This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Lab Grown vs. Earth-Mined – What’s the Real Deal?
It’s impossible not to notice the growing trend of lab grown diamonds seemingly taking over the jewelry industry.

Brought To You By Merit Diamond
Unless you have been living under a rock these past few years, it’s impossible not to notice the growing trend of lab grown diamonds seemingly taking over the jewelry industry.

Just like snowflakes – and people - not one (earth-mined) diamond looks exactly like the other. Each earth-mined diamond tells a story through its “flaws.” While we, the consumer, seek out diamonds with as few visible marks as possible, each blemish in the diamond actually help historians, geologists and archeologists put together the puzzle of our Earth’s past. To think that earth-mined diamonds were here way before us humans ever came into existence and will most likely be around long after, makes the significance of a diamond so much more meaningful.
On top of being beautiful pieces of history, their rareness, difficulty and skill needed to attain and cut, and individual uniqueness are what have made them such a coveted and expensive item for hundreds of years.
Diamonds being incorporated into engagement rings, and jewelry in general, only really began becoming massively popular around the 1940s. Before that it was only accessible to royalty and the very rich.

Pictured above, Merit Diamond’s My Caroline® Eternity Goddess Diamond ring, our signature classic wedding ring with diamonds that go all the way around and fitted from the inside with the patented MFIT ® Comfort Technology. Comes in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum and a variety of sizes. Go to www.meritdiamond.com
The use of something so beautiful and natural, that can’t be broken or cut except for with another diamond to represent a union of two people that will hopefully last forever could not have been a more perfect fit.
“It was a very smart marketing partnership and an easy sell. However, the diamond also became a direct representation of status and success – a goal, something people wished to be able to buy and afford,” says jewelry expert Josef Fraiman of Merit Diamond Corporation. “And because of their unbreakable makeup, it was not something you bought just for you, it was an investment into your family’s future, something that you could pass on to your children and grandchildren and so on. Holding not only sentimental value and history, but monetary value as well.”

Pictured above, Merit Diamond’s My Caroline® Sweetheart 11-Diamond ring, an elegant and classic engagement ring with a large round diamond center and surrounded by smaller diamonds on the side and fitted from the inside with the patented MFIT® Comfort Technology. Comes in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum and a variety of sizes. Go to www.meritdiamond.com
In today’s culture, which is all about being “woke” and simultaneously the next story/post on your Instagram account, only the illusion of luxury and lifestyle are what’s needed for the next photo. Plastic. Depth, quality and truth are not appreciated or necessary – it’s a thing of the past. It’s all about what’s trending right now, branding of people, followers, fake news and all that jazz. It seems that nothing has real value anymore and everything is for show and made to be disposable.

Pictured above, Merit Diamond’s My Caroline® Celestial diamond earrings, four diamonds of the same size with a smaller diamond center creating a beautiful flower-like shape. Comes in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum and a variety of sizes. Go to www.meritdiamond.com
Remember when they started making lab grown emeralds? Flawless perfect emeralds making them attainable and affordable to the masses. In the beginning, the lab grown emeralds were selling for $300 dollars per carat. Today you can buy the same lab grown emerald for less than $10 per carat and real, natural emeralds, are now harder to attain and might even be more valuable than they were before lab grown emeralds ever joined the market. Sound familiar?
“Lab grown diamonds have already lost much of their value in the last few years. A stone that cost $3000 three years ago can now be bought for $800. It’s clear that in a few years lab grown diamonds will be worth less than $100, though retailers are doing their best to hide this fact,” says jewelry expert Eyal Adini of Merit Diamond Corporation.

Pictured above, Merit Diamond’s My Caroline® Eternity Goddess Diamond ring and Eternity Goddess Bracelet, our signature classics with diamonds that go all the way around and ring fitted from the inside with the patented MFIT® Comfort Technology. Comes in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum and a variety of sizes. Go to www.meritdiamond.com
For companies like Merit Diamond Corp. who have been in the industry for over 40 years and have seen trends come and go, changes, evolutions, etc… at the end of the day classic is timeless and will always have a market; earth-mined diamonds are irreplaceable and will find their place back on top again as well.

Pictured above, a glimpse of Merit Diamond’s My Caroline®, MFIT®, Sirena® and Liliana® Enhancer Collections.
Go to www.meritdiamond.com or call (954) 883-3660 for more details and make an appointment to visit us at JCK, booth 13115
The Latest

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.


Two existing executives have been given new roles.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.

Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.