April 2022 | Lab Grown Magazine

April 2022 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 12 To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | April 2022 13 DISCLAIMER: Lab Grown Magazine assumes no responsibility for content, articles, or advertisement in publication. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity space and editorial sensitivities. Publisher Zev Oster Manager David Oster Features Writer Dan Scott Graphics / Production Kim Kennelly LabGrownAds@gmail.com Advertising & Sales LabGrownMagazine@gmail.com Circulation 25,000 Magazines Printed &Mailed Monthly Distributed at Show Bins PO Box 683 Pomona, NY 10970 T: 888-832-1109 F: 212-257-7056 www.LabGrownMagazine.com Find us on A division of Numbers Moving North First, hello to our newest readers! Some have discovered us at last month’s JIS and JANew York shows, and others have linked to us from recent JCK Magazine and editorial features. Still others have found us through Facebook (https://www. facebook.com/LabGrownDiamondMagazine) and Instagram (@lab_grown_ magazine). To all, a warm welcome. As we grow our complimentary monthly mailings to over 25,000 jewelry professionals th roughout North America, we c ontinue to offer current and past editions on www.LabgrownMagazine.com. We’re proud to be the only publication devo ted to man-made diamonds (an d gems) and retain a positive, neutral diamond stance with each issue polybagged with Diamond Pulse, our publication dedicated to #onlynaturaldiamonds. Whichever set of diamond-related numbers you may be reviewing, a consistent uptick of awareness, production and sales continue to be celebrated. In this issue, Dan Scott offers a more visual look at where LGDs are trending. In his ‘Trend’ story, Dan offers positive sales-related statistics and proves that man- made diamonds are being requested and purchased by larger and larger consumer groups. Since offering non-bias diamond sales summaries has proven to be one of the most responsive aspects of our monthly editorial, next month’s issue will focus on such. Over 70o young US consumers gave their take on LGDs through a February 2022 report lead by Liz Chatelain of MVI Marketing (the MVeye). Dan will interview Liz and we’ll learn of this research together this May. For now, we’ll lean on The Knot Worldwide and their bridal report from 2021 citing one-in-four engagement rings sold in 2021 featured a LGD. Many point to this upward swing as consumer’s spending less on their engagement ring center stone and more time thinking about diamond sustainability. This may be too surface of a view. When luxury retailers and jewelry designers were asked about their diamond- related sales of late, an overwhelming portion spoke of natural diamond sales increasing in carat weight and purchase price. Some refuse to work with grown stones while others exclusively work design and/or sell man-made diamonds. Several retailers are offering both, allowing their customers to decide, yet LGD market penetration still falls well under seven percent in North America but that number is heading north. Some producers subscribe to a more finite offering, such as only offering rough. Others focus on cut and polished colored (fancy) LGDs. Still others hope to corner the specialty-cut segment with highly creative shapes and styles. All, however, understand the importance of a transparent ‘green’ or sustainable public message, a message where facts will always win over fiction. As we appreciate and continue to promote the need and purpose of the National Diamond Council (NDA) and the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA), so too do we remind ourselves that taking sides may not be the winning move for the diamond industry overall. Just as these valuable member groups provide support and education ex clusive to their focus ed interests, the Mined and Man-made Diamond Alliance (www.MMDA.world) stands in the wings, an ombudsman of sorts, hoping to brin g unity and dual diam ond power to the world. Diamond growth should continue in a productive, non-combative way. Keeping the numbers climbing north will sometimes mean pulling each other up - not stepping on one another. Together, mined and man-made diamonds could become the world’s most powerful and profitable tag team this industry has ever seen. The opposite thought is frankly, unthinkable. Here’s to taking off our masks (literally and figuratively) so we may speak freely, with a consistent voice of strength and clarity. Those diamond conversations are bound to turn into diamond sales conversions for all. Zev