Raw Uncut Diamonds Give Jewelry Shoppers A Visible Difference Traditional Designs Can’t Match

Lab-grown diamonds have more than disrupted the diamond jewelry industry—they’ve entirely reshaped the diamond jewelry value equation. Lab-grown diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from natural stones, except in one place: the price tag. Retail prices now range from 50% to 75% cheaper for similar quality and cut of the stone.

Consumers are increasingly making the lab-grown choice—61% of engagement ring center stones were lab-grown last year, according to The Knot. And in 2025, while unit sales of lab-grown diamond jewelry climbed 14%, sales of loose diamonds tanked—loose diamonds are primarily purchased for premium custom jewelry designs, especially engagement rings. Loose diamond unit sales dropped 10% and revenues were off 4%, according to Tenoris. With all things being equal, except for price, consumers can easily swap a lab-grown diamond for the real thing—and keep the truth their little secret.

With the purchase decision between a natural versus the man-made alternative being challenged at every turn, raw uncut diamonds are emerging as a quiet countertrend. Their visible authenticity, natural imperfections and unique color painted by nature over millennia make them impossible to confuse with lab-grown stones. Danish jewelry designer, Maya Bjørnsten, founder of Rough Diamonds Jewellery, has been riding that wave since 2007, building a brand around the untouched beauty of raw uncut stones.

“The more synthetic diamonds enter the market, the more desirable the natural ones become,” she said. “Many customers want something created by nature—something truly one of a kind. Stones that carry meaning when worn. This has clearly driven more customers toward natural stones with a distinct story.”

A Difference You Can See

Bjørnsten reports that discerning customers from around the world visit her Copenhagen boutique or the roughdiamonds.dk website to shop for handcrafted raw diamond jewelry designs or to commission a bespoke piece. About 75% of sales come from international buyers.

As the only jeweler in the world working exclusively with raw uncut diamonds, demand for Rough Diamonds designs is particularly strong in the U.S. and U.K., where sales have tripled since 2022.

These are also the markets where lab-grown diamonds have gotten their strongest foothold, so the company’s trajectory is tracking in lockstep with growth in lab-grown.

“At a time when the world feels uncertain and unstable, we are seeing more demand for our jewelry. Raw diamonds are not perfect and that’s what makes them personal and alive. This is exactly what we are experiencing, especially among our British and American customers,” she said.

Because each raw diamond is unique, every jewelry design and setting must be hand crafted to highlight the stone’s unique quality. “No two diamonds are alike—and neither of our pieces. That’s exactly how we want it,” she shared.

Rough Diamonds’ prices reflect that uniqueness. Prices for off-the-shelf rings range from about $2,000-$3,000 up to nearly $40,000 for a multi-diamond cocktail ring set with a nearly seven karat center stone and $55,000 for an over eight karat yellow diamond engagement ring. Raw diamond earrings, necklaces, bracelets, wedding bands and men’s jewelry are also offered.

Asset Value In Luxury

These price points put Rough Diamonds squarely in the luxury category—jewelry being one of the bright spots in an otherwise challenged luxury market last year. While the global personal luxury market retreated 2% in 2025, jewelry was the lead category in the sector, growing roughly 5% to $37 billion (€32 billion). Bain attributed that growth to jewelry’s “increased relevance as an emotional asset.”

This perception of asset value will continue to shape the evolution of the luxury market. As luxury consultant and interim president of J Gerard Design Studio, Robert Goldberg noted in a LinkedIn post, “Jewelry is no longer an accessory to fashion; it’s becoming the center of gravity. Luxury is moving from what you wear to what you keep.” He added that jewelry is being redefined as a “memory-backed asset—where storytelling, provenance, and emotion drive long-term value.”

And there’s the obvious financial consideration: natural diamonds retain value, while lab-grown diamonds depreciate. A recent survey among nearly 400 affluent luxury consumers (avg. income $360k) conducted by the Affluent Consumer Research Company— a firm with which I have a relationship— found that nearly 70% said a natural diamond is an investment or long-term asset and 61% said it was a luxury item worth paying more for. While 39% would consider purchasing a lab-grown depending on the occasion, some 75% of affluents still prefer a natural diamond.

Whether the purchase decision is driven by emotion, memory or financial value, Rough Diamonds is tapping the core value proposition of what consumers now expect in luxury. And its raw uncut diamond designs offer a truly unique, visible difference from the highly polished perfection long associated with Tiffany, Cartier and other legacy luxury brands.

“Roughdiamonds.dk stands as a symbol of understated luxury and raw elegance—jewelry that carries both a story and a soul,” Bjørnsten concluded.

See Also:

ForbesDe Beers Unveils ‘Desert Diamonds’ In Major Campaign For Natural Over Lab-Grown DiamondsBy Pamela N. Danziger