(diamonds.net) - Two philosophies have emerged regarding how the lab-grown market will develop. The first sees synthetics in the same space as natural stones, graded according to carat size, cut, color and clarity, and priced at a discount to the equivalent natural diamond. That is how the market has evolved organically. The second ideology is the one De Beers has touted in releasing its Lightbox line. It recognizes that synthetics have their place in the market, but maintains that they are inherently different from natural diamonds. Those taking this view say lab-grown products should be assessed via quality assurance rather than grading, and priced at a markup to what it costs to make them, disregarding the 4Cs. The heart of the debate revolves around what a diamond is and what gives it value. The answers to those questions call for different selling propositions. Are synthetics simply a price-point product? Or are there branding opportunities that transcend price?
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13 october 2026
