown versus natural diamonds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The slogan of “a diamond is forever” \u2014 linking diamonds to everlasting love and ultimate commitment \u2014 has been instilled for decades.<\/p>\n

Diamonds are generally considered a luxury asset that holds its value, but the emergence of laboratory-grown diamonds in the jewellery industry over recent years could challenge that belief.<\/p>\n

Are synthetic diamonds real diamonds, and what do you need to know before making a purchase?<\/p>\n

Let’s break it down.<\/p>\n

Are laboratory-grown diamonds actually diamonds?<\/p>\n

Yes, lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic diamonds or man-made diamonds, have identical chemical, physical and optical properties to their natural counterparts.<\/p>\n

Despite their near-identical appearance, trained gemologists and sophisticated equipment can still detect subtle differences.<\/p>\n

\"Uncut<\/p>\n

Uncut natural diamonds in different colours. (Supplied: Geoscience Australia)<\/p>\n

Natural diamonds, or mined diamonds, are extremely rare compared to other minerals<\/a>, according to Geoscience Australia.<\/p>\n

They form at depths of 150 to 200 kilometres below the Earth’s surface where high temperatures and pressures allow them to crystallise.<\/p>\n

Then the diamonds may be picked up by hot magma and transported upwards as the magma intrudes into the Earth’s crust.<\/p>\n

\"Natural<\/p>\n

Natural diamond rings and diamonds on a display tray with a 10-carat ring (left) worth $698,000. (ABC News: Yiying Li)<\/p>\n

Most natural diamonds are between 1 and 3 billion years old.<\/p>\n

According to Macquarie University, the two main methods for growing synthetic diamonds<\/a> today are the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) method and chemical vapour deposition (CVD).<\/p>\n

HPHT mimics Earth’s conditions to create diamonds, while CVD grows them atom-by-atom in a vacuum chamber by exposing a diamond seed to carbon-rich gases.<\/p>\n

\"Employees<\/p>\n

De Beers employees work on belt presses for HPHT-synthesised diamonds in a laboratory. (Getty Images: Chris Ratcliffe\/Bloomberg)<\/p>\n

How do lab-grown diamonds compare to natural ones financially?<\/p>\n

From a quality perspective, synthetic diamonds benefit from highly controlled production environments, resulting in a consistently strong cut, colour and clarity, the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) has told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“Yet one of their most significant drawbacks is their negligible resale value,” a spokesperson from the JAA said.<\/p>\n

“In circumstances where jewellery is later sold, such as after the breakdown of a marriage, the intrinsic worth of a synthetic diamond is effectively zero, leaving only the value of the precious metal.<\/p>\n

“On the other hand, because synthetic diamonds are substantially cheaper than natural stones, the overall financial loss to consumers can be lower.”<\/p>\n

The spokesperson noted that many buyers preferred natural diamonds for their geological rarity and the long-standing heritage of mined gemstones.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A bench jeweller crafts a natural diamond earring in a workshop. (ABC News: Yiying Li)<\/p>\n

In general, lab-grown diamonds are 30-70 per cent cheaper than natural ones per carat.<\/p>\n

The price of lab-grown diamonds was expected to drop further as production capacity increases, the JAA said.<\/p>\n

Therefore, synthetic diamonds should not be considered investment stones and must be marketed accordingly, and retailers’ clear disclosure remains paramount, the association said.<\/p>\n

Do lab-grown diamonds have a future in Australia?<\/p>\n

Experts say yes, with younger consumers being the main driving force.<\/p>\n

Millennials and gen Z would drive virtually all luxury market growth going forward, said Marty Hurwitz, a co-founder of the Global Diamond Trade Organisation (GDTO).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Marty Hurwitz says the market for lab-grown diamonds could reach as much as 70 per cent by the end of 2026. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“These buyers prize sustainability, transparency, and digital fluency \u2014 values that are already reshaping every corner of discretionary spending,” Mr Hurwitz said.<\/p>\n

“Our research estimates show the current retail market share between 50-60 per cent in favour of lab-grown diamonds in Australia.”<\/p>\n

He said it could reach as much as 70 per cent by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n

Synthetic diamonds were also increasingly used in watchmaking and other design applications, the JAA noted.<\/p>\n

The association added that sustainability and responsible sourcing were also influencing purchasing decisions in younger Australians.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A miner shows an estimated 5 to 7-carat diamond found near an Angolan village. (Getty Images: Olivier Polet\/Corbis)<\/p>\n

However, the JAA said it was important to recognise that natural diamond mining supported local employment and communities in several developing nations.<\/p>\n

Historically, so-called “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” had been used to help fund armed conflicts, particularly in Africa.<\/p>\n

Over the past couple of decades however there has been a concerted international effort to reduce trade in stones of dubious origin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What do jewellers think?<\/p>\n

Justin Linney, the creative director of Linneys, a natural diamond jeweller, has criticised some lab-grown diamond retailers for leveraging “market confusion” and providing “misleading information”.<\/p>\n

“The growth in synthetic diamond factories has been driven largely by the misleading marketing term ‘lab-grown diamonds’, when in reality these are synthetic by definition,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"Necklaces<\/p>\n

It should be a considered choice to buy natural or lab-grown diamond jewellery. (ABC News: Yiying Li)<\/p>\n

“For some consumers who thought they were purchasing a more environmentally friendly option they are now shocked to see the factory and conditions where these stones are produced.<\/p>\n

“And for consumers who purchased synthetic diamonds over the last few years as a cost-effective alternative, these stones have since lost considerable value.”<\/p>\n

While defending natural diamonds, Mr Linney has acknowledged the impact of lab-grown diamonds, saying his business has certainly seen a drop in sales of $4,000-8,000 diamond rings, where buyers in that market might be opting for synthetics.<\/p>\n

\"Lab-grown<\/p>\n

Different lab-grown diamond rings ranged from one to three carats on display. (ABC News: Yiying Li)<\/p>\n

Myrtle Polymenopoulos, the retail operations manager for Austen & Blake in Australia and New Zealand, which sells both natural and lab-grown diamonds, said lab-grown diamonds were not replacing natural diamonds but expanding the market instead.<\/p>\n

“Lab-grown diamonds are reshaping the world of jewellery,” Ms Polymenopoulos said.<\/p>\n

“They have made larger stones, distinctive settings or bespoke creations accessible without stretching a customer’s spend.<\/p>\n

“It should be a considered choice with consumers fully aware of the facts and, importantly, the origin of their diamond.”<\/p>\n

She added that it would come down to the customer’s perspective and priorities when deciding which kind of diamond to buy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The slogan of “a diamond is forever” \u2014 linking diamonds to everlasting love and ultimate commitment \u2014 has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369662,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99,24718,200214,200215,41947,200210,200211,200213,200212],"class_list":{"0":"post-369661","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-diamonds","12":"tag-high-pressure-high-temperature","13":"tag-jeweller","14":"tag-jewellery","15":"tag-laboratory-grown-diamonds","16":"tag-man-made-diamonds","17":"tag-natural-diamonds","18":"tag-synthetic-diamonds"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}