Lab-grown diamonds shake up the industry: "Exports have plummeted, prices are falling"

Lab-grown diamonds are shaking up the Israeli diamond industry. The price gap is enormous: a two-carat lab-grown ring costs up to 9,000 shekels, while a comparable natural diamond reaches 150,000 shekels. The volume of diamond trade in Israel has dropped from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $1.2 billion in 2025. Store owners are holding liquidation sales of natural stock and switching to lab-grown diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds are shaking up the Israeli diamond industry. A two-carat lab-grown diamond ring with a special cut may cost between 7,000 and 9,000 shekels, while a comparable natural diamond reaches 60,000 and even over 150,000 shekels. The huge price gap, along with social media trends inspired by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift, are leading young consumers to demand large stones without compromise. Shaked, a jeweler who recently got engaged, says she chose a lab-grown diamond because it's not worth paying more. The change is hitting the Israeli Diamond Exchange hard: trade volume has dropped from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $1.2 billion in 2025. Alongside the dilution in demand for natural diamonds, the industry is suffering another blow from the rise of Dubai as an international trade center with tax benefits. Many store owners are announcing liquidation sales of natural stock to switch to lab-grown diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds shake up the industry: "Exports have plummeted, prices are falling"