Lab Diamonds v Natural Diamonds
New York | September 5, 2025
A take many don’t want to hear.
Hot take from a Graduate Gemologist student— as someone who has spent a couple of years dedicated to the best natural stones in the world, there is no debate between lab diamonds and natural diamonds. While there certainly is a market for labs, I think lab-grown diamonds are a wonderful alternative for those who are finding an intersection between budget, looks, and a meaningful symbol. 100% respect it. One should never sacrifice necessities for wants. However, I’ve never looked at diamonds and gemstones as something just to buy. On my first day working in jewelry, I was shown close to a hundred of the world’s rarest stones. I was just happy to dedicate some of my hours to them.
When I look at natural stones… I see nature’s marvels—anomalies, the perfect amount of time, pressure, heat, & talent that it takes before it’s even ready to be seen by a consumer. A limited natural resource. It’s a common misconception. “De Beers had a monopoly; diamonds aren’t even rare.” De Beers NEVER had a monopoly over gemstone-grade diamonds. They had a monopoly over industrial-grade diamonds. They had a single-channel market for about a century, which officially ended in 1996 with the collapse of their relationship with the Argyle Mine in Australia, which was the number one producer of diamonds in the world at the time. By then, ALROSA, the single entity that united the mines in Russia, had risen to the third-largest diamond producer. De Beers was the first major, but it certainly was not the only.
In my opinion, a natural diamond is far more interesting to observe, even if flawed, than the most perfect lab-grown diamond. Sure, it’s cool that a lab can reproduce the conditions and get the “same” result. I do own a few lab-grown diamonds for my everyday jewelry! But there IS a difference. To a trained eye, even simple machines can be detected. Despite popular belief, natural diamonds can be mined ethically. I’m currently in a geology-heavy chapter of my textbook, and it makes me appreciate nature that much more.
Life Update: I bought my first personal loose gemstone! It’s a colored gemstone of the Tourmaline species. Through the looking glass, what do you see?
Fun Fact: Something a gemologist taught me… There are actual dinosaur bones that mineralize to gemstone quality. They’re called gembone!
An Opinion by Michelle Lee
Written with Honey
