Why Gen Z Is Ditching Diamonds

Diamonds have been the engagement tea for literal centuries. So why are so many Gen Z and Millennials taking a hard pass on these tiny shinies? 

While there’s no denying the gorgosity that is a diamond center stone, there are some very cheugy boomer vibes surrounding the entire diamond narrative. Younger generations refuse to pay double the grip for the same drip, and can you blame them?

When it comes to sidestepping problematic diamonds and still arriving in boujee style at the point, Gen Z understands the assignment. It’s snatched sustainability in all its glory, and we’ve got the breakdown on the what, when, and wig of it all. 

 

Diamonds Are A Drag

Ok, so obviously, we love diamonds, but just go with it for a second. 

Natural diamonds are kind of a bummer. Sure they’re gorgeous, timeless, yadda yadda yadda, but they’re also super unsustainable, and unfortunately, they’re not always ethical either. On top of that, the price is astronomical.

But hey, no one ever said all diamonds. Note that rise in lab diamond popularity? That’s young couples choosing lab diamonds over natural. And TBH, it’s easy to see why, but let’s get into it anyway.

 

Sustainability Slaps

Gen Z ought to have us all quaking in our boots. They really said take several seats and got that activism on lock. Can you blame them? Needless to say, this generation wants to keep the planet livable, so sustainability is a huge issue. 

It’s no surprise that natural diamond mining low-key uses up a ton of resources. That’s also not to mention the irreparable damage it does to the earth–The kids are salty about it, and for real, we stan. It’s almost like they want to keep living here or something, hmm…

The good news is lab diamonds and diamond simulants like moissanite are a much more earth-friendly engagement solution. 

 

Little Rock, Big Yikes

It’s no surprise that the diamond mining industry is a little sketch, to say the least. Mining conditions are rough, conflict diamonds are real, and the unfortunate truth is that some mining companies still use minors… as in children. 

While it is possible for companies (it’s us, we’re companies) to go to every extreme to ensure their diamonds are conflict-free, sometimes it’s hard to tell. 

The good news is that there’s never any grey area with lab diamonds. Just a guy named Carl working a 9-5, taking too many coffee breaks, and cranking out gems all day. Ok, obviously, there is no Carl, but you get the point.

Lab diamonds are always ethical, always. So instead of worrying and wondering, younger couples just choose the sure thing and go with lab-grown.

 

Overpriced? Hard Pass

Diamonds are, shall we say, expensive? As if we didn’t already know, the actual why of it all has some late-stage capitalism vibes that are just not it. See, diamond prices have been artificially inflated for literal decades. 

The supposed value of a diamond is, in theory, based on supply and demand. But that gets a little shady when the supply is limited by big diamond companies and diamond cartels that work together to keep up the demand by stashing diamonds. 

At the same time, they’ve run up this narrative that lab diamonds aren’t as valuable because they weren’t pulled out of the ground. A little sus when the two are literally identical, but hey, business is business. 

Fortunately, Gen Z cannot be duped into overpaying for the same diamond. They know lab diamonds are more affordable because the supply is created to keep up with the demand, so the market isn’t overinflated. 

So they’re choosing lab diamonds and paying half the price for the same stone. We live. See, this super shiny 3.33ct Oval D VVS1 Lab Diamond (top) has a way higher clarity than the 3.5ct Oval D SI1 Natural Diamond (bottom). It also costs 10x less! 

Why drop an extra 60k when you can pay off those student loans instead? 

Still, Gotta Have A Glow Up

No one ever said Gen Z and Millennials didn’t like diamonds. They’re just over getting duped. If you didn’t know, lab diamonds are identical to natural diamonds, minus all the problems. Well, then, now you know. 

Younger couples are choosing to skip the hype and go with the lab. Saving a grip on a diamond means they can do a whole lot more with their budget. Which is kind of a big deal since it allows them to get a bigger stone for the same price. And really, who doesn’t love that?

Like really tho, this 1ct Oval F VS1 Natural Diamond is cute, but we’d rather go for the 3.17ct Oval D VVS1 Lab Diamond. Seriously, over 2cts larger, and it’s the same price. What’s to think about? 

 

Another One

Lab diamonds aren’t the only alternative. Enter moissanite. This sparkle city stone is making a major splash and gaining massive popularity both on Instagram and in the real world. 

Moissanite costs a literal fraction of the price of natural diamonds, can you even? It’s allowing Millennials and Gen Z to go home with a huge

rock for a price they can actually afford. It’s giving big dreams energy, and we live.

A 3ct moissanite like this gorgeous, gorgeous pear actually costs less than a 1ct natural diamond. It’s big rocks without going back to ramen, and we totally stan. 

 

Storytime

The younger gens just aren’t falling for that old diamond narrative. Instead, they’re choosing to write their own story about what matters in an engagement ring. 

The younger gens just aren’t falling for that old diamond narrative. Instead, they’re choosing to write their own story about what matters in an engagement ring. 

While we all enjoy a gorge sparkle, sometimes there are just more important things to spend money on. Like, we don’t know, choosing to save for a house, a vacation, or just building a better life together, to name a few options. 

Now, you can’t say they aren’t a little genius because they’ve managed to do all that and still get a huge shiny stone. 

 

Ready To Follow The Material Gorl?

So many couples are choosing that snatched sustainability and getting a thic drip and giving up absolutely nothing. We love to hear it. 

Leave it up to Gen Z to ditch the diamond mine and add that boujee hunk of lab-grown realness to cart. It’s truly giving “best of both worlds,” and we are living for the Hannah Montana fantasy. And that must have moissanite? Why not take the 2ct times 2 and keep the change? We simply stan.