Lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) have been the talk of the jewellery industry for quite some time now. Even though the history of lab-grown diamonds first started back in the 19th century, the first one was created by General Electric in 1954. That diamond, however, was too small to be of the gem quality. By the 80s and 90s researchers were making progress in the processes of making a lab-grown diamonds, and in 2000s first startups started to emerge. In the beginning, first lab-grown diamonds were strictly used in the fashion jewellery as they were considered a cheap alternative to the real gem. It wasn’t until 2010s that they gained popularity, making their way onto the red carpets, celebrity ring fingers, and started to be adopted by the mass market due to technological advancements, ethical considerations, and affordability. Nonetheless, nowadays high jewellery maisons have started to incorporate lab-grown diamonds in their product offering which brings me to a question: Are lab-grown diamonds a disruptive force in high jewellery, or are they a natural evolution of the industry?
When it comes to high jewellery pieces, they are one-of-a-kind pieces, fully customized treasures that bring a customer’s personal style to a completely different level. It all goes to say that high jewellery pieces are more expensive than the fine jewellery pieces offered in every store, such as Cartier’s Love Bracelet and Van Cleef’s Alhambra creations. However, it is not only the price that gives value to these pieces. What really stands out, is the meticulous craftsmanship, the innovation, and creativity infused into every design, along with the finishing and polishing which is far superior in the haute joailleire rather than in the fine jewelery segment. This results in hundreds, if not thousands, of hours dedicated to crafting a single piece. Moreover, it is the rarity of the stones that creates the desirability and exclusivity because gems like those used in high jewellery are hard to find, and they are usually one in a million treasures that likely won’t be found again for years. Consequently, noone will be able to recreate the piece even if they wanted to. The rarity of these gems is arguably one of the most important, if not the most important element when it comes to creating high jewellery pieces. That being said, every high jewellery design is truly a work of art, and something that those who can, collect – just as one would collect paintings.
As the landscape of high jewellery continues to evolve, a new generation of consumers is redefining what luxury means, placing value not only on rarity and craftsmanship but also on sustainability and innovation. Even though historically speaking, the diamond prices have been balanced by the supply, during the Covid-19 pandemic the supply chain was disrupted, marriages and engagement delayed, and diamond prices rose more than it was expected. Another trend that has shaped the industry in the recent trends were Gen Z consumers entering the market for fine jewellery. And just like with everything else, Gen Z is asking for supply chain traceability and more sustainable alternative to the mined diamond, resulting in the ever increasing popularity of the synthetic diamonds. This shift in preferences is driving the growing market share of lab-grown diamonds across all segments. Celebrities like Meghan Markle, Emma Watson, Paris Jackson, and more were all seen wearing pieces that were created using man-made stones. Paris Jackson even comissioned Jean Dousset, a great-great-grandson of Louis Cartier, to create for her an engagement ring specifically from a lab-grown diamond. Dousset’s own jewellery brand even has a collection made solely from LGDs, that he does not see as an alternative, but as the future of the industry. Even though initially, the luxury haute joailleire maisons were against natural diamonds, over the years the sentiment has changed, and even DeBeeres launched its (doomed) LGD brand, Lightbox. LVMH maison has created their own lab-grown diamond, too. In 2023, Fred took a bold and innovative step and launcehd a blue synthetic diamond called Audacious Blue. The vivid hue of the Maison’s unique Riviera blue captured all the intense shades of the French Riviera sea, its reflections of the sun, the movement of the waves, and the radiant luminosity. This growing acceptance of lab-grown diamonds by both consumers and luxury maisons alike marks a pivotal shift in the high jewellery industry.
