When we think of luxury, the things that usually come to mind are haute couture pieces, elevated hotel suites, and the best gastronomic creations crafted by the world’s noted culinary masters. But for many, dominating the list are tiny special trinkets made of precious metals and stones—jewelry.
Forged by nature and crafted by man, jewelry is among the many beautiful—and expensive—things that merge the planet and man’s creativity. They are the ultimate finishing touch to an outfit for fashionistas and the pièce de résistance for any luxury collector. Jewelry items come in different forms and feature a variety of gems. But the most coveted of all are ones made with natural diamonds.
According to an episode of Netflix’s “Explained,” many of the natural diamonds we see today are billions of years old. Their creation predates the time of dinosaurs, making them truly special. Depending on carat, color, and clarity, some natural diamonds can be rare. It is also known as the hardest natural material on Earth, that’s why, for many couples, they chose it to mark their love for each other.
While diamonds are seen as a symbol of passionate love, their image has also been associated with years of war, conflict, and slavery in many nations. But still, our preference for naturally mined diamonds continues until today, with many couples sealing their I-dos with a ring dotted with the prized gem.
Unfortunately, natural diamonds face a threat with the rise of a familiar enemy, the lab-grown diamonds. Also known as “man-made diamonds” or “eco-diamonds,” lab-grown diamonds were first introduced in the 1950s. According to the Gemological Institute of America, there are two main processes in making lab-grown diamonds. First is the High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT), where the conditions of making natural diamonds are mimicked in the laboratory with pressures of 5 to 6 gigapascals at temperatures reaching up to 1300 to 1600°C. The other one is the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), where scientists use moderate temperatures and lower pressures in growing a diamond. In a vacuum chamber, carbon-containing gas is pumped and deposited onto a diamond seed. As it crystallizes, lab-grown diamonds are made. But setting those scientific procedures aside, natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical, optical and physical properties, and crystal structure. The only thing that sets them apart is their origin.
Although they are nearly identical (with scientific tests and equipment needed to see their difference) and more achievable price-wise, these synthetic diamonds weren’t a hit then. But with the changes in today’s consumer attitude and demands for more eco-friendly options, the industry is bound to follow. After ditching leather and other animal-sourced materials, eliminating processes that pollute the planet's water, and adopting a circular business model, many luxury brands see the next step for a planet-positive fashion on lab-created diamonds. And it looks like they have a growing market now.
As per Google Trends’ recent report, searches for engagement rings spike during the holiday season. It states that “lab-grown diamonds surpassed natural diamonds in 2019 and has been on the rise since,” in terms of online searches.
Fred Jewelry, a Parisian brand under luxury conglomerate LVMH, produced a high jewelry set made with blue lab-grown diamonds and natural white diamonds last September. Prada was one of the first to create a jewelry line that features lab-grown diamonds in the luxury department with the launch of its “Eternal Gold” collection.
Before the end of October, international Filipino designer Monique Lhuillier also debuted her lab-grown diamond jewelry collection together with Kay Jewelers. For her, using lab-grown diamonds allowed designers to be more creative as they could acquire stones in larger carats, different colors, and great brilliance.
Jumping into the trend is another Filipino designer Josie Natori. During the launch of her fall-winter 2023 collection “Orient Express,” she brought to the table her newest fine jewelry offerings that include pendants, rings, and earrings with man-made diamonds. This made her brand Nator one of the first major fashion labels to present lab-grown diamonds in the Philippines’ luxury fashion scene. Much like Monique, Josie liked the freedom lab-grown diamonds give to designers, as well as their sense of sustainability.
“At Natori, we embrace innovation and are excited to offer our customers an eco-friendly diamond alternative that’s just as flawless,” the designer said about her new jewelry line.
While luxury brands and designers are seeing lab-grown diamonds as the new wave in luxury jewelry, only time and people’s purchasing preferences will tell if these man-made sparklers are here to stay.
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