Breaking with Tradition: Saying Yes to a Lab-Grown Ring
Berlin study shows how a simple ethics cue boosts U.S. consumers‘ acceptance of sustainable engagement diamonds.
What unsustainable behaviour needs to change:
For over a century, mined diamonds have been promoted as the ultimate symbol of eternal love. From the famous slogan „a diamond is forever“ to family traditions, social norms still push couples to choose natural stones. Yet the costs are high: diamond mining is carbon-intensive, damages ecosystems, and often carries the legacy of „blood diamonds.“
Lab-grown diamonds—real diamonds produced in controlled conditions replicating natural processes—offer an identical alternative without these harms. Yet awareness remains low, and even when people know about them, cultural biases create hesitation. For many, naturally mined diamonds represent authentic romance, while lab-grown ones are stigmatized and feared as symbols of lower status.This gap in knowledge, combined with cultural attachment to mined diamonds, perpetuates an unsustainable norm.
The Green Nudge:
In a study with 551 participants, each imagined being in a jewellery shop where a customer was choosing between a mined and a lab-grown engagement ring. When shown a simple informational prompt—“Lab-grown: smaller environmental footprint, conflict-free“—perceptions shifted notably.
The lab-grown option was not only rated more positively but also seen as socially acceptable, with participants believing others would approve too. The message narrowed the perceived gap between mined and lab-grown diamonds, making the sustainable option seem equally, or even more, desirable. Both personal willingness to choose lab-grown and perceived social acceptance increased measurably.
For jewellers, this shows the power of subtle prompts: emphasising the ethical and environmental benefits of lab-grown gems in displays or advertising could accelerate acceptance. Over time, lab-grown diamonds could evolve from an alternative into the new norm.
Still, a caveat applies: this study measured attitudes and stated preferences, not actual purchases. Engagement rings are emotionally charged decisions, often influenced by social expectations. Whether these nudges translate into real-world choices remains an open question, calling for future research.
The Business Case: Lab-grown diamonds make timeless beauty accessible. Once reserved for the wealthy, synthetic diamond rings are now an affordable, sustainable option for mainstream buyers—typically 40–70% cheaper than mined stones. In 2023, lab-grown diamonds accounted for around 46% of U.S. engagement ring centre stones (Rapaport, 2024). This shift opens the market to younger and more diverse consumers who value ethics and transparency over rarity.
Which other sustainable products do you know of that are replacing problematic “traditional” ones? Get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
From Kerem Güclü, Master’s student in Industrial Economics at TU Berlin, with support from the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His research explored how a simple social-responsibility message can shift perceptions of lab-grown engagement rings.
