Laboratory-grown diamonds continued to reshape jewelry buying during 2025, according to research published by jewelry insurer BriteCo. The company’s findings point to a market in which lab-grown diamonds are no longer limited to a small group of price-conscious engagement-ring buyers. They now influence center-stone sizes, diamond shapes, non-bridal jewelry, precious-metal choices, appraisals, and insurance decisions.
The findings are significant, but they need to be interpreted carefully. BriteCo’s report is based on appraisal and insurance-related data collected through its business network. It is not a complete census of every diamond sold in the United States.
This guide explains what BriteCo found, what the numbers mean for buyers in 2026, and what consumers should verify before purchasing or insuring lab-grown diamond jewelry.
Quick answer: In BriteCo’s 2025 dataset, laboratory-grown diamonds represented 42.1% of diamond jewelry, 47.7% of engagement rings, and 22.4% of other diamond-jewelry categories. The average lab-grown engagement-ring center stone increased from 1.31 carats in 2019 to 2.45 carats in 2025.
For buyers in 2026, the main implications are greater design flexibility, lower prices for many comparable specifications, larger average stones, more options outside bridal jewelry, and a greater need to keep appraisals and insurance documentation current.
Key Takeaways
- BriteCo’s report analyzes data from March 1, 2019 through May 31, 2025.
- The findings reflect BriteCo’s appraisal and insurance ecosystem rather than every U.S. jewelry transaction.
- Lab-grown diamonds represented 47.7% of engagement rings in the company’s 2025 data.
- The average lab-grown engagement-ring center stone grew by 87% between 2019 and 2025.
- Oval became the most common lab-grown engagement-ring shape in BriteCo’s 2025 findings.
- Lab-grown diamonds also gained visibility in non-bridal jewelry such as tennis bracelets.
- A lab-grown diamond can generally be insured, but coverage depends on the policy, documentation, appraised replacement value, exclusions, and settlement terms.
- Replacement value, purchase price, and resale value are different measurements and should not be treated as interchangeable.
- Laboratory-grown origin does not automatically guarantee better quality, sustainability, or investment performance.
What Is the BriteCo Lab-Grown Diamond Report?
BriteCo is a jewelry and wedding-insurance agency that also provides an appraisal platform used by independent jewelers. Its report examines how purchases, appraisals, pricing, stone sizes, jewelry categories, and design preferences changed between 2019 and 2025.
According to the report’s methodology, BriteCo used data collected from March 1, 2019 through May 31, 2025. The company says personally identifiable information was anonymized.
The analysis draws on BriteCo’s appraisal and insurance-related data. This gives the report access to a substantial number of real jewelry records, but it also creates an important limitation: the findings primarily reflect jewelry that entered BriteCo’s ecosystem.
They should therefore be read as evidence of significant market direction—not as a complete measurement of all U.S. jewelry sales.
Readers can review BriteCo’s complete Lab-Grown vs. Natural Diamond Report and Rapaport’s independent summary of the findings.
BriteCo’s 2025 Findings at a Glance
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Important: These figures describe BriteCo’s dataset and report period. They are not permanent prices or universal percentages for every retailer and market.
What Does the Report Say About Lab-Grown Market Share?
BriteCo reported a substantial change between 2019 and 2025.
When the company began collecting data in 2019:
- 5.2% of diamond jewelry in its data was primarily lab-grown.
- 6.3% of engagement rings had a lab-grown center stone.
- 2.5% of non-engagement diamond jewelry was primarily lab-grown.
By the portion of 2025 covered by the report, those figures had increased to 42.1%, 47.7%, and 22.4%, respectively.
This does not mean that laboratory-grown diamonds have replaced natural diamonds. It indicates that the retail market has divided into increasingly distinct purchasing paths.
Some buyers prioritize natural origin, geological rarity, heritage, or an established secondary market. Others prioritize present-day size, design flexibility, and lower initial cost. Many consumers compare both categories before deciding.
What Happened to Lab-Grown Diamond Prices?
BriteCo connects lab-grown diamond adoption with improving manufacturing efficiency and expanding supply. Its report states that a one-carat laboratory-grown diamond averaged approximately $1,000 or less in 2025, compared with approximately $4,200 for a one-carat natural diamond.
