Our Position on Lab-Grown Synthetic Diamonds

 The Village Goldsmith does not undertake any repairs, remodelling or set any jewellery with synthetic lab-grown diamonds

For nearly half a century, Village Goldsmith clients have trusted our extraordinary team of designers and expert jewellers to capture their stories and memories with handcrafted jewellery of exceptional beauty, quality, and value. We’re committed to creating stunning jewellery that will be treasured for generations.

While synthetic lab-grown diamonds are becoming more widely available, natural diamonds are becoming rarer. Our clients rely on us to create pieces of enduring quality and value that will stand the test of time. Simply put, synthetic lab-grown diamonds do not hold their value, which continues to drop dramatically. We have chosen not to use them in our jewellery for that and other reasons.

Here's why we only work with natural diamonds

• A better investment. Natural diamonds have appreciated over time while factory-made synthetic diamonds will continue to depreciate. Whilst synthetic lab-grown diamonds do cost less, keep in mind that as the supply and number of suppliers of synthetic lab-grown diamonds continues to grow, the price will continue to rapidly decline. In fact, lab-grown synthetic diamond values have tumbled by over 87% in the last 5 years - so much so that some jewellers are now even giving them away in promotions. Synthetic lab-grown diamonds don’t retain their value after purchase and most jewellers won’t buy / resell them, meaning they have almost no monetary value after purchase.

• A natural diamond is a miracle of nature. Each natural, earth-mined diamond is a unique creation from nature that took from 900 million to 3.3 billion years to produce. We think that’s so cool! In contrast, synthetic lab-grown diamonds are mass-produced in factories in weeks. 

• Conflict diamonds aren’t an issue when working with a reputable jeweller.  While conflict diamonds still occur, it’s estimated they comprise less than 1% of world production. 2003 saw the establishment of The Kimberley Process- a system which aims to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the diamond trading industry. Now, with the help of the Kimberley Process, 99.8% of mined diamonds are certified conflict-free. The Village Goldsmith is committed to providing natural diamonds of the highest quality that have a guaranteed chain of provenance and are sourced and processed from trusted and reputable suppliers, who are committed to the Kimberley Process. We deal directly with diamond manufacturing companies around the world and regularly review their operations to ensure they meet our stringent ethical sourcing standards and practices. We have visited their factories and seen the state of the art cutting facilities that have been certified as net zero and meet modern standards for working conditions.

• Producing synthetic lab-grown diamonds is very energy intensive. If you choose a lab grown diamond, it’s a good idea to understand where and how it’s produced. Many labs are located in coal-dependent countries, which means their carbon emissions can be significant. 

• Natural diamonds and mining can support development of local communities in emerging economies. Our trusted diamond suppliers invest heavily to improve the wellbeing of their local communities. Read about some of their efforts in our ethical diamond sourcing page. Learn about diamond mining and the impact on local communities in Botswana - where the vast majority of our diamonds are sourced - in the Fashionscapes documentary.