What's Next for Lab-Grown Diamonds

Lab-grown diamond seeds (Credit: De Beers / Lightbox)

National Jeweler: I'm honored to have contributed to National Jeweler’s State of the Majors Report, which dropped this week. My article explores the state of play for lab-grown diamonds in the U.S. jewelry market — a segment that's fast evolving and sparking strong opinions across the trade.

Retailers are taking varied approaches to lab-grown — some are separating it entirely from natural, others offering it as an alternative, and a few still steering clear. But one thing is clear: the cat’s out of the bag. Consumer awareness is growing, and there's no going back.

With pricing inconsistencies, high retail margins, and falling wholesale prices, disruption may be looming. We may even see a shift from bridal to fashion-led positioning.

Lab-grown is no longer niche. The question now is: how will the trade evolve with it?

• Read the piece: State of Diamonds: What’s Next for Lab-Grown Diamonds? 

• Explore the full report: The State of the Majors | 2025