The Economics of Lab-Grown

(diamonds.net) - On the surface, the price of lab-grown has fallen sharply in recent years. In 2021, the average retail price of a polished synthetic diamond was only 30% of the equivalent natural stone, down from 35% in 2020, according to Bain & Company’s latest annual report on the diamond sector. At the wholesale level, prices have slid to 14% of their natural counterparts, compared with 20% in 2020, the consulting firm estimates. Jeweler Zulu Ghevriya confirms that today’s prices are lower than they were two years ago. The cofounder of New York-based brand Smiling Rocks, which specializes in synthetic-diamond jewelry, says he buys lab-grown at about an 85% to 90% discount to the Rapaport Price List for natural diamonds. But while some lab-grown categories have plummeted in value, others are more stable or even increasing. Those with downward trends are seeing the declines flatten, and the prices that consumers pay are, by and large, holding up. “The lab-grown diamond industry is performing at its own pace,” says Ghevriya. “I think [as] the industry [becomes more] mature, the prices are [stabilizing] in every sector, from small to big sizes.” Generally speaking, the market is splitting into high-quality and lower-end goods. And these two distinct markets have very different selling structures that affect the way their pricing works.