Lab grown diamonds were supposed to be the big disruptor. Same sparkle, same structure, same durability as mined diamonds , but cheaper. And they are cheaper, no doubt. A one carat lab diamond can cost 40 to 70 percent less than a mined one. But here’s the question people keep asking: if they’re made in a lab, why are they still so expensive?
The Cost of Making a Diamond
The first thing to understand is that growing a diamond isn’t like pressing a button and waiting for a crystal to pop out. It takes extremely advanced technology. High pressure, high temperature machines or plasma reactors mimic the exact conditions that create diamonds underground. These machines are expensive to run. They need huge amounts of energy and constant monitoring. The process can take weeks before a rough diamond is ready to cut. All of that adds up.
Quality Control
Not every lab diamond that comes out of the chamber is perfect. Some have visible inclusions, odd colors, or grow unevenly. The ones that don’t make the cut get discarded or sold at a lower grade. That means the flawless, colorless, high clarity diamonds still carry a premium , just like natural ones. People want the “best” sparkle, and perfection costs money.
Branding and Perception
There’s also the marketing side. Lab diamonds may be cheaper than mined, but they’re still sold as luxury items. Jewelers position them as fine jewelry, not costume jewelry. And because consumers are willing to pay, the prices stay high. Luxury pricing is rarely just about cost. It’s about what people believe the piece is worth.
Cutting and Craftsmanship
Even if the diamond is grown in a lab, it still has to be cut and polished by skilled artisans. That part of the process hasn’t changed. Whether mined or lab grown, cutting a diamond requires precision, expertise, and time. And that labor cost is built into the final price.
Why Prices Will Keep Dropping
That said, lab diamonds are already on a downward trend. The more labs that open, the more supply there is. As technology improves and production scales up, the costs will fall. What feels expensive now may not feel the same five or ten years from today. Some experts even believe lab diamonds will eventually stabilize close to the cost of production plus cutting, not far above.
So Why Buy Them Now?
Even at today’s prices, lab diamonds are still a more affordable option compared to mined stones. More importantly, they come without the ethical baggage. No blood diamonds, no destructive mining. Buyers get the same look and feel without the heavy history. And for many, that alone makes them worth the price tag.
Final Thoughts
Lab grown diamonds aren’t cheap because diamonds, in general, aren’t cheap. Between technology, energy, labor, cutting, and the way the industry positions them, the prices stay high. But they’re still cheaper than natural stones and far more accessible. Over time, as the industry grows, the gap will only widen. The sparkle is the same, the story is different, and the future is clearly pointing towards lab grown.