Those numbers should not be interpreted as quotes for every one-carat diamond. Price varies according to:
- Shape
- Exact millimeter dimensions
- Cut quality
- Color
- Clarity
- Polish and symmetry
- Fluorescence
- Growth features and treatment
- Grading laboratory
- Retailer and brand
- Loose-stone versus finished-jewelry pricing
- Precious-metal weight and setting complexity
The most reliable approach is to compare current diamonds with broadly similar specifications on the same date. Historical percentages can become inaccurate quickly, particularly in the lab-grown category.
For a deeper discussion of current pricing factors, read the lab-grown diamond price guide for 2026.
Loose-diamond price versus complete-ring price
A loose diamond’s price is only one part of the finished purchase.
A complete ring may also include:
- Gold or platinum
- Accent diamonds
- Design and setting labor
- Hand-finishing
- Engraving or customization
- Grading and documentation
- Packaging and insured shipping
- Warranty or after-sales service
Buyers should avoid comparing a loose-stone average with the retail price of a completed ring.
Why Are Lab-Grown Center Stones Getting Larger?
BriteCo reported that the average lab-grown engagement-ring center stone increased from 1.31 carats in 2019 to 2.45 carats in 2025—an increase of approximately 87% by weight.
Lower stone pricing gives buyers several possible choices:
- Spend less overall
- Choose a larger center stone
- Move to a preferred color or clarity range
- Select a more detailed setting
- Add side stones or a matching band
- Allocate money toward insurance, travel, or other priorities
However, a larger diamond is not automatically a better purchase.
What to inspect when choosing a larger center stone
- Millimeter measurements: Carat measures weight, not visible diameter.
- Cut and proportions: Excessive depth can hide weight without increasing face-up size.
- Setting height: A high basket may catch on clothing or feel less practical.
- Band thickness: A very thin band may not visually or structurally balance a large center.
- Prongs or bezel: The setting should protect the stone’s outline and vulnerable corners.
- Wedding-band fit: A low setting may require a curved or contoured band.
- Daily comfort: Scale should suit the wearer’s hand and routine.
Explore lab-grown diamond rings to compare different stone sizes, shapes, metals, and settings.
Why Did Oval Become the Leading Lab-Grown Shape?
BriteCo identified oval as the most popular lab-grown engagement-ring shape in its 2025 findings.
Oval diamonds appeal to many buyers because they combine brilliant-style faceting with an elongated outline. They can also provide broad finger coverage relative to some other shapes of similar weight.
But not every oval performs equally.
How to assess an oval diamond
- Check whether the outline is symmetrical.
- Compare the length-to-width ratio.
- Inspect the stone for a distracting dark bow-tie area.
- Review video under more than one lighting condition.
- Check whether the shoulders and ends appear balanced.
- Compare millimeter dimensions instead of relying only on carat weight.
- Confirm that the setting holds the stone securely.
Oval may have led BriteCo’s dataset, but the best shape remains the one that matches the wearer’s style, lifestyle, and preferred light pattern.
Lab-Grown Diamonds Are Expanding Beyond Engagement Rings
BriteCo found that 22.4% of other diamond-jewelry items in its 2025 data were primarily lab-grown. The report specifically points to growing interest in non-bridal pieces such as tennis bracelets.
This matters because laboratory-grown diamonds may support designs requiring many matched stones, including:
- Tennis bracelets
- Line necklaces
- Diamond studs
- Hoop and drop earrings
- Anniversary bands
- Eternity rings
- Diamond pendants
- Stackable rings
- Multi-stone fashion jewelry
For these pieces, total carat weight should not be the only consideration.
What to inspect in multi-diamond jewelry
- Consistency of stone size and appearance
- Alignment and spacing
- Prong or bezel quality
- Clasp security
- Link flexibility
- Metal thickness
- Comfort against the skin
- Repair and stone-replacement options
The report also found growth in 18K settings between 2020 and 2025. One possible interpretation is that some jewelers and buyers are directing more of the total budget toward precious metal and design as lab-grown diamond prices decline.
Learn more about gold and platinum choices in the Rosec Jewels metal guide.
Does Laboratory Production Guarantee Better Quality?
No.
Laboratory-grown diamonds can be produced in a wide range of sizes, colors, clarities, and qualities. Controlled manufacturing does not mean that every finished stone has better clarity, color, or brilliance than every natural diamond.
Both CVD and HPHT diamonds can contain growth-related characteristics. Some laboratory-grown diamonds may also receive post-growth treatment.
