Engagement season is here, and lab grown diamonds are at the centre of it. Buyers are choosing bigger stones, more distinctive shapes and more personal designs, because the budget that once bought a modest solitaire now goes much further.
Whether you're a couple choosing a loose stone or a jeweler stocking up, here are the trends we're watching, and the stones behind them.
1. Bigger centre stones
The biggest shift is size. Lab grown diamonds cost far less per carat than mined stones, so many buyers are moving up to 2 carats and beyond without raising their budget. Bigger stones also suit the bolder, more sculptural settings that are popular right now.
For jewelers: stock a range of carat weights rather than only the popular 1 carat. We organise our loose lab grown diamonds from under 1 carat up to 7 carats and above, so you can build inventory around your clients' budgets.
2. Elongated shapes: oval, marquise and pear
Oval remains the leading choice, and marquise and pear are gaining. Elongated shapes tend to look larger than a round of the same carat weight and are flattering on the finger, so buyers get more visual size for the money.
Many designers are also setting these stones east-west, with the diamond running horizontally across the finger. It's a clean, modern look that works especially well with oval, emerald, marquise and elongated cushion cuts.
Sourcing tip: for fancy shapes, ask for the length-to-width ratio, not just the carat weight. Two ovals of the same weight can look quite different. Browse our oval, marquise and pear lab grown diamonds.
3. Vintage cuts with a soft, romantic look
Buyers are moving away from perfectly crisp brilliance towards cuts with a softer, more antique character. Portuguese, Moval and Old Mine cuts are the ones we're seeing requested most, often paired with vintage-inspired details like milgrain and filigree.
Because lab grown stones cost less, more of the budget can go towards intricate metalwork, which makes these detailed styles easier to afford.
For jewelers: these cuts help your collection stand out from the standard rounds most stores carry. See our Portuguese, Moval and Old Mine collections.
4. Emerald and radiant cuts for a clean, modern look
Emerald cuts have a glassy, architectural elegance, and radiants offer step-cut style with more sparkle. Both suit minimalist settings and wide bands.
One thing to remember: step cuts show inclusions more easily than brilliant cuts. For larger emerald cuts especially, consider VVS clarity, or at least a well-chosen VS1. Our clarity collections let you compare VS1, VS2, VVS1 and VVS2 stones side by side.
5. Three-stone rings with mixed shapes
The three-stone ring is back, with a twist. Instead of three matching stones, designers are pairing an oval centre with pear side stones, or an emerald cut with baguettes. Lab grown pricing makes larger, better-quality side stones affordable, so the proportions can be more generous.
For jewelers: this trend calls for matched pairs. When you source side stones, match diameter, colour, clarity and, for fancy shapes, length-to-width ratio.
6. Bezel, cathedral and bolder bands
Settings are changing along with stones. Bezel settings are popular for their secure, modern look. Cathedral settings lift the diamond without the snag-prone height of a traditional high setting. Wider, sculptural bands are also replacing ultra-thin ones, and they suit larger stones well.
7. Colour accents and halos
Halos are still popular, but many now include coloured stones such as sapphires or emeralds, or coloured lab grown diamonds in soft pinks, champagne and other shades. It's a way to add personality without changing the centre stone.
8. Personalised and custom designs
The strongest trend overall is personalisation. Buyers want a ring that feels like theirs: an unusual shape, an unexpected metal, a particular combination of stones. Buying a loose diamond and having it set by your own jeweler is the simplest way to get exactly that.
Sourcing loose and wholesale lab grown diamonds for this season
To be ready for these trends, look for a supplier that offers:
- A wide range of shapes: round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, cushion, princess, radiant and heart shapes, plus vintage cuts
- IGI certification: independent grading reports confirming the 4Cs and that the stone is laboratory grown
- Filters by shape, carat and clarity, so you can find an exact match quickly
- Wholesale pricing for trade quantities
- Custom sourcing for stones that aren't listed, such as a specific shape, size or matched pair
- Free standard shipping and returns across the USA
At Gems Diamonds By Shikha, we supply certified loose lab grown diamonds to jewelers, designers and individual buyers, backed by more than 20 years of experience.
Shop: Lab grown diamonds by shape, carat and clarity
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