With the rising popularity of lab-grown diamonds, technological and aesthetic advancements are pushing the boundaries of what these stones can offer. Man-made diamonds have the same physical, chemical, and optical characteristics as mined diamonds, to the naked eye the difference does not exist. The only difference is in the origin, while a mined diamond was formed 1-3 billion years ago, the lab-grown one could have been made a day ago. However, from the technical aspect, it was proved that LGDs are ten times more durable than the natural diamonds. Possibly one of the most interesting aspects of lab-grown diamonds is that they do not constraint the craftsmen in rarity and price, allowing for more creativity than ever, accoding to Dousset. “We get to experiment with bolder designs, larger stones, and unexpected settings without the usual limitations.” He even crafted a ring to commemorate Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Cowboy Carter—a dazzling 3.94-carat lab-grown diamond. It did not have a conventional cut like emerald or oval, instead the diamond was artfully shaped into a silhouette of a horse’s head, and Dousset did not exclude the any of the details, including the ears. The size of the diamonds is not the only characteristic that artisans would get to play around with, colored diamonds are a whole world of their own. We could take the Fred’s Audacious Blue diamond as an example. The diamond created weighted 8.88 carats, to symbolize the founder’s birthday in August 1908, and the first Fred store opening in the 8th arrondisement in Paris. The color as well was special to the founder, as it reminded him of the Mediterranean sea, changing and sparkling as the sun moved. The final stone was created from a rough stone weighting around 36 carats. The final color-grading given to this stone was fancy-vivid greenish blue, with a VS clarity. To make you understand how rare that is, a GIA analyst estimated that 0.02% of all mined diamonds are blue, and according to GIA 1 in 10,000 natural diamonds has a fancy color (fancy-vivid is higher grading), with blue diamonds being one of the rarest. All of this is to say that, coloured diamonds are now more than ever accessible to designers, and not only that, but they are also available in any size or shape they want. Giving the artists freedom to get more creative, push the boundaries of craftsmanship to new levels, and give new meanings to the precious gems, like this Maison did with the Audacious Blue collection.
It is not all nice and dandy when it comes to LGDs. There are different studies conducted and many reports published (some of them by associations representing largest diamond producers like DeBeers and Alrosa) that do not agree on the sustainability aspects, but some things are sure. Firstly, the mined diamond traceability is uncomparable to the traceability of lab-grown diamonds. Kimberley Process, established in early 2000s to reduce the trade in conflict diamonds, seems to have been left stuck in those years. Over the years, the definition of a conflict diamond has evolved beyond the diamond funding an armed group trying to overthrow legitimate government. Diamond mining has many times been connected to human rights abuse, and what’s more, down the supply chain after a diamond has been cut and polished, it gets mixed with other diamonds, some that potentially have not been traced by the Kimberley Process. The result is that some famous jewellery companies cannot account for the countries of origin for ALL of their diamonds, only for some. Secondly, the greenhouse gas emissions released from production of man-made diamonds can be significantly reduced if the renewable energy sources are used, which is what most of the LGD startups do. Lastly, the environmental impact of mined diamonds extends beyond gas emissions. Polluted water resources that local communities rely on, destroyed habitats, and tonnes of earth shifted for every carat mined are also significant effects that need to be taken into account. The Tiffany CEO in 2015 wrote that only a “few industries in the world would have a larger environmental and social footprint than mining”.
Finally, when it comes to high jewellery an important factor are not only the maisons, but also the auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. While we can’t say for sure what the future holds, there are some promising trends when it comes to LGDs in high jewellery. In one of their past auctions, Christie’s featured a 4.04 carat diamond that was created in a lab, and Sotheby’s has acknowledged an increasing demand for man-made diamonds due to the ethical and sustainability aspects. While every customer would agree with the positive ethical and sustainability sides of the lab-grown diamonds, not everyone would be prepared to tradeoff the history and rarity of a mined diamond that account for exclusivity and desirability, as well as the price. On the other hand, without lab-grown diamonds, the Fred Maison would have never been able to create a collection like the Audacious Blue, simply because they would not be able to find that many blue diamonds in the nature. Ultimately, the rise of lab-grown diamonds is reshaping the high jewelry landscape, challenging tradition while unlocking new possibilities for creativity, sustainability, and accessibility. Whether they are seen as a disruptive force or a natural evolution of the industry, one thing is clear: lab-grown diamonds are here to stay, sparking a new chapter in the world of haute joaillerie.
Sources:
https://henrimaillardet.com/what-is-high-jewellery/
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/complete-guide-to-collecting-high-jewelry-or-haute-joaillerie
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200207-the-sparkling-rise-of-the-lab-grown-diamond
https://www.essence.com/fashion/lab-grown-diamonds-trend/
https://www.brilliantearth.com/lab-diamond/buying-guide/when-did-lab-grown-diamonds-start/
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/brief-history-of-lab-grown-diamonds/
https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/12376-the-first-lvmh-lab-grown-diamond-high-jewelry-is-here
https://www.vogue.com/article/lab-grown-diamonds-debate?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.bulgari.com/en-int/high-jewellery/aeterna