The Gemological Institute of America explains that natural, HPHT-grown, and CVD-grown diamonds have different growth histories and internal growth patterns. Specialized gemological instruments can identify those differences.
What is the same?
Laboratory-grown and natural diamonds share the diamond crystal structure and diamond’s fundamental material properties.
What is different?
- Origin
- Growth environment
- Growth morphology
- Some internal characteristics
- Potential treatment history
- Supply structure
- Market pricing
- Typical resale expectations
They may appear the same to an unaided observer, but origin can be determined by an appropriately equipped gemological laboratory.
Does CVD or HPHT determine quality?
No growth method is automatically superior.
Buyers should assess:
- Cut and proportions
- Brightness and contrast pattern
- Visible color tint
- Clarity characteristics
- Strain or graining where visible
- Post-growth treatment disclosure
- Grading information
- Actual photos and video
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Automatically Sustainable or Ethical?
No single origin label proves that an item is sustainable or ethical.
Lab-grown diamonds avoid the need for new diamond mining, but their production requires electricity, industrial equipment, raw materials, cutting, polishing, transportation, and a precious-metal setting.
The environmental profile can differ according to:
- Energy source
- Manufacturing location
- Production efficiency
- Growth method and duration
- Post-growth treatment
- Cutting and polishing practices
- Metal sourcing
- Packaging and transportation
- Product longevity and repairability
Buyers should look for specific, verifiable evidence rather than relying only on terms such as “green,” “eco-friendly,” “ethical,” or “sustainable.”
The Federal Trade Commission’s jewelry guidance emphasizes accurate descriptions and clear disclosure of material product information. Laboratory-grown origin should be stated clearly and close to the product description.
Can a Lab-Grown Diamond Be Insured?
Yes. Lab-grown diamond rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other valuable pieces may generally be eligible for jewelry insurance.
Eligibility does not mean that every insurer offers the same coverage. Policy terms can differ according to:
- Documented replacement value
- Item description
- Appraisal requirements
- Location and risk
- Deductible
- Coverage limits
- Covered events
- Exclusions
- Claim-settlement method
- Like-kind replacement terms
BriteCo’s guidance says insurers may request an appraisal, receipt, grading report, photographs, and other identifying information. Buyers should confirm requirements with their own insurer before relying on any general advice.
Homeowners policy, scheduled rider, or standalone jewelry insurance?
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Policy language—not the marketing summary—determines what is covered.
Why Lab-Grown Diamond Appraisals May Need Updating
Insurance typically focuses on the documented cost of repairing or replacing an item with one of like kind and quality. That is different from the amount originally paid and different again from the amount the owner could receive in a resale transaction.
Because lab-grown diamond prices have changed considerably, an old appraisal may no longer reflect a realistic replacement cost.
An insurance appraisal should generally identify
- Jewelry type
- Diamond origin
- Shape and cutting style
- Carat weight and measurements
- Color and clarity information, where applicable
- Growth method, when known
- Post-growth treatment, when reported
- Grading-report number
- Girdle inscription, where applicable
- Precious-metal type and purity
- Setting description
- Accent-stone details
- Brand or designer, when relevant
- Clear photographs
- Replacement-value conclusion
- Appraiser’s name, qualifications, date, and contact information
When should an appraisal be reviewed?
Ask the insurer or qualified appraiser how frequently it should be updated. A review may also be appropriate after:
- A significant market-price change
- Resizing or resetting the jewelry
- Replacing a diamond or accent stone
- Changing the setting
- Completing a major repair
- Upgrading the center stone
- Changing insurers
- Receiving new grading documentation
An inflated appraisal may result in paying premiums on a value that no longer reflects replacement cost. An appraisal that is too low may create a shortfall, depending on the policy.
Purchase Price, Replacement Value, and Resale Value
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Do lab-grown diamonds hold their value?
A laboratory-grown diamond may receive a secondary-market offer, but buyers should not assume that it will retain the original retail price or appreciate.
Expanding supply, manufacturing efficiency, retail competition, and changing prices can influence what newly produced lab-grown diamonds cost. That may also affect secondhand demand.
Natural diamonds also do not guarantee recovery of their original retail price. Both categories are generally better viewed as jewelry purchases than as predictable financial investments.
Does insurance cover market depreciation?
Jewelry insurance usually addresses covered loss, theft, or damage according to the policy. It is not normally a guarantee against a decline in market price.
