In the heart of London, Queensmith has built its reputation on creating jewellery that transcends fleeting trends. For many years, natural diamonds have dominated the luxury market. Yet, today’s discerning clients are challenging long-held assumptions about what luxury really means. With environmental concerns and ethical issues corrupting the market, luxury is no longer solely defined by scarcity – customers now seek innovation with good values.
There has been a recent rise in consumer demand for lab-grown diamonds, a breakthrough in fine jewellery that fuses the brilliance of technology with timeless beauty. At Queensmith, lab-grown diamonds are not “cheap alternatives” to mined stones, but an elevated, forward-looking choice for those who want exceptional design, unparalleled purity, and the assurance of ethics.
What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds created in a laboratory setting rather than formed naturally in the Earth. They have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical properties as mined diamonds, and both are pure carbon in a crystalline form.
Two main methods replicate the conditions under which natural diamonds form:
- High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT): A diamond seed is exposed to intense heat and pressure, causing carbon to crystallise around it.
- Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD): Carbon-rich gases are broken down in a vacuum chamber, allowing carbon atoms to deposit and grow on a diamond seed layer by layer.
Comparison to Mined Diamonds
- Quality: Lab-grown diamonds can be produced with fewer impurities and consistent quality, though both types are graded on the same scale (the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, carat).
- Appearance: To the naked eye, lab-grown and mined diamonds look identical. Only advanced gemological equipment can distinguish them.
- Durability: Both are equally hard and just as resistant to scratching, chipping, and wear.
Luxury Reimagined – Sustainability & Ethics
Lab-grown diamonds requires no mining, meaning they avoid the destruction of ecosystems and the displacement of communities. Their production also comes with a significantly lower carbon footprint, especially when renewable energy is used or the carbon used throughout creation is offset, creating carbon-neutral lab diamonds. For clients who demand accountability, lab-grown stones are unmatched.
By avoiding destructive mining practices, excessive water use, and many of the human rights issues tied to traditional supply chains. Many brands provide digital certificates or blockchain “passports” to ensure transparency. Beyond ethics, lab diamonds unlock new design possibilities: consistent purity, custom colours, larger sizes, and experimental cuts that would be rare or impossible in nature.
Luxury Consumers vs Luxury Industry
A common misconception is that lab-grown diamonds are simply less expensive versions of mined stones. While it is true that they often represent better value, lab-grown diamonds offer what mined diamonds cannot. They are structurally and chemically identical to natural ones, but the controlled environment of their creation consistently creates top clarity and colour diamonds.
According to a 2025 YouGov survey, over half (52%) of adults in the UK would be happy to receive a lab-grown diamond as an engagement ring, marking a sharp rise in preference over recent years. At the same time, luxury houses and traditional players are adapting: some introduce lab-grown lines, others stress the prestige of mined stones.
However, controversies still persist – it is still common for some to question the prestige, rarity, or resale value. Lab stones typically retain 30-40% of their purchase price on resale, much lower than natural diamonds, and the secondary market is underdeveloped.
Barriers include consumer scepticism about the value over time, and an emotional attachment to the idea of a natural diamond. Tradition plays a big role, and for many, mined diamonds carry heritage or status that lab-grown diamonds haven’t yet fully replaced. On the other hand, what’s coming next looks promising, as improvements in technology are only bridging the gap between natural and lab-made luxuries. There is also going to be tighter regulation and certification to ensure transparency and quality, in addition to shifting fashion trends that place ethics, sustainability, and personal values higher in what consumers want. As these advances continue, the luxury industry seems poised to accept lab-grown diamonds as mainstream components of high jewellery.
The Ethical Advantage
At the core of Queensmith’s ethos is the belief that love and celebration should never come at the expense of others or the planet. Traditional diamond mining has long been associated with environmental degradation, resource-intensive extraction, and troubling social consequences in certain regions.
Furthermore, by making high-carat stones more accessible, lab-grown diamonds empower our designers and clients to dream bigger. A statement piece set is no longer limited to the privileged few, and it becomes an attainable, ethical gift.
The result is a new era of design possibilities: clients can select from a greater variety of sizes, shapes, and cuts, all while upholding the values that matter most to them.
Conclusion: Luxury Without Compromise
Lab-grown diamonds represent an exciting evolution in jewellery that allows us to offer both unmatched beauty and peace of mind. In our view, true luxury is not only about what you wear but about what you stand for.
The rise of lab-grown diamonds is not a passing trend but a reflection of the values shaping tomorrow’s luxury market. Already, major cultural shifts show us that consumers are embracing innovation when it aligns with their ethics.
Choosing a lab-grown diamond is not about opting for less; it’s about demanding more – more transparency, more design freedom, more alignment with your values. It is about recognising that the future of luxury lies not in scarcity alone, but in integrity.
At Queensmith, we are proud to champion lab-grown diamonds as a pinnacle of modern luxury. In London, a city that has always embraced both tradition and progress, we invite our clients to join us in shaping a future where beauty and responsibility coexist seamlessly.
