Lucy's Diamond Insights
Deep market analysis, price trends, and diamond buying intelligence from Lucy, our resident diamond market analyst.
Subscribe via RSSNatural Diamonds Just Got a Lot Cheaper This Week
Natural diamond prices dropped 6.4% this week while lab-grown ticked up 5.6%. Some categories fell over 40%, comparison shopping saves up to 61% on lab-grown rounds, and a handful of exceptional listings are priced well below market. This week's data favours buyers willing to act.
Natural Falls 6% While Lab-Grown Stages a Rebound
Natural diamonds fell 6.4% this week while lab-grown climbed 5.6%, a combined 12 point divergence across nearly 22 million listings. Natural pears and cushions saw the steepest declines, but supply surges in popular categories could push prices lower still.
Why Lab-Grown Wins Bigger on Emerald and Asscher Step Cuts
Natural step cuts carry the steepest clarity premiums in the diamond market, and lab-grown erases them. We break down the emerald and asscher data, including why asscher's $750 per carat lab-grown median is an anomaly worth watching.
Lab-Grown Ovals Just Doubled in Price and You Should Be Suspicious
Lab-grown oval prices in the 1 to 1.25 carat range spiked over 84% in seven days, driven by supply composition shifts rather than genuine demand. The smarter play is stepping up in quality or waiting for the correction.
Natural Diamonds Are Down 6% and Some Categories Just Lost Half Their Value
Natural diamonds fell 6.4% this week, but five categories dropped 40% to 82%. Lab-grown prices bounced in select segments, cross-retailer spreads hit 65% on rounds, and we found five stones sitting well below market.
Oval Is the Shape With the Widest Lab vs Natural Gap
Natural ovals carry a median price of $2,451 per carat. Lab-grown ovals sit at $414. That 83.1% gap makes oval one of the widest lab vs natural spreads across any diamond shape, and it exists in the most popular fancy cut on the market.
Natural Diamonds Dropped 6% This Week and Lab-Grown Didn't Follow
Natural diamonds fell 6.4% across 6,077 categories while lab-grown climbed 5.6%. Supply is flooding in for popular engagement ring sizes, cross-retailer spreads remain wide, and several categories cratered by 40% or more.
Round Brilliants Are Where the Lab vs Natural Spread Is Tightest
Round brilliants carry an 80.6% lab vs natural price gap, tighter than ovals, cushions, and radiants. With 3.3 million tracked listings, the round market is the most liquid in the industry. We compare pricing across tiers and show where real value sits.
The 86.8% Spread Between Lab-Grown and Natural Diamond Prices Across 14 Million Listings
Across more than 14 million active diamond listings, lab-grown stones sell for roughly 86.8% less per carat than natural equivalents. We break down the spread by shape, show matched pair comparisons, and explain why the gap keeps widening into 2026.
The missing SI1 lab market: how 5.4 million lab grown listings reveal that 70 percent of supply concentrates at VVS2 and VS1, leaving the bottom of the clarity scale almost empty
The clarity distribution of natural diamonds spans the full GIA scale, with each grade from FL through SI2 holding 5% to 18% share of inventory.
Natural Diamonds Dropped 6.4% This Week. Lab-Grown Rose.
Natural diamonds slipped 6.4% this week while lab-grown climbed 5.6%, opening a notable divergence between the two markets. Cross-retailer arbitrage on half carat rounds hit $634 spreads across nine retailers, and supply floods in key categories signal more buyer leverage ahead.
Certification (20%), GIA, IGI, AGS, and When Each Is Enough
Certification carries 20% of every Caratlytics score. We break down how GIA, IGI, AGS, and GCAL are tiered in our methodology, why uncertified stones face heavy penalties, and where fancy colour grading demands GIA or nothing.