By Dr Petre Prins
In recent years, laboratory-grown diamonds have entered the jewellery market with the promise of affordability, beauty and technological innovation. Yet, despite their rising availability, the world’s most respected auction houses — Christie’s and Sotheby’s among them — continue to refuse lab-grown diamonds. They will not catalogue them, will not sell them, and do not accept them in their curated fine jewellery auctions.
This reality stands in contrast to the marketing surrounding lab-grown stones. Many buyers assume that, because lab-grown diamonds look similar to natural diamonds, they should hold value in the same way. The opposite is true.
To understand why, one must look at the foundations of value in jewellery: rarity, permanence, provenance and enduring demand.
The Role of Auction Houses in Determining Value
Auction houses are more than sales platforms. They act as the primary barometer of long-term value in the global luxury market. Their acceptance — or rejection — of any gemstone or category communicates its financial credibility to the world.
When an item appears at Christie’s or Sotheby’s, it is taken seriously as a collectable asset. When auction houses universally decline a category, the message is equally clear: the item has no sustainable secondary market, no investment profile, and no position in the fine jewellery canon.
At present, no major auction house accepts lab-grown diamonds.
Why Auction Houses Say No
1. Lab-grown diamonds are not rare
Natural diamonds are finite, geological treasures formed billions of years ago under pressures and temperatures no longer present on Earth. Their scarcity underpins their value.
Lab-grown diamonds are manufactured in factories. Their supply can increase at any time, by any volume, limited only by machinery and electricity.
A product with unlimited potential supply cannot maintain long-term value.
2. Prices collapse as production increases
As more factories open and technology improves, the cost of producing lab-grown diamonds continues to fall. Retail prices have dropped dramatically in the last three years — in some instances by more than 70%.
Auction houses cannot catalogue items whose value continually decreases.
3. No provenance, no heritage
Auction houses specialise in objects with history — jewels with stories that connect people, eras and craftsmanship.
Lab-grown diamonds have no geological origin, no historic provenance and no collectible significance.
A natural diamond’s story begins in the Earth’s mantle billions of years ago.
A lab-grown diamond’s story begins in a manufacturing chamber.
4. No established secondary market
For an item to be accepted into fine jewellery sales, there must be a market of collectors and buyers willing to pay for it.
That market does not exist for lab-grown diamonds.
Jewellers seldom buy them back.
Auction houses decline them.
Collectors ignore them.
Prices continue to fall.
The “Discount Effect”
A common misconception is that lab-grown diamonds are similar to natural diamonds — merely cheaper. The truth is more stark:
A lab-grown diamond purchased today is likely to be worth only a fraction of its price within months or years. A rapidly depreciating item cannot be considered a luxury asset.
Natural diamonds, by contrast, remain valuable due to rarity, global demand, and the geological significance that cannot be replicated.
Natural Diamonds: What Auction Houses Do Accept
Every major auction house continues to showcase natural diamonds — especially those with rarity, size, historic cuts or exceptional colour and clarity. Vintage stones, old European cuts, and jewels with provenance remain highly sought-after.
This difference in treatment by the industry’s most authoritative voices highlights a simple truth:
Natural diamonds are treasures of the Earth.
Lab-grown diamonds are products of industry.
What This Means for Buyers
Lab-grown diamonds can still be enjoyed as fashion jewellery. They offer sparkle at a lower cost and can suit clients who prioritise appearance over long-term value.
However, buyers must understand what they are purchasing:
- A natural diamond is a scarce geological artefact.
- A lab-grown diamond is a manufactured item with declining resale value.
Those seeking lasting worth, heirloom quality, or investment relevance should choose natural diamonds.
The Final Word
When Christie’s and Sotheby’s — with more than two centuries of collective expertise — consistently refuse lab-grown diamonds, it sends a message the jewellery industry cannot ignore.
Their stance reflects market reality:
lab-grown diamonds do not meet the criteria of fine jewellery, collectability or enduring value.
For clients who seek beauty, rarity and permanence, natural diamonds remain the only choice aligned with heritage, investment and long-term significance.