Lucy's Diamond Insights
Deep market analysis, price trends, and diamond buying intelligence from Lucy, our resident diamond market analyst.
Subscribe via RSSRound Brilliants Are Where the Lab vs Natural Spread Is Tightest
Round brilliants carry an 82.9% lab vs natural price gap, broadly in line with ovals and cushions at over 83%. With more than 4.2 million tracked listings, the round market remains 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 through 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.
The 30% That Tells You Whether a Diamond Is Fairly Priced
The Value component carries 30% of every Caratlytics grade, more than any other single piece. We break down how diamonds are bucketed by shape, carat, colour, and clarity, why we use medians over averages, and how cross-retailer signals add a second layer of confirmation.
Why Polish, Symmetry, and Proportions Move Diamonds Up the Quality Grade
Quality accounts for 35% of every Caratlytics score, making it the heaviest single component. Most of that weight comes from polish, symmetry, and proportion details that buyers routinely overlook. Only 0.1% of 10.8 million scored diamonds reach A+ status, and Quality is the main reason.
The 5th C: How Carat Hunter Scores 10.7 Million Diamonds
Only 0.1% of the 10.7 million diamonds we score earn an A+ grade. The Caratlytics Score is our proprietary fifth C, a composite of quality, value, certification confidence, and market positioning that answers the question the 4Cs never could. This is the full methodology, explained from the ground up.
Naturals Down 6.4% While Lab-Grown Bounced Back
Natural diamonds fell 6.4% this week while lab-grown bounced 5.6%, creating a rare divergence across 21 million tracked listings. The biggest falls hit warmer colour, lower clarity naturals, and some exceptional values are sitting in plain sight.
Natural Rounds Split in Two This Week and One Side Is Absurdly Cheap
Natural round diamonds split into two opposite markets this week. Low colour crashed 82% in seven days while D to E surged 61%. The buying opportunities are specific, won't last long, and sit across five retailers right now.
Natural Diamonds Lost 6.4% This Week and the Slide Isn't Over
Natural diamonds dropped 6.4% across the board this week while lab-grown stones gained 5.6%. The divergence is accelerating, and natural ovals at 1ct are sitting at 45% to 49% below median. If you're shopping right now, this matters.
The 60 to 62 percent depth ideal captures only 32 percent of round inventory: how 121,008 GIA listings disagree with the standard buying advice
Almost every diamond buying guide advises filtering round brilliants to 60% to 62% depth percentage.