# Man-made diamonds: a girl's new best friend? By Greg Ponesse | Published 2006-03-28 | Luxury Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/man-made-diamonds-a-girls-new-best-friend References: [moneycentral.msn](http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P97816.asp) Most people are all too familiar with having champagne tastes on a beer budget. But when it comes to diamonds, you may be able to have it both ways. That's because gem-quality diamonds are now being grown in laboratories in places like Sarasota, Fla., and Boston. Forget cubic zirconia and Moissanite, which are made to pass as diamonds. Lab-grown stones are the real deal. And instead of the millions of years it takes to create [natural diamonds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/worth-the-wait), they're grown by man in a matter of days. "We've essentially recreated the same conditions that occur hundreds of miles below the surface," says David Hellier, president of Gemesis, the Florida company that specializes in growing [colored diamonds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gemstones). "After about four and a half days, we get a three-carat rough diamond. From that day forward, there's no difference between that diamond and one that comes from the ground." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.6/10 - Popularity: 87% | Activity: 72% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Luxury](https://www.trendhunter.com/luxury) > [Ultra Luxury](https://www.trendhunter.com/ultraluxury) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Lab-grown Diamonds:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: The lab-grown diamond industry has the potential to disrupt the natural diamond market, providing a more affordable and ethically sourced alternative. - **Shortened Diamond Production:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: By reducing the time it takes to grow diamonds from millions of years to just a few days, the lab-grown diamond industry disrupts traditional diamond production methods. - **Gem-quality Technology:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: The advancement of gem-quality lab-grown diamonds offers new possibilities for industries such as jewelry, fashion, and luxury goods. ### Who This Affects Most - **Jewelry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: The lab-grown diamond industry can disrupt the traditional jewelry industry by providing a more affordable and sustainable option for consumers. - **Mining:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: The rise of lab-grown diamonds presents a disruption to the traditional diamond mining industry, with potential implications for job markets and resource allocation. - **Fashion:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: The introduction of lab-grown diamonds can create innovative and sustainable fashion designs, offering new possibilities for brands and designers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Lab-Grown Stones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skydiamond.md) - [Premium Lab-Grown Diamond Rings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/labgrown-diamond-rings.md) - [Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Rings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/caratbee.md) - [Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/labgrown-diamond-jewelry.md) - [Lab-Grown Fine Jewelry](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fallers-jewelry.md) - [Elevated Diamond Jewelry Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pandora-era.md) - [Stylish Synthetically Produced Diamonds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/synthetically-produced-diamonds.md) - [Diamond Verification Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/diamondproof.md) - [Natural Diamond Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/worth-the-wait.md)