# Lab-grown vs natural diamond price: how big is the gap now?

Updated 2026-10-22. Canonical: https://howmuchtospendonaring.com/lab-grown-vs-natural-diamond-price/

**Short answer:** Per carat, lab-grown diamonds cost about 73% less than natural ones on average in 2025 [1]. For a one carat stone in a common grade, that is roughly $700 to $1,100 lab-grown against $3,000 to $7,000 natural [2].

## The gap in one table

| Measure | Natural | Lab-grown | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 ct loose stone, G to H colour, VS2 to SI1 | $3,000 to $7,000 | $700 to $1,100 | Whiteflash, retailer, June 2026 [2] |
| Average discount per carat, 2025 | baseline | about 73% less | BriteCo data [1] |
| Average engagement ring, 2025 | $7,000 | $4,300 | The Knot [7] |
| Finished ring, 0.5 to 1.0 ct, 2025 appraisals | $6,307 | $3,453 | BriteCo [8] |
| 3 ct stone | about 16 times the lab price | baseline | Paul Zimnisky via Axios [5] |

Retailer price ranges vary with cut and grading lab, so read them as bands rather than quotes. The direction is the same in every source: the bigger the stone, the bigger the gap.

## How fast lab prices fell

- **Wholesale:** a lab-grown price index tracked by analyst Edahn Golan is down about 96% since tracking began in 2018 [3].
- **2025:** down 26% over the year [3].
- **2026 so far:** down 14% in the first quarter and 13% in the second, a slower fall than before [3].
- **Against natural:** lab-grown cost about 27% less per carat than natural in 2019 and about 73% less in 2025 [1].

Analyst Paul Zimnisky expects most lab diamonds to eventually sell for under $1,000 [5].

## What couples are choosing

In 2025, 61% of engagement ring centre stones were lab-grown, and lab-grown stones averaged 2.0 carats against 1.6 for natural [6, 7]. Most buyers took the saving as a bigger stone rather than a smaller bill: the average lab-grown ring still cost $4,300 [7].

## Resale value

Neither kind is an investment. The Knot notes that lab-grown diamonds do not hold resale value because they are not scarce [4]. Natural diamonds resell for well below retail too; jewellers and buyback services typically offer a fraction of what you paid. Because a lab-grown stone costs much less to begin with, the dollars you could lose are often smaller even though the percentage is worse.

## Which one fits your budget

- **Want the biggest stone your budget allows:** lab-grown.
- **Want a mined stone, or a ring that keeps some resale value:** natural, and expect to pay several times more per carat.
- **Undecided:** set the budget first in our quiz, then compare what each option buys at that number. The [1 carat price guide](/1-carat-diamond-ring-price/) breaks the natural prices down by grade.

## Questions people ask

### How much cheaper are lab-grown diamonds?

About 73% less per carat than natural on average in 2025, up from about 27% less in 2019, based on BriteCo insurance data [1]. For a one carat stone the gap is often larger [2].

### Are lab-grown diamond prices still falling?

Yes, but more slowly. A wholesale index fell 26% over 2025 and then 14% and 13% in the first two quarters of 2026 [3].

### Do lab-grown diamonds hold value?

No. The Knot notes they do not hold resale value because they are not scarce [4]. Natural stones also resell well below what you paid; jewellers commonly offer a fraction of the retail price.

### Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes. They are the same material as mined diamonds, grown in a lab rather than formed in the ground. Grading reports state which kind a stone is.

## Sources

1. Stacker, lab-grown diamonds now cost 73% less than natural (BriteCo data), 9 March 2026: https://stacker.com/stories/shopping/lab-grown-diamonds-now-cost-73-less-natural-diamonds-what-means-buyers-2026
2. Whiteflash, lab diamonds vs real diamonds cost comparison, 23 June 2026 (retailer): https://www.whiteflash.com/blog/lab-diamonds-vs-real-diamonds-cost-comparison/
3. JCK, lab-grown diamond prices show signs of stabilizing (Edahn Golan wholesale index), 8 July 2026: https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/lab-grown-diamond-prices-show-signs-of-stabilizing/
4. The Knot, lab-grown diamond rings (updated September 2026): https://www.theknot.com/content/lab-grown-diamond-rings
5. Axios, engagement ring size, cost and lab diamonds (Paul Zimnisky), 22 December 2025: https://www.axios.com/2025/12/22/engagement-ring-size-cost-lab-diamonds
6. JCK, lab-grown diamonds in the engagement market (The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study): https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/lab-diamonds-engagement-market/
7. The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study release, republished by The Jeweler Blog: https://thejewelerblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/23/new-study-when-it-comes-to-engagement-rings-getting-it-right-matters-most/
8. BriteCo, average engagement ring cost (insured ring appraisals by size), 20 August 2025: https://brite.co/blog/average-engagement-ring-cost/