A diamond ring—glittering, weighty, and usually mined from deep within the Earth—has been the ultimate emblem of romance and commitment for decades. Yet, in an age where values are shifting and sustainability matters more than sparkle alone, the lab-grown diamond is now a strong contender and stirring conversations. But, is a lab-grown diamond as meaningful as a traditional mined one? Would you feel differently if your engagement ring had a lab-grown diamond?
“Call me traditional,” Dima, a Beirut-based PR director, laughs. “But I like the idea of a stone that’s ancient. A lab diamond is perfect, yes, but isn’t love supposed to have a history? A lab diamond feels like a simulation.” When her sister got engaged with a 2-carat natural diamond passed down from their grandmother, Dima admits she felt a pang of nostalgia. “That ring has a history. A lab diamond? I respect the ethics, but to me, it lacks a soul.”
However, the choice between lab-grown and natural diamonds isn’t always clear-cut—it’s often tangled in emotional paradoxes. “If I’m proposed to with a lab-grown diamond, I wouldn’t like it,” Rakhi Tushir, an India-based PR manager, admits frankly. “I’ve already told my partner that only a natural diamond would do the magic.” But that clarity doesn’t come without complications. “And to be honest, I do feel guilty—because I’m also aware of how diamonds are mined and the child labour associated with it. There’s a sense of violation of values, and that’s hard to ignore.”
Remember Elizabeth Taylor’s dazzling collection, Audrey Hepburn gazing into Tiffany’s windows, and Marilyn Monroe singing Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend? Imagine if Hollywood’s most iconic jewels had been lab-grown–that question is at the heart of today’s jewellery renaissance. For some, lab-grown diamonds represent accessibility without compromise, opening the gates of luxury. Lab diamonds are often 50 to 70 per cent less…
