Lab Grown Diamond Poll 2023
Lab-grown diamonds are causing huge disruption to the diamond industry, but how many people really know what they are? We recently commissioned a survey of 1,500 newlyweds and interviewed the public to find out their views on lab grown diamonds and whether they think they're here to stay.
About the Poll
Over the past few years, there has been a major shift happening within the diamond jewellery industry. After years of research and development, scientists have finally found a way to emulate the earth's natural processes to create diamonds in a lab, rather than mine them from the Earth.
Since their introduction to the market, lab grown diamonds have been booming in popularity as consumers opt for a more affordable and sustainable alternative to natural diamonds. To give some context, in 2019, Queensmith’s lab diamond sales equated to just 1% of their overall diamond sales. Fast forward to 2023 and they are now an astounding 81%.
We can see that our clients are increasingly choosing to buy lab grown instead of natural diamonds, yet how many people really know what they are, and who can tell the difference? To answer those questions, we decided to gain some insight into what the public really thinks about these newfound gems by commissioning a survey of 1,500 newlyweds across the UK (results of which can be found at the bottom of this page) and took to the streets of Hatton Garden to play a little game of Spot the Difference. Can you spot the difference?
Spot the Difference | Lab Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds
Lab Grown Diamond Poll 2023
Following our recently commissioned survey of 1,500 newlyweds, we've broken down the results and key findings to each question.
1. Would you be willing to give/receive a lab-grown diamond instead of a mined diamond in an engagement ring?
70% of respondents said they would
2. What are the main reasons that you would be willing to give/receive a lab-grown diamond instead of a mined diamond in an engagement ring? [Select up to three]
Value for money (55%), sustainability (43%) and environmental impact (41%) were the top three
3. How confident are you that you'd be able to tell a mined diamond from one that was lab grown, with the naked eye?
10% said they would be very confident, whereas 35% said they would not be very confident at all.
4. How confident are you that you'd be able to tell a mined diamond from one that was lab grown, if you were to look at them under a microscope?
12% said they would be very confident, whereas 39% said they would not be very confident at all.
5. Before taking this survey, were you aware there was such a thing as a lab-grown diamond?
Yes (54%) No (46%)
6. Have you ever bought a piece of jewellery with a lab grown diamond in it?
Yes (27%) No (57%)
7. Would you choose a cheaper engagement ring in order to have a more expensive wedding day?
Yes (53%) No (21%)
8. Other than an engagement ring, what kind of lab-grown jewellery, if any, would you consider buying for yourself or your partner?
The top choices are necklace/pendant (52%) and studs/earrings (50%).
9. How many pieces of jewellery do you own with diamonds/a diamond in? (lab-grown or mined)
28% of respondents own no pieces, 22% own 1 piece and 21% own 2 pieces.
10. How many individual diamonds do you own?
38% of respondents own 1-3 individual diamonds, 22% own 4-10 and 12% own 11-15.
11. Do you know exactly where in the world your diamonds were mined?
19% of respondents said they know where most of them come from, compared to 55% who don't know where any of them come from.
12. When characterising diamonds, there are four features that are usually used, these are the 4 C’s. What do you think the 4 C’s of defining a diamond are?
73% of respondents answered 'Carat', 73% answered 'Cut' and 68% answered 'Clarity'.
13. Which, if any, of the following do you think is the most important consideration when choosing a diamond?
24% of respondents considered 'Price' to be the most important, 23% considered 'Sparkle' and 15% considered 'Shape' to be the most important.
14. If you were to receive an engagement ring, would you expect your ring to contain a mined diamond, as opposed to a lab grown diamond?
Yes (33%) No (55%)
15. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “Diamonds being part of engagement rings is just a marketing trick”?
17% said they strongly agree, compared to 31% who neither agree nor disagree.
16. Do you think this statement is true or false: “Construction workers sometimes use drill bits with diamond tips”?
True (55%) False (15%) Not sure (30%)
17. Has anyone ever bought you jewellery with diamonds that turned out to be fake?
Yes (16%) No (48%)
18. Do you know anyone who has bought lab grown diamonds?
Yes (32%) No (50%)
19. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “In the future, using lab grown diamonds will be the new norm”?
47% somewhat agree, compared to 3% somewhat disagree.
20. When planning your wedding, which, if any, of the following do you think will be/ have been the first things you start thinking about?
53% of respondents said the 'venue', 34% said the 'dress/suit' and 31% said the 'wedding rings'.
21. How good would you say your knowledge is about lab-grown diamonds?
Very good (6%) Very bad (22%) Neither good nor bad (29%)
What are lab grown diamonds?
Discover lab grown diamonds: what they are, how they’re made and why the efficiency of their production makes lab diamonds significantly less expensive than their natural counterparts.
How are lab grown diamonds made?
Learn how scientists have created a way to mimic the natural growth of a diamond within a laboratory, and how these processes produce authentic lab diamonds, identical to those found in nature.
