Is the glitter fading on the future of lab-grown gems?
De Beers’ bombshell decision to shut down its Lightbox lab-grown diamond brand has turned the jewelry world upside down. 💎 What does this mean for the future of diamonds? Is the sparkle shifting back to the original, natural stones that take billions of years to form?
💥 Lightbox saw a 90% drop in wholesale prices since its 2018 launch. That’s not a discount—it’s a market collapse. Now, the industry giant is pivoting back to its roots: natural diamonds. But is this a bold business move, or an admission of failure?
📉 Not everyone agrees it signals the end of lab diamonds. Some, like Angara CEO Ankur Daga, say lab-grown gems are thriving—just not under old-school strategies. Consumers see them as real, beautiful, and budget-friendly.
💬 Meanwhile, Natural Diamond Council’s Richa Singh says De Beers’ move proves one thing: natural diamonds still carry meaning, heritage, and emotional weight that can’t be replicated in a lab.
So is the lab-grown era over—or is it just beginning?