Why Celebrities and Influencers are Choosing Lab-Grown Diamonds

Diamonds are a fashion lover's best friend, but this precious stone is taking on an entirely new meaning with the latest in jewelry technology. Since bursting onto the jewelry scene, labgrown diamonds have reshaped how retailers and consumers participate in sourcing a diamond. Essentially, the creation process for what was once a rare gemstone, finding and buying diamonds is much easier now for the consumer.

Lab-created diamonds are being used for bridal jewelry such as engagement rings and wedding bands. Not only are the costs of lab-grown jewels less than those of earth-mined diamonds but one lab-grown diamond can be produced far quicker than mining takes. The trend is getting more popular; hence, celebrities, influencers, and consumers favor it more.

Here, we reveal why celebrities are wearing lab-made diamonds and also, which of the celebrities are sporting them.

Celebrities Who've Worn Lab-Grown Diamonds, Including Engagement Rings

Leonardo DiCaprio

Though he has never been seen with any lab-made diamond, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the biggest investors in the cultivated jewelry market. Ever since he starred in the 2006 film Blood Diamond, a fictional thriller that put a spotlight on the diamond mining industry's hazards, DiCaprio has been among the most outspoken voices for conflict-free diamonds. In 2015, he invested in Diamond Foundry Inc., a San Francisco company that uses solar technology to create lab-grown diamonds.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga wore an Alexander McQueen Victorian-inspired gown with a ruffled collar and beaded corset during the London premiere of A Star is Born in September 2018. The shining star of the look was, of course, the ethically sourced cluster earrings by London-based jewelry designer Anabela Chan. Each Constellation Pearl Earring featured three freshwater pearls and nine dazzling lab-grown diamonds.

Bindi Irwin

Bindi Irwin, one of the late great Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's daughters got engaged to her long-time beau Chandler Powell in July 2019. Being the great conservator that she is, she celebrated it in the ring as well. To share the news with all the minute details about the proposal and lab-created diamond ring itself, she posted, "Anyone wondering about my ring, I’m so excited to share. My engagement ring is a lab-created diamond with a band made from recycled rose gold metal. He was so thoughtful when it came to the choice, and this ring represents [vintage style] our future, and my love of all things floral, with an infinity band studded with small diamonds.’ 

Nikki Reed 

Actors Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder got engaged in February 2015. Though the Twilight actress' engagement ring wasn't lab-created, she revealed that she would redesign her original piece with a synthetic gem.

"When we were getting engaged, lab-grown diamonds weren't available in the market," she says. "Interestingly, I have a great sensitive and liberal husband who is utterly supportive of me redesigning my ring at some stage with a cultured diamond.

Penelope Cruz

Perhaps its most outspoken ambassadors are actors like Penelope Cruz, who in May 2018, launched a line of synthetic gems worthy of the red carpet, joining Atelier Swarovski during the 71st Cannes Film Festival. "I feel very emotional about the fact that I am creating something meaningful, beautiful, and empowering for women to wear," she said.

Other works in her portfolio include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Her collections boast lab-made diamonds, even synthetic sapphires, and rubies. Other stars who have joined the bandwagon by wearing Cruz's designs on various red carpets include Zendaya, Karlie Kloss, Laura Dern, Mandy Moore, and Olivia Palermo.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle in 2019 stepped out in London, with a pair of lab diamond earrings from a Belgium jewelry brand. None of the pieces of this brand are made without lab-created diamonds, with the brand taking its eco-friendly initiative a step further by packaging everything in recyclable materials.

Why Celebrities and Influencers Are Making the Switch

Ethical Considerations

Of the reasons, though, ethics probably provides the most powerful driver in the move toward cultured diamonds. Traditional mining has long been associated with exploitative labor, environmental degradation, and conflict financing. Lab-grown diamonds are preferred among several celebrities and social influencers, mainly those who operate on social justice and sustainability topics. 

Environmental Impact

Mining diamonds is extremely intensive to the environment; it involves the digging of big portions of land, high use of water, and energy use, contributing highly to deforestation and destruction of the ecosystem. Lab-made diamonds have a drastically lower carbon footprint and take so much less resources compared to mined diamonds. In that case, lab-made diamonds become highly desirable to environmentalists.  

Cost & Accessibility

The other merit at which the lab-created diamonds shine is in their affordability; 30 to 40 percent cheaper than mined diamonds, this places luxury jewelry within reach of more people. Influencers also like this aspect of the lab-created diamond since they always support trends their followers can easily take up too. 

Innovation & Customization

The key advantages for designers in the case of cultured diamonds are innovation and personalization. Since it is manufactured, under controlled conditions, sizes, shapes, and colors that may not be achievable in mining natural diamonds are possible. This flexibility speaks to the celebrities and influencers who covet one-of-a-kind statement pieces that shine bright.

Socially Conscious Consumer

Contemporary consumers, specifically Millennials and Gen Z, are more and more concerned about the origin of the product they're buying and what it's going to do to the planet. Celebrities and influencers sporting lab-grown diamonds resonate with that audience and seal their personal brand as a socially responsible connoisseur.

Lab-grown diamonds are not a trend, they are the future of luxury jewelry, with influential celebrities favoring the gems, which have grown to be envied by many. Be it on the red carpet or at parties, lab-created diamonds prove one doesn't have to choose between glamour and sustainability. Therefore, the influence of high-profile personalities will not be lost on the industry as consumer awareness continues to rise and lab-grown diamonds become the new standard in ethical luxury.