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LGD prices tumble; “green, sustainability” hype is fading out

New 18K Lightweight Designer Brand Launches in Trivandrum, Blending Style, Comfort, and Ethical Luxury

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The man-made diamond boom is over, and prices for ultra-trendy lab-grown diamonds are set to tumble this year, industry veterans say. Paul Zimnisky, a leading diamond analyst, foresees jewellers scaling back their business in lab-grown diamonds while ramping up their focus on natural diamonds over the next year. In fact, most jewellers aren’t even bothering to stock lab-grown diamonds in inventory, and are only purchasing them on consignment, he told Business Insider.

Some of the shine behind lab-grown gems has diminished, largely because they’re so widely available. Lab-grown stones now make up around 20% of the total diamond market, Zimnisky estimates, up from nearly zero percent in 2015.

It’s the exact opposite of what jewellers have seen since 2018, when the hype around lab-grown diamonds took off. “Some of the fad is starting to fade a bit,” Zimnisky said. Retailers now “aggressively” push lab-grown stones. “I think it’s become a lot more mainstream.”

Lab-grown diamond prices, already a fraction of natural diamonds, could see an additional 80% decline, according to industry expert Cormac Kinney, CEO of Diamond Standard. Since their mainstream introduction in 2018, the price gap between lab-grown and natural diamonds has expanded, with some lab-grown diamonds now priced at just 10% of their natural counterparts. Kinney believes there is still significant room for prices to drop, anticipating a further 50% to 80% reduction.

“Fashion jewellery is always a very small fraction of real jewellery. Only real is rare.” He added: “Jewellers will tell me that a growing number of couples are coming in one to three years after buying an engagement ring and replacing it with a natural diamond.”

The hype about LGDs being “green and sustainable” seems to be dying out. Pandora’s CEO Alexander Lacik says consumers don’t buy LGDs because they’re “sustainable”. They buy them because they’re cheap.

Alexander Lacik told Fortune magazine: “When we talk about product choice, there are only two things that actually drive behaviour,” he said. Price and design. “ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) is a nice feature and for the people that are interested, we have a good story to tell, but it’s not the driver of the business.”

Gen Zs and millennials may claim they’re driven by environmental concerns, said Lacik, but at the end of the day they want the biggest stone they can get for their budget.

LGDs are mostly produced in factories by machines that require constant power. While there is a substantial range of outcomes depending on where the factory is located, the notion that lab-grown diamonds are “more environmentally friendly” is debatable.

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JB Insights

Gifting That Lasts – How Gold and Silver Coins Bridge Heritage and Modern Life

Ketan Kothari , Director of Augmont

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Most people think of gifting gold and silver as a nod to nostalgia. In reality, it’s one of the few traditions that has outperformed every modern “smart” gift you can name. Long before fintech apps and inflation charts, Indian households treated these metals as portable wealth, a hedge against uncertainty, and a quiet transfer of wisdom from one generation to the next. That logic has not aged a day; rather, it remains even more relevant in a world where assets can be compromised with a password reset.

Ketan Kothari , Director of Augmont

What has changed is the way these coins look and live in our lives. Classic Lakshmi – Ganesh motifs now share space with clean, contemporary designs that feel at home in a digital world. The modern take on it makes each piece both timeless and current. Every coin carries its own story, turning family milestones into tangible memories while steadily gaining value as gold and silver prices continue to climb year after year. It is beauty and intrinsic value in one small disc. It is a heritage you can hold, and an investment built to last across generations.

Augmont brings this legacy to life with coins that pair high purity with artistry that honors tradition while embracing today’s aesthetic, offering a gift as enduring as the heritage it represents.

Why Choose Augmont Coins?

1. A Range That Resonates
From divine Lakshmi–Ganesh motifs to limited editions and unique designs in 24K and 22K gold and silver, Augmont offers a variety that suits every occasion. Each coin is crafted to celebrate moments that matter, whether personal milestones or festive rituals.

2. Stories Encased in Metal
These coins carry meaning at multiple levels. Many are tied to festivals, family traditions, or commemorative events, reimagining each piece as a memory that endures alongside its value.

3. Quality That Lasts Generations
Augmont coins are designed with precision and aim to withstand time. Their enduring craftsmanship ensures they remain beautiful keepsakes, ready to be passed down as family heirlooms while preserving their shine and value.

4. Trust You Can Hold
Every coin comes with 999 purity, BIS-certified refinery credentials, and secure packaging. Rigorous minting checks and transparent authenticity measures make each coin a reliable investment as well as a meaningful gift.

5. Versatility Across Life and Legacy
Whether it’s for a festival, a milestone, a special reward, or just a smart personal investment, Augmont coins fit naturally into the moment, carrying both meaning and value without ever feeling out of place.

6. A Legacy of Trust
Trusted by thousands of jewellers and millions of users across the country, Augmont coins have become a choice people rely on, not just for their value, but for the assurance they carry.

How Tradition Meets Technology

1. Timed for Auspicious Moments
Gold and silver coins remain the benchmark for occasions like Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, and other auspicious events. With digital and quick-commerce platforms, these timeless gifts can now be bought and gifted instantly, without compromising the ritual.

2. Convenience Of Payment
UPI-enabled transactions bring efficiency without losing the emotional value of gifting.

3. A Platform Built for Today
Platforms like Augmont make it easy to combine tradition with today’s convenience, whether it’s setting up Gold/Silver SIPs, picking Gold/Silver coins online, storing them securely, or redeeming as per convenience. The old and the new come together without missing a beat.

Gold and silver coins have a way of staying with us long after the festival. They become part of the stories families live and share. A coin given at Diwali, added to a wedding trousseau, or exchanged to mark a milestone, holds memories, celebrates relationships, and marks achievements. Over the years, these coins carry the weight of tradition, the joy of moments lived, and the reassurance of foresight. By bringing the past into the present, they turn every gift into something personal, lasting, and truly memorable.

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JewelBuzz is Asia’s First Digital Jewellery Media & India’s No.1 B2B Jewellery Magazine, published by AM Media House. Since 2016, we’ve been the trusted source for jewellery news, market trends, trade insights, exhibitions, podcasts, and brand stories, connecting jewellers, retailers, and industry professionals worldwide.

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