Review the specific contract and ask the insurer how changing replacement values affect:
- The insured amount
- The premium
- Like-kind replacement
- Cash-settlement options
- Appraisal-update requirements
What Should Lab-Grown Diamond Buyers Do in 2026?
Compare current prices—not old percentages
Compare millimeter dimensions with carat weight
Prioritize appearance and craftsmanship
Verify the grading document
Confirm laboratory-grown origin in writing
Ask about treatment
Read the return and customization terms
Confirm the correct ring size
Document the complete piece
Review insurance before wearing or traveling
Use current, like-for-like listings with similar shape, measurements, cut, color, clarity, and grading information.
A heavier diamond is not always visibly larger. Depth and proportions affect how much weight is visible from the top.
Review videos, setting construction, prong symmetry, metal thickness, comfort, and finishing. A larger stone does not compensate for weak construction.
Use the issuing laboratory’s official verification service. Compare the report number, measurements, stone description, and girdle inscription where applicable.
The product page, invoice, grading documentation, and appraisal should accurately identify the stone as laboratory-grown.
Review report comments for post-growth treatment and retain the information for future service, appraisal, or insurance needs.
Custom, engraved, resized, or made-to-order jewelry may have different cancellation and return conditions.
Use the Rosec Jewels ring-size guide and consider band width, temperature, and whether the setting can be resized.
Keep the receipt, invoice, grading report, appraisal, photographs, warranty, and service records together.
Confirm when coverage begins and whether loss, theft, accidental damage, travel, shipping, resizing, and mysterious disappearance are covered.
Documentation checklist
- Purchase receipt and detailed invoice
- Independent grading report, where supplied
- Report-verification confirmation
- Girdle-inscription details
- Insurance appraisal or replacement valuation
- Clear photographs from multiple angles
- Metal and setting description
- Warranty and care information
- Resizing, repair, and service records
- Insurance policy and claim instructions
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Shop Certified Lab Grown Diamond RingsWhat Are the Limitations of BriteCo’s Report?
BriteCo’s report provides valuable evidence, but responsible interpretation requires acknowledging what it does and does not establish.
The data comes from BriteCo’s ecosystem
The analysis is based on appraisal and insurance-related data collected through BriteCo and participating jewelry businesses. Buyers should not assume that the percentages are identical across every U.S. retailer, state, price level, or selling channel.
The 2025 reporting period ended in May
The methodology states that the analyzed period ended on May 31, 2025. Some figures therefore describe part of 2025 rather than a complete calendar year.
Market share depends on the definition used
A percentage may refer to items, center stones, appraised pieces, transactions, or monetary value. Those measurements are not interchangeable.
Average prices do not represent every specification
Averages can combine diamonds with different shapes, cuts, colors, clarities, reports, and retail contexts.
Predictions are not confirmed outcomes
BriteCo discusses possible future developments, including greater use of lab-grown diamonds in everyday jewelry, increased colored-diamond demand, and renewed natural-diamond marketing. These should be treated as forecasts rather than established facts.
What Could Happen in the Diamond Market During 2026?
BriteCo’s findings support several possible developments:
- Lab-grown diamonds may continue expanding in earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and fashion rings.
- Retailers may place greater emphasis on setting design, precious-metal quality, customization, and service.
- Large lab-grown center stones may remain popular, while some buyers may return to smaller natural diamonds for origin or rarity.
- Fancy-colored laboratory-grown diamonds may become available in a wider range of jewelry.
- Appraisal accuracy may receive more attention as replacement prices change.
- Natural-diamond marketing may focus increasingly on geological rarity, provenance, and heritage.
These outcomes are plausible interpretations of current data, not guarantees. Buyers should make decisions according to their own budget, values, design preferences, and long-term expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did BriteCo’s 2025 lab-grown diamond report find?
In BriteCo’s 2025 data, laboratory-grown diamonds represented 42.1% of diamond jewelry, 47.7% of engagement rings, and 22.4% of other diamond-jewelry categories. The average lab-grown engagement-ring center also increased from 1.31 carats in 2019 to 2.45 carats in 2025.
Does BriteCo’s report represent every U.S. diamond sale?
No. The report is based on BriteCo’s appraisal and insurance-related data. It provides evidence of trends within that dataset but should not be treated as a complete census of all U.S. retail diamond transactions.
Why is the article about a 2025 report relevant in 2026?
