November 2022 | Lab Grown Magazine

November 2022 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 12 To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | Novmber 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 23,000 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 Zev Trends and Traps If you follow Edahn Golan’s diamond reports, you already know that natural diamond engagement ring sales have declined dramatically, while lab diamond engagement ring sales have increased. In this issue, we have the luxury of looking closely at the lab side with a follow-up analysis based on key charts prepared by Golan himself. And, as always, if you’re reading this issue from a free print subscription that was mailed to you, then you’re also receiving Diamond Pulse. This issue of Diamond Pulse offers feature edit on the natural diamond side. In Mining Diamonds, author, Dan Scott takes us on a journey as if Russia wasn’t in such a controlling interest perspective. And, should they be? Russia contributes to nearly a third of the global natural diamond supply (according to the US Treasury). If we’re speaking of natural diamond mining in Russia, we’re talking about state-based Alrosa, the largest diamond mining company in the world. Can you guarantee the diamonds set in the engagement rings you’re selling are not from Russia? What about your loose inventory? Can you guarantee the point of origin of any of the stones in your vault? Blockchain or not, our industry isn’t at that level yet. US jewelers like Tiffany & Co. and Signet Jewelers have said they will stop buying new diamonds mined in Russia. This, while countries including the US have sought to have Russian mined stones labeled as “conflict diamonds,” based on a recent New York Times story. US sanctions aside, Alrosa is back to selling more than $250 million of wholesale mined diamonds every month. Their sales currently range from $50 to $100 million a month - below pre-war levels. Alrosa accounts for about a third of global rough diamond supply of our estimated $80 billion industry. An industry that was thrown into turmoil as cutters, polishers and brokers had to hunt for ways to keep buying from Russia while their banks stopped finance payments. The sudden shortage of stones spiked diamond prices, especially for smaller and less expensive stones that Alrosa specializes in. Back to lab diamonds alone, the margins for grown stones remains higher than mined diamonds. Yet, as Golans’ Tenoris firm found, the difference isn’t as wide as one would think. “The average gross margin for a natural diamond engagement ring was 48.6% versus 54.4% for lab-grown. That’s up 5.1% for natural and 0.2% for lab-grown,” as Rob Bates of JCKonline reported last month. So, in this issue of Lab Grown Magazine, and with the complimentary edit in this month’s Diamond Pulse, we’ll focus on Africa, not Russia. You can even gain a completely free guide to all mining inAfrica, thanks to Dan Scott’s invitation to view such. You won’t even need to offer your email, simply visit www.tinyurl.com/DiamondPulseFreeReport and you’ll gain all 65 pages instantly – no strings attached. Bypass the gold sections, if you please, and it’s diamond data front and center. We’ll never take a side, but we’ll also never shield the diamond facts. You, our welcomed reader, always have the final decision on how and with whom you’ll do business. Just know that we’re grateful that you’ve chosen, be it in a compartmentalized way, to do some of that business with us.