By Yoki · Infinite Gems · Handcrafted in our Hong Kong atelier · Updated July 2026
The honest answer: a lab grown diamond does not hold its resale value — but neither does a mined diamond, and the mined stone quietly loses more money than an entire lab grown ring costs. Resale is the wrong thing to worry about. What actually matters is that you can wear something you genuinely love and, one day, pass it down to the next generation — treasured for its sentiment, not its price. Fine jewellery, save for a few genuinely rare pieces, was never meant to be an investment vehicle and should not be bought as one. This guide shows what has really happened to diamond prices, using a like-for-like 1-carat E VS1 stone, and where the true value of your ring actually sits.
The price chart that reframes the whole question
Compare the same specification — a 1-carat, E colour, VS1 clarity diamond — as a mined stone and as a lab grown one. The mined diamond cost about USD 7,000 at its 2022 peak and sells for around USD 4,300 today. The identical lab grown stone cost about USD 1,500 in 2022 and roughly USD 500 now. Both have come down — but watch what that means in real money.
Indicative 1-carat E VS1 prices (USD), based on Infinite Gems market data and published diamond-price benchmarks including the Rapaport Price List (RAPI), 2022–2026. Approximate; exact figures vary by stone and source.
Here is the part that reframes everything. Since its 2022 peak, the natural diamond has fallen about USD 2,700 (7,000 → 4,300). The same stone in lab grown cost only about USD 1,500 to begin with. So even if you assume the lab grown diamond is worth nothing at all today, the natural-diamond owner has still lost more money (USD 2,700) than the lab grown buyer ever spent (USD 1,500). That is why resale value is a distraction: the mined stone loses more in quiet depreciation than the lab grown one costs to own outright. If you are going to lose money either way, why lose more of it?
Resale value is not the same as the value you get
Two different numbers get confused in this question. The first is retail price — what a finished, certified, crafted piece costs to buy. The second is resale value — and this is where most people are caught out. When you resell a diamond you are almost always selling to a dealer who intends to sell it on again, so they can only offer a price low enough to leave themselves a margin — usually a steep discount to retail. You might do better selling directly to another private buyer, but that is slow and far from guaranteed. Either way, the retail price you paid included cutting, setting, certification, insurance and a retailer’s margin, none of which you recover on resale. So ‘holding value’ in the resale sense is the wrong test for a piece of fine jewellery.
Have lab grown diamond prices stabilised?
Yes — the sharp declines are largely over. A 1-carat E VS1 lab grown stone came down from about USD 1,500 in 2022 to around USD 500 now, but into 2026 prices have broadly levelled off near a practical floor. That matters for you as a buyer: a ring purchased today is far less likely to be undercut a few months later by a much cheaper, identical stone. The market has matured from a fast-falling one into a stable one, so the specification you choose now — carat, cut, colour and clarity — holds its everyday value as a piece to wear rather than chasing a moving price.
But do mined diamonds actually hold their value?
It is worth being even-handed, because the comparison is usually stacked in the mined stone’s favour. Mined diamond prices are set against the industry’s own benchmark — the Rapaport Price List and its RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI), the reference dealers worldwide use to buy and sell stones. Measured on that benchmark, the 1-carat category has fallen sharply from its early-2022 peak: a comparable E VS1 is down roughly USD 2,700, and larger stones lose multiples of that. The consumer resale market for mined diamonds is also thin and dealer-led, so you recover only a fraction of retail there too. In other words, ‘diamonds hold their value’ is a retail story rather than a resale reality — and even on Rapaport’s own numbers, where mined diamonds differ from lab grown it is by losing more money, not less. Once you accept that no diamond is a reliable financial asset, the choice is simple: the same certified look for up to 90% less, with far less at risk.
Where a lab grown diamond’s value really lies
The genuine value is everything you can see and enjoy. For the same budget you can choose a noticeably larger or higher-quality stone; every Infinite Gems engagement ring is crafted to a standard of E colour, VVS2 clarity for the main diamond and comes IGI Certified for the main diamond, so the quality is independently confirmed. The origin is clear and conflict-free. And because each piece is made to order in your exact carat, metal and setting, you are paying for the ring you actually want rather than a nearest-standard from a display case. That is value you wear every day — not a number you hope to recover years later.
| Value factor | Lab grown diamond | Mined natural diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Price of a 1ct E VS1 (2022 → now) | ~$1,500 → ~$500 | ~$7,000 → ~$4,300 |
| Money lost since 2022 | ~$1,000 | ~$2,700 — more than the whole lab grown stone costs |
| Resale recovery | ~40–60% of retail, depending where you sell | ~40–60% of retail, depending where you sell |
| Hardness & brilliance | 10 on Mohs — identical | 10 on Mohs — identical |
| Certification | IGI certified | IGI / GIA certified |
| Origin | Lab-grown, conflict-free | Mined |
Same carat, colour and clarity — a fraction of the outlay, and a fraction of the money at risk.
How to get — and protect — the most value
If value-per-wear is the goal, a few choices help. Buy quality that lasts: an eye-clean, well-cut, certified stone looks beautiful for a lifetime, so we hold to E colour and VVS2 clarity on main diamonds, and D–F colour with VVS–VS clarity on multi-stone and pavé pieces. Keep your IGI certificate and receipt together, which makes any future sale far easier. Choose timeless designs you will actually wear for decades — a classic solitaire from our engagement rings and fine rings, or a tennis bracelet for everyday sparkle. And because every piece is made to order, get the size right the first time with our ring size guide, or start a bespoke commission for something specific.
So, should you buy a lab grown diamond?
If you are buying a diamond to wear, celebrate and pass down, then yes — a lab grown stone gives you dramatically more certified diamond for your money, with a clear conscience about origin and far less money at risk. If you are buying strictly to make money on resale, no diamond of any kind is the right vehicle, and we would rather tell you that honestly than sell you a myth. For a fuller comparison, see our guide to lab grown versus natural diamonds, or start with the basics in what is a lab grown diamond. Whatever you choose, buy the piece you will love to wear — that is the value that lasts.
Frequently asked questions
Do lab grown diamonds hold their value?
Not in resale terms — and neither do mined diamonds; in fact the mined stone loses more money. Like almost all fine jewellery, a diamond sells second-hand for far less than you paid, because you cannot recover the crafting, certification and margin. But look at the depreciation: a 1-carat E VS1 natural diamond has fallen from about USD 7,000 in 2022 to around USD 4,300 today, a loss of roughly USD 2,700 — more than the USD 1,500 the same stone cost in lab grown. What a lab grown diamond does hold is its physical quality: identical hardness, brilliance and IGI-certified grading for a lifetime. Judge it on quality-per-dollar and how little you have at risk, not resale.
Have natural diamond prices dropped too?
Yes — and by more money than a lab grown stone even costs. A 1-carat E VS1 natural diamond peaked around USD 7,000 in 2022 and sells for about USD 4,300 today, a fall of roughly USD 2,700. The same specification in lab grown cost about USD 1,500 in 2022 and around USD 500 now. So even if you assumed the lab grown stone were worth nothing today, the natural-diamond owner has still lost more money than the lab grown buyer ever spent. The claim that a natural diamond safely 'holds its value' while a lab grown one does not simply is not borne out by the last few years of prices.
Can you resell a lab grown diamond?
Yes, you can sell one privately or through some buy-back programmes, but expect to recover only a fraction of the retail price — typically around 40–60%, depending where you sell. There is not yet a large, liquid second-hand market for lab grown diamonds, so pricing is buyer-led. This is not unique to lab grown stones: mined diamonds also lose most of their retail value the moment they leave the store — and, as the numbers show, a larger absolute amount. If resale matters to you, keep your IGI certificate, receipt and the stone in good condition. But the smarter plan is to choose a piece you will genuinely wear for years, rather than one you intend to flip.
Are lab grown diamonds a good investment?
No — and we would say the same of mined diamonds. We are not financial advisers, but no fine jewellery should be bought as an investment in the hope of profiting on resale. The honest maths makes the point: a natural diamond can shed more value in a few years than an equivalent lab grown stone costs to buy outright. A lab grown diamond's real return is the enjoyment of wearing a larger, higher-quality, conflict-free stone for up to 90% less than a mined equivalent. If you want an investment, buy an investment; if you want a beautiful, certified diamond to wear and pass down, lab grown gives you far more diamond for your money.
Do lab grown diamonds hold their value better than natural diamonds?
In the way that matters to your wallet, yes. Both recover only a fraction of retail at resale — typically around 40–60% — but the mined stone loses far more in absolute money. A 1-carat E VS1 natural diamond has fallen about USD 2,700 since its 2022 peak; the same stone in lab grown cost only about USD 1,500 to begin with and is around USD 500 now. So the natural stone's loss alone is larger than the lab grown stone's entire price. A lab grown diamond ties up far less capital and therefore puts far less of your money at risk, while giving you the identical certified look.
Will lab grown diamond prices keep falling?
The steep falls are largely behind us. A 1-carat E VS1 lab grown diamond came down from about USD 1,500 in 2022 to around USD 500 now, but prices have broadly stabilised near a practical floor into 2026. They may still ease gradually as technology improves, but the dramatic drops have levelled off. In practice this means the specification you buy now — carat, cut, colour and clarity — holds its everyday value as a piece to wear, rather than being undercut months later by a much cheaper identical stone.
Do lab grown diamonds lose their sparkle or quality over time?
No. A lab grown diamond is chemically and physically identical to a mined one — pure crystallised carbon, rated 10 on the Mohs hardness scale — so it does not fade, cloud or lose brilliance with age. With normal wear it keeps the same fire and sparkle for a lifetime, and any dullness is simply surface grease or lotion that a gentle clean removes. It will test as diamond on a standard diamond tester, because it is diamond. So while resale value is modest, the stone's beauty and durability are permanent.
Infinite Gems Limited is a Hong Kong–based lab grown diamond and fine jewellery atelier, handcrafting IGI-certified pieces to order for clients across Singapore, the UAE, Qatar, the Philippines and worldwide.