For nearly a century, the natural diamond industry has sold us a romantic story, positioning their product as a timeless investment and a rare treasure. But this narrative, built on marketing, not reality, is crumbling fast. The idea of diamonds symbolising eternal love wasn't a natural evolution; it was a deliberate and brilliant campaign engineered by De Beers, the major natural diamond conglomerate. Starting in the 1930s, they monopolised the diamond supply and coined the famous slogan "A Diamond Is Forever," creating the modern engagement ring tradition and convincing generations that a diamond's worth was in its rarity, not its actual value.
To maintain control, the industry established a closed pricing system. A guide called the Rapaport Diamond Report serves as a benchmark for dealers, allowing the industry to keep prices artificially high. This manufactured system has created an over-inflated market with little connection to the stone's true value.
The Investment Fallacy
The honest truth is, diamonds are a poor financial asset. The moment you walk out of the store, a diamond's value plummets, often by more than 50%. This is because there's no transparent, regulated market for reselling used diamonds. With pricing controlled by private, industry-only services like the Rapaport Report, consumers have no way of knowing a diamond's true market value. Its value is also highly subjective, based on factors like cut and clarity, making it a depreciating asset designed to benefit dealers, not you.
A New Era of Diamonds
This false narrative is being exposed by the undeniable rise of lab grown diamonds. Unlike their natural counterparts, which are sold at prices dictated by a secretive and controlled market, lab grown diamonds are priced transparently based on their production cost. This honest pricing structure has had a seismic impact on the natural diamond market. In a stark sign of the times, De Beers, one of the biggest natural diamond conglomerates, recently reported a record loss of $189 million for the first half of 2025. The era of the natural diamond's dominance is over.
The Real Story Behind the Numbers
A recent survey by The Knot found that for the first time, over half of engagement rings purchased in 2024 featured a lab grown diamond. This isn't just a trend; it's a profound redefinition of consumer values. Younger generations, in particular, are prioritising ethical and sustainable sourcing, transparency, and value over the outdated "specialness" of a natural diamond. They're proving that a diamond's true brilliance isn't measured by a manufactured backstory but by a choice that aligns with their values.
The old guard is still pushing the narrative that a diamond's value comes from the time it takes to form in nature. But this is nonsense. Diamonds are loved for their radiance and durability, qualities that lab grown diamonds possess in equal measure. These aren't imitation gems; they are chemically and physically identical to their mined counterparts. The diamond industry is evolving before our eyes, and the future is about what's real, not what’s been romanticised.
Learn more about the high standards of our lab grown diamonds.
