Lab-Grown Diamonds Now Lead Engagement Rings. Here's What It Means for Yours
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It finally happened. According to the new BriteCo Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Price Index, lab-grown diamonds were found in 51% of the engagement rings appraised between January and June 2026. In 2019, that number was just 6%.
Why couples are switching
The short answer is size for the money. The same index shows the median lab-grown diamond fell from $4,622 per carat in 2019 to $2,057 in 2025, while natural diamonds rose from $6,237 to $8,428 per carat over the same period. Couples are putting that difference into bigger stones: the typical centre stone doubled from about 1 carat in 2019 to 2 carats in 2025.
There is a style shift too. In 2025, yellow gold (39%) edged past white gold (38%) as the most popular metal for engagement rings. In 2019, white gold led with 51%.
Meanwhile, at the mine
Natural diamond producers are feeling the pressure. In its first-half 2026 results, De Beers reported an average realized price of about $105 per carat, down roughly 32% from a year earlier, with its rough price index down about 16%. Lab-grown stones have taken the most ground in smaller, lower-value diamonds, while larger, high-quality natural stones have held their value better.
And gold?
Gold opened at $4,190 per ounce on October 1, up about 7.8% since January. Prices were steady this week after U.S. inflation came in softer than expected. For jewellery, that means gold remains a big part of what a ring costs, which is one reason the metal choice (10K, 14K or 18K) matters as much as the stone.
There is no wrong answer. A natural diamond is rare and keeps its story; a lab-grown diamond is chemically the same stone and lets you go bigger. In our Montreal workshop we set both, side by side, so you can see the difference in person before you decide. Thinking about a custom ring? Start your design here.
Sources: BriteCo Price Index 2026 (via ABC17/Stacker) · De Beers H1 2026 results (Discovery Alert) · Yahoo Finance, Oct. 1, 2026. Prices in U.S. dollars.