The report measures purchasing, pricing, center-stone, and jewelry-design changes through May 2025. Those findings provide a recent evidence base for understanding the options, pricing pressures, appraisal issues, and insurance questions buyers face in 2026.
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds have the diamond crystal structure and fundamental material properties of diamond. They are produced through HPHT or CVD growth rather than geological formation. They are different from simulants such as moissanite and cubic zirconia.
Can a jeweler identify a lab-grown diamond by looking at it?
An unaided visual inspection is not sufficient for a reliable origin determination. Appropriately equipped gemological laboratories use specialized instruments and analysis to distinguish laboratory-grown diamonds from natural diamonds.
Why are lab-grown engagement-ring center stones getting larger?
Lower lab-grown diamond prices give buyers the option to select greater carat weight within the same planned budget. BriteCo’s data shows the average lab-grown engagement-ring center increased from 1.31 to 2.45 carats between 2019 and 2025.
What was the most popular lab-grown diamond shape in BriteCo’s report?
Oval was the most common lab-grown engagement-ring shape in BriteCo’s 2025 findings. Buyers should still compare symmetry, length-to-width ratio, dimensions, bow-tie visibility, setting security, and personal preference.
How much did a one-carat lab-grown diamond cost in BriteCo’s report?
BriteCo reported an average of approximately $1,000 or less for a one-carat laboratory-grown diamond in 2025, compared with approximately $4,200 for a natural one-carat diamond. Actual prices vary significantly by quality, shape, grading, seller, and date.
Can lab-grown diamond jewelry be insured?
Yes. Lab-grown diamond rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and other valuable pieces may generally be insured. Coverage depends on the insurer, appraisal, documentation, insured value, policy limits, exclusions, deductible, and settlement terms.
Is lab-grown diamond insurance cheaper?
A lower appraised replacement value may result in a lower premium than a more expensive natural-diamond piece, but rates also depend on location, risk, deductible, insurer, coverage, and policy structure.
What documents are needed to insure a lab-grown diamond?
An insurer may request a detailed appraisal, purchase receipt, invoice, grading report, photographs, laser-inscription details, metal and setting information, and warranty records. Requirements vary by provider.
How often should a lab-grown diamond appraisal be updated?
There is no universal interval. Ask the insurer or qualified appraiser. A review may be appropriate when market replacement prices change substantially or after resizing, repair, resetting, upgrading, or changing insurers.
Is replacement value the same as resale value?
No. Replacement value estimates the cost of replacing an item with one of like kind and quality. Resale value is the amount a secondary-market buyer may offer. Both can differ from the original purchase price.
Does jewelry insurance protect against falling diamond prices?
Jewelry insurance generally covers specified risks such as loss, theft, or damage according to the policy. It is not normally protection against market depreciation. Read the policy and ask how price changes affect insured value and settlement.
Are lab-grown diamonds automatically sustainable?
No. They avoid new diamond mining, but production requires electricity, equipment, cutting, transportation, and a jewelry setting. Environmental impact varies by energy source, manufacturing efficiency, supply chain, metal, and supporting evidence.
Is CVD better than HPHT?
Neither growth method is automatically better. Buyers should evaluate the individual diamond’s cut, color, clarity, proportions, visible appearance, treatment disclosure, grading information, and price.
Final Perspective
BriteCo’s report provides clear evidence that lab-grown diamonds have become a major part of the jewelry represented in its appraisal and insurance data. Buyers are selecting larger center stones, considering more shapes, and using laboratory-grown diamonds beyond engagement rings.
The report also reveals why informed purchasing matters. Falling prices can improve affordability, but they can also change replacement values and make outdated appraisals less useful. A larger diamond may create visual impact, but craftsmanship, comfort, documentation, and policy terms remain essential.
For buyers in 2026, the most practical approach is to compare current prices, inspect the complete piece, verify the grading information, retain detailed documentation, and understand the difference between purchase price, replacement value, resale value, and sentimental value.
Sources and Further Reading
- GIA: Differences Between Natural and Laboratory-Grown Diamonds
- GIA: HPHT and CVD Diamond Growth Processes
- FTC: Advertising Diamonds, Gemstones, and Pearls
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute insurance, legal, appraisal, investment, or financial advice. Insurance availability, rates, exclusions, settlement methods, and documentation requirements vary by insurer and jurisdiction. Read the complete policy and consult a qualified insurance professional or independent appraiser before making decisions.