But one big reason lab-grown diamonds are so much less expensive now is economy of scale. Something had to start increasing the demand to enable that. Especially considering the large marketing investment against lab-grown gems by established players, trying to make them seem “tacky.” The ethical issues have been a very capable counter-message to that.

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zahlman 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

> Something had to start increasing the demand to enable that.

Yes — industry. From Wikipedia:

> Eighty percent of mined diamonds (equal to about 135,000,000 carats (27,000 kg) annually) are unsuitable for use as gemstones and are used industrially.[131] In addition to mined diamonds, synthetic diamonds found industrial applications almost immediately after their invention in the 1950s; in 2014, 4,500,000,000 carats (900,000 kg) of synthetic diamonds were produced, 90% of which were produced in China. Approximately 90% of diamond grinding grit is currently of synthetic origin.[132]

> ...

> Industrial use of diamonds has historically been associated with their hardness, which makes diamond the ideal material for cutting and grinding tools. As the hardest known naturally occurring material, diamond can be used to polish, cut, or wear away any material, including other diamonds. Common industrial applications of this property include diamond-tipped drill bits and saws, and the use of diamond powder as an abrasive.

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snowwrestler 5 days ago | parent [-]

The process to produce industrial diamonds (essentially, very hard dust) does not meaningfully help scale the process to produce first-quality synthetic diamond gems for jewelry.

As your quote points out, synthetic industrial diamonds have been available for many decades. But it is only recently that synthetic diamond gems have achieved popularity and price advantage for jewelry.

	▲	Animats 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		Diamond dust used to be the main industrial product. But as diamond synthesis has improved, cutting tools are now using larger diamonds.[1] This has been a big win for the well-drilling industry. Newer bits cut rock, and with diamond, they last long enough to get the job done. The classic Hughes tricone bit, the thing that looks like a set of bevel gears, is not a cutter. It's a rock crusher.[2] It cracks by compressive force. (Patents were really strong back then. Howard Hughes, Sr. became the richest man in the world by buying the patent for the drill bit. He then manufactured bits and rented them out for a fraction of the profits from the oil well.) [1] https://www.slb.com/products-and-services/innovating-in-oil-... [2] https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/texas-primer-the-hu...

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inetknght 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> Something had to start increasing the demand to enable that.

Diamonds are used in all kinds of things besides jewelry. Industry needs that economy of scale.

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acjacobson 5 days ago | parent [-]

True but industrial grade natural diamonds are very inexpensive in