According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, quoted by IDEX Online, the decreasing prices of lab-grown diamonds are causing some brides-to-be to feel embarrassed by the larger size of their engagement rings.
The prevalence of two, three, or even more carat lab-grown diamonds is growing, presenting couples with a challenging choice: do they pretend to afford a sizable natural diamond, or openly acknowledge the use of a lab-grown alternative?
Tenoris data reveals that the average retail price for a one-carat lab-grown diamond is now $1,426, a mere fraction of the cost of a comparable natural diamond, which is approximately $5,426.
Esther Hare, a former triathlete, shared with the Wall Street Journal that she upgraded from a half-carat natural diamond received from her husband 25 years ago to a 4.5-carat oval-shaped lab-grown diamond costing $40,000. However, she admitted, “A lot of times I won’t take it on vacation because it’s just a monster.”
Another bride, Tiffany Buchert, initially received a 2-carat lab-grown engagement ring from her now-husband, but she disliked it and eventually exchanged it for a 1-carat natural diamond at double the price.
