"Marketed as an alternative to mined diamonds, lab-grown stones are growing in popularity among engaged couples, taking some of the shine from mined or natural diamonds, which have traditionally dominated the market. When Toronto residents Daniel Ng and Olivia Chan were ring-shopping in 2024, choosing a lab-grown diamond was an easy decision, largely because of the significant price difference compared to a natural stone. Experts say a lab-grown diamond can cost 90 per cent less than its natural equivalent."
"But a Marketplace investigation found that virtually identical lab-grown diamonds are being sold at vastly different prices, raising questions about whether some consumers are paying far more than they need to. CBC journalists bought two lab-grown diamonds, one from leading online jewelry retailer Blue Nile and the other from a vendor on the online marketplace Alibaba.com. Both diamonds had the same features: one carat, D-colour, ideal cut, VS1 clarity and round shape."
"The Blue Nile diamond cost $1,639.23 Cdn, including shipping and taxes. The diamond purchased from Alibaba cost $228.86, all-in. Marketplace reviewed prices at other online retailers and found comparable stones listed for as much as $1,500 before fees and taxes. Ng said the price he paid for Chan's ring felt like a good deal. He proposed with a D-colour, 2.33-carat, VVS2 lab-grown diamond in May 2025, and said the entire ring cost less than $6,000 Cdn."
Lab-grown diamonds are becoming more popular with engaged couples because they can cost far less than mined stones, sometimes up to 90% cheaper. Production costs are falling and availability is increasing, which has driven wider consumer adoption, especially among younger buyers. Identical lab-grown diamonds with the same carat, colour, cut and clarity are being listed at very different prices across online sellers. Examples include one-carats with D-colour, ideal cut and VS1 clarity priced from about $228.86 to $1,639.23 Cdn, and comparable listings reaching roughly $1,500 before fees.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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