Lab-grown diamond prices have fallen every year since 2018, and 2026 is no exception. The reasons are structural, not a temporary discount.
1. Capacity keeps growing
CVD and HPHT reactors are industrial equipment. As producers add capacity in China and India, the cost per carat falls. Unlike mining, there is no geological constraint — the limit is capital and energy.
2. Retail margins are still wide
The wholesale price of a lab-grown stone can be a small fraction of the retail price in a jewellery store. That gap is margin, not manufacturing cost. It is also why two retailers can quote very different prices for a similar stone.
3. There is no meaningful resale market
Second-hand lab-grown stones trade at a steep discount because supply is abundant and buyers compare against new. If you buy at retail and try to sell, expect a large loss. That is not a scandal; it is what happens when a manufactured product becomes cheaper every year.
4. Certification is now standard
IGI reports used to be a differentiator; now they are table stakes. That removed a price premium and pushed competition onto the stone itself.
What it means for buyers
- Buy for the ring, not the investment. A lab-grown stone is a beautiful object, not an asset.
- Compare millimetres, not carats. Two 1.5 ct stones can differ visibly in spread.
- Ask when the stone was priced. Old inventory can be priced above the current market.
- Do not expect to trade up. A jeweller will not usually accept a lab-grown stone against a mined one.
What it means for sellers
Holding lab-grown inventory is risky; the same stone is worth less next year. Manufacturers who cut to order, as we do, carry less of that risk — which is one reason we quote rather than list a fixed price on every design.
The honest summary
Prices will probably keep falling. If you want a large, well-graded stone at a fraction of mined cost, this is the best moment in the market's short history — as long as you are buying a ring, not a portfolio. Loose lab-grown diamonds →
The people who cut the stones and set the rings. We publish what we can verify on our own bench, and link to the certificate or the guide when a number needs a source.
