Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Hold Their Value?
It's one of the most common concerns we hear from engagement ring shoppers: if I buy a lab-grown diamond, will it hold its value? It's a fair question, and we'd rather give you an honest answer than a reassuring one.
The honest answer
Lab-grown diamonds have seen significant price decreases over the past several years, and mined diamonds haven't been immune either. As the technology has improved and scaled, production cost has dropped, and that's been reflected in retail prices.
So if your primary goal is investment and resale value, neither lab-grown nor mined diamonds are likely to be your best vehicle. The resale market for diamonds generally returns a fraction of retail price regardless of origin.
But is that the right frame?
Most engagement ring buyers, when they're honest with themselves, aren't buying primarily as an investment. They're buying something meaningful to mark a milestone. Viewed through that lens the value question looks different.
A lab-grown diamond lets you buy a larger, better-graded stone for the same budget as a smaller mined diamond. You might spend $5,000 on a 0.8ct mined diamond, or the same amount on a 1.5ct lab-grown with comparable colour and clarity. Which represents better value?
What drives the price drop?
The cost of producing lab-grown diamonds has dropped substantially as the technology has matured. More producers entering the market has increased supply and put downward pressure on prices. This isn't a bubble bursting. It's a new technology maturing, the way solar panels and LED lighting did.
The value that isn't financial
What an engagement ring is worth to the couple wearing it has nothing to do with resale markets. A lab-grown diamond in a solid 18K gold setting, made to your exact specifications, is a lasting object regardless of what it might fetch second-hand a decade from now.
If you're looking for financial diversification, there are better places to put your money. If you're looking for something to wear every day that marks a commitment, a lab-grown diamond engagement ring does that job well.
Every ring we make at Una Diamond is handcrafted to order in solid 18K gold or platinum.
Further reading
- Lab-grown vs mined diamonds: full cost comparison
- Debunking myths about lab-grown diamonds
- Lab-grown diamonds and the diamond supply chain
Explore Una Diamond Engagement Rings
Every Una Diamond ring is handcrafted to order in solid 18K gold or platinum and delivered in around six weeks. Centre stones of one carat and up are IGI certified:
- The Georgina, oval-cut solitaire
- The Celina, east-west emerald cut
- The Nova, toi et moi with pear and emerald
- Solitaire rings
- Oval cut rings
- 18K yellow gold rings
- Browse all rings