[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3j2y8qstgjjlc":3},{"_id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"subtitle":7,"kind":8,"cards":9,"tags":57,"categories":60,"source":62,"lang":65,"author":66,"audioState":69,"stats":70,"publishedAt":73,"renderer":74},"6abaa1d2ca21c797c7e9a1a8","supply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0","Supply glut, lab-grown alternatives: What's behind the fall of diamond prices to record lows","Natural diamonds have lost more than half of their value over the past five years.","news",[10,13,18,23,28,32,37,42,47,52],{"headline":11,"body":7,"imageUrl":12,"sourceImageUrl":12},"Supply glut, lab-grown alternatives: What's behind the fall of diamond prices…","https:\u002F\u002Fimage.cnbcfm.com\u002Fapi\u002Fv1\u002Fimage\u002F108367650-1790274853603-108367650-1790274789085-gettyimages-1240631460-INDIA_DIAMONDS.jpg?v=1790274862&w=1920&h=1080",{"headline":14,"body":15,"imageUrl":16,"images":17},"Several drivers are conspiring against diamonds, including a","Several drivers are conspiring against diamonds, including a glut of mined stones that hit the market over the past few years.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F1.webp",{"local":16},{"headline":19,"body":20,"imageUrl":21,"images":22},"And while attempts to clear out that oversupply","And while attempts to clear out that oversupply are underway, another trend is compounding the issue: a rise in lab-grown diamonds. Diamonds have lost much of their shine in recent years.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F2.webp",{"local":21},{"headline":24,"body":25,"imageUrl":26,"images":27},"Natural diamonds have lost more than half of","Natural diamonds have lost more than half of their value over the past five years. On average, a 1-carat stone now goes for $3,898, or 51% less than its average price of $8,007 in 2021, data from diamond trading platform Rapaport Group shows. The Diamond Standard Index, which tracks prices of so-called investment-grade diamonds, hit 2,490 in early August — its lowest level ever. This week, it was hovering just north of 2,500.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F3.webp",{"local":26},{"headline":14,"body":29,"imageUrl":30,"images":31},"Several drivers are conspiring against diamonds, including a glut of mined stones that has hit the market over the past few years. And while attempts to clear out that oversupply are underway, another trend is compounding the issue: a rise in lab-grown diamonds.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F4.webp",{"local":30},{"headline":33,"body":34,"imageUrl":35,"images":36},"\"There's a lot of doom and gloom about","\"There's a lot of doom and gloom about natural diamonds,\" Diamond Standard CEO Cormac Kinney told CNBC. \"There was a very large overhang of excess inventory back in 2023 and 2024 after excess production during Covid, and then [there's been] the falling sales due to the lab-grown [diamonds].\"","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F5.webp",{"local":35},{"headline":38,"body":39,"imageUrl":40,"images":41},"Lab-grown diamonds are gems with the same chemical","Lab-grown diamonds are gems with the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds that are produced by applying heat and pressure to carbon seeds or from carbon-containing gas in a vacuum chamber. Although they are grown above ground, they look and feel identical to stones that are formed deep within the Earth.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F6.webp",{"local":40},{"headline":43,"body":44,"imageUrl":45,"images":46},"The key difference between the two is price","The key difference between the two is price. A nearly colorless lab diamond with very, very slightly included clarity that has an excellent cut can go for $450 on Brilliant Earth's online marketplace, a CNBC search found. By comparison, a natural stone with the same specs falls in the range of $2,800 to $3,200. The price differential is due largely to how resource-intensive mining natural diamonds can be, as the process requires lots of fuel and labor.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F7.webp",{"local":45},{"headline":48,"body":49,"imageUrl":50,"images":51},"Lab-grown alternatives are priced lower than natural diamonds","Lab-grown alternatives are priced lower than natural diamonds at every carat weight, according to Brilliant Earth. A man-made stone can be priced as much as 90% lower than its mined equivalent, although the exact difference in price depends on the size, cut and color of a stone.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F8.webp",{"local":50},{"headline":53,"body":54,"imageUrl":55,"images":56},"This has led cash-strapped consumers to flock to","This has led cash-strapped consumers to flock to more affordable human-made diamonds in engagement and fashion jewelry, adding pressure on natural stone prices. Engagement rings with lab-grown center stones made up 61% of all engagement ring sales in 2025, up 239% since 2020, according to The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fsupply-glut-lab-grown-alternatives-whats-behind-the-fall-of-7f97def0\u002F9.webp",{"local":55},[58,59],"finance","markets",[61],"Business & Money",{"name":63,"url":64},"CNBC","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002F26\u002Fwhats-behind-the-fall-of-diamond-prices-to-record-lows.html","en",{"handle":67,"displayName":68},"spots","Spots","queued",{"views":71,"likes":72,"saves":72,"shares":72,"completions":72,"opens":72,"skips":72,"depthSum":72},3,0,"2026-09-28T17:20:18.885Z","local"]