Lab-grown diamond wholesale prices fell 26% in 2025 — what UK jewellers should do next

Lab-grown diamond wholesale prices declined 26% year-on-year in 2025, according to Edahn Golan’s Lab Diamond Wholesale Price List (as reported in January 2026 coverage). The same reporting noted signs of stabilisation: the quarterly price drop slowed to 4.7%, described as the smallest decline since lab-grown diamonds entered the market.

This matters for UK jewellers because lab-grown is now a fast-moving category where pricing, stock-turn, and consumer expectations can shift inside a season.

Lab-grown diamond wholesale prices: what the 2025 drop signals

Industry reporting has tied lab-grown’s falling prices to oversupply and continued capacity growth, while natural diamonds have also faced weak demand. Reuters quoted the World Diamond Council president saying lab-grown prices have dropped sharply, citing analyst Edahn Golan’s view that wholesale prices for some one- and two-carat lab-grown stones are down dramatically since 2018.

What UK jewellers should do next on pricing

Because lab-grown diamond wholesale prices are declining, the operational risk is holding inventory that needs repricing later.

Practical moves UK jewellers can implement:

• Shorten repricing cycles. Re-review lab-grown retail price lists more frequently than natural diamond lists, so retail pricing doesn’t drift far above current wholesale reality. (This is a risk-control response to the documented wholesale decline.)

• Separate pricing architecture by category. Treat lab-grown as its own pricing system (and margin logic), rather than mirroring natural-diamond markups, because the price trajectory and replenishment dynamics differ.

• Avoid “investment value” messaging in price justification. Financial Times reporting highlights concerns that consumers may learn lab-grown has limited resale value and that grading conventions are shifting as the category matures—both factors that can pressure willingness to pay at prior levels.

Lab-grown diamond wholesale prices: what UK jewellers should do next on positioning

The UK regulator has been clear on one point: shoppers must not be confused about what they’re buying.

• The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints where lab-grown diamond advertising was considered misleading, and it has published guidance urging advertisers to ensure copy unmistakeably conveys diamonds are laboratory-grown.

• UK trade guidance (NAJ Diamond Terminology Guideline) states that when referring to synthetic diamonds, jewellers should use authorised qualifiers such as “synthetic,” “laboratory-grown,” or “laboratory-created.” 

• International trade bodies (CIBJO) have also published lab-grown diamond guidance aimed at preventing deceptive trade practices through clear definitions and disclosure.

  
  

Positioning actions aligned with that reality:

• Lead with clarity first, benefits second. Make “laboratory-grown” explicit in product titles, tags, invoices, and ads—before any environmental or ethical claims—because ASA rulings show wording is scrutinised.

• Keep sustainability claims tightly evidenced. The ASA has challenged lab-grown marketing language; any sustainability framing should be specific and supportable, not implied by vague terms.

  
  

What UK jewellers should do next on inventory

With lab-grown diamond wholesale prices falling, the biggest controllable lever is how long you hold stock.

Inventory risk controls that fit the market data:

• Reduce holding periods for lab-grown SKUs. Faster turns lower the chance you’re forced to markdown due to wholesale declines already documented.

• Buy narrower, replenish faster. A leaner core range with quicker replenishment can reduce exposure when price curves move. (This is a standard inventory response to falling input prices.)

• Separate lab-grown and natural inventory policies. Natural and lab-grown are behaving differently in the market; Reuters reporting frames lab-grown as facing oversupply and steep price pressure, which warrants different stock rules.