Amid growing consumer confusion and greenwashed claims, these reports offer much-needed clarity. The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Facts Report cuts through misleading sustainability claims, revealing that over 70% of lab-grown diamonds are made in coal-reliant grids in China and India, often using mined materials and large volumes of water, sometimes in water-stressed regions. It also highlights how claims of being ‘carbon-neutral’ are often rooted in carbon offsetting, without reflecting the full life-cycle emissions. Additionally, key pillars of social sustainability like community development, are always missing from the lab-grown diamond narrative. While production costs for lab-grown diamonds have dropped by nearly 90%, their market prices have declined sharply, with 1.5-carat stones losing up to 86% of their value over the past decade.
Speaking about this report, Richa Singh, Managing Director, India and Middle East, Natural Diamond Council, says, “In India, where natural diamonds hold deep cultural and emotional significance, there is a growing need to address rising consumer curiosity and confusion. This report is part of NDC’s ongoing efforts to provide retailers and consumers with clear, validated information they can trust. Laboratory-Grown Diamond Facts Report brings attention to important considerations that should not be overlooked when making a purchase. Honest, fact-based education helps every segment find its space, while also reaffirming the irreplaceable legacy of natural diamonds.”
Key Insights from the Laboratory-Grown Diamond Facts Report:
This report provides critical context on how lab-grown diamonds differ from natural ones—across origin, terminology, sustainability claims, and market trends.
1. How They’re Made: Lab-grown diamonds are created in controlled factory environments over weeks, using two primary methods—HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) and CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition). These differ significantly from the natural formation process that occurs over billions of years underground.
2. Clear Terminology Matters: As per ISO 18323 standards, correct terms include laboratory-grown, laboratory-created, or synthetic diamonds. Terms like real, natural, genuine, and precious are reserved exclusively for Earth-mined diamonds.
3. Sustainability Claims Require Full Context: Generalised claims such as ‘carbon-neutral’ or ‘eco-friendly’ often rely on offsets and may not account for the full energy-intensive production process and supply chain impact.
4. Rapidly Declining Prices: The market value of lab-grown diamonds has dropped sharply, falling 86% in a decade. A 1.5-carat lab-grown diamond that cost $10,750 in 2015 is priced at just $1,455 in 2025.
In a world shaped by endless choice, clarity becomes the true differentiator. Natural Diamond Council remains committed to cutting through noise with facts, helping people find meaning in what truly lasts.