Trending in 2023: Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry
In recent years, lab-grown diamonds have been trending upwards and continue to corner a bigger share of the market. 2023 promises to see the demand increase yet again. Since lab-grown diamonds continue to gain favor, it’s only natural that lab-grown diamond jewelry is expected to see a parallel rise in popularity.
There are a few reasons behind the change. Lab-grown diamonds come in at a lower price point, allowing people to buy higher-quality stones without going over budget. Traditional diamond mining raises a lot of ethical concerns and dilemmas, too, and many people want to buy ethically-sourced products. There’s a lot to love about lab-grown diamond jewelry and those benefits shine just as much as the stones themselves!
What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. It’s a commonly-posed question with a very simple answer. They’re every bit as real as natural diamonds mined from the Earth. The only difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds is just where they have formed. Are they grown in a lab by humans or were they plucked from the Earth’s crust? The differences begin and end with that answer. The real reason lab-grown diamonds have been trending in the engagement ring market is their steep decrease in price from their natural diamond counterparts. Why are their prices so low? The answer can also be explained by how natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are formed.
Natural diamonds take billions of years to form; when carbon beneath the Earth’s crust is exposed to intense heat and pressure, it eventually forms a rough diamond. Once that diamond travels closer to the surface, it’s mined, refined, polished, and eventually look like the stones you see in engagement rings and other types of jewelry.
On the other hand, lab-grown diamonds are formed in one of two ways: High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT), or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both methods recreate the conditions found in nature but transfer them into a laboratory setting.
HPHT Method
This method applies extreme heat and pressure to a carbon seed. The pure carbon that forms around the seed makes the “rough diamond” and the process is complete within anywhere from several days to a few weeks compared to the billion years a natural diamond requires.
CVD Method
This process is slower and less intense than HPHT, resulting in a lab-grown diamond in 6 to 12 weeks. Extreme heat is applied to a diamond seed, hydrogen and methane are introduced, and pure carbon attaches to the seed. A larger diamond is eventually formed.
Once a lab-grown diamond forms, its appearance and composition are identical to a natural, mined diamond. Their chemical makeups are the same! They’re also graded with the same scale as mined diamonds, so you’re not sacrificing appearance or durability. Lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds are evaluated for the same Four C’s – Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.
Trending Earrings
Earrings are a classic way to display lab-grown diamonds. Regardless of which style you prefer, there’s always room for diamonds. Keep things classy and understated with some studs or go for some drama and sparkle with drop earrings or hoops!
Studs
Stud earrings are simple, minimalist earrings that work in any setting—pun intended. They’re perfect to wear to work or dress up any type of outfit, especially if you don’t want your earrings to overpower the rest of your look. Stud earrings typically have a single stone (in this case, a lovely lab-grown diamond) attached to a post. Push it through your ear, attach the back, and you’re ready to go!
2.38 carat TW Lab-Grown Diamond GIA Graded 6-Prong Studs
Drop Earrings
Drop earrings do exactly what the name implies. They “drop” below your earlobe and usually have a stone, bead, or something else attached at the bottom. They don’t have as much movement as dangle earrings, but they’re a wonderful way to display a lab-grown diamond.
3 Carat TW Lab-Grown Cushion Diamond Drop Earrings GIA
Hoops
There are several different styles of hoop earrings and they all have room for diamonds! Huggie hoops are the smallest type of hoops and sit flush against the earlobe. From there, hoops only increase in size. In 2023, we’re seeing larger hoops more in style, giving a lot of space for displaying lab-grown diamonds.
2.80 carat Pear Shape Lab Diamond “Inside-Out” Hoop Earrings
Trending Bracelets
From chic and elegant to chunky and eye-catching, bracelets are versatile and easy to fit into any personal style. There are a couple of particularly trendy choices that just so happen to be excellent canvases for lab-grown diamonds.
Tennis Bracelets
Tennis bracelets consist of a single, simple line of diamonds connected by a chain. They’re elegant, easy to pair with any outfit, and are welcome at black-tie events, work, and nights out. Tennis bracelets got their name in 1978 after Chris Evert, a famous tennis player, lost her diamond line bracelet in the middle of the US Open. When she stopped the match to look for it, she referred to the bracelet as her “tennis bracelet” and thus the name was born.
2.90 carat Lab-Grown Diamond Tennis Bracelet
Chain Bracelets
Think minimalist and straightforward. Simple, chain bracelets don’t have to be complicated. They might feature a single stone or a small line of them. Because the design isn’t complex, every feature counts.
Bezel Set Lab Diamond Emerald Cut Bracelet
Trending Necklaces
It’s difficult to think of a more glamorous way to display a lab-grown diamond than a stunning necklace. Necklaces allow your stone to reflect and catch the light, dazzling everyone lucky enough to see it. A well-made necklace elevates any outfit and lets you get the most out of your favorite scoop-neck shirt or that new little black dress you fell in love with. While there are countless styles of necklaces to choose from, these two classics are a great place to start: tennis necklaces and pendants.
Tennis Necklaces
All things “tennis” are back in style. Tennis necklaces have a solid, unbroken strand of diamonds set on a chain that encircles the neck. The Tennis style is on the shorter side and usually measures somewhere between 16” and 18”.
6.55 carat TW Lab Diamond Illusion Set Tennis Necklace
Pendants
If you have a showstopping single diamond or stone you’re excited to display, a pendant necklace is a perfect choice. With this style, a diamond charm hangs down from the center of your necklace, either soldered to the chain or hanging from a bale. Length for pendant necklaces varies, so it all depends on where you want your diamond to sit.
1.5 carat Lab-Grown Emerald Cut Diamond Bezel Set Pendant GIA
Are Your Jewelry Preferences Trending?
If you’re ready to add a lab-grown diamond (or several) to your collection, now is the time. They’re every bit as beautiful as natural diamonds and can be used in any style of jewelry. At Lauren B, we can create and customize nearly any piece of jewelry using lab-grown diamonds, so the only limit is your imagination! If you need inspiration or are ready to do some shopping, take a peek at our LAB Jewels inventory to see just how striking lab-grown diamonds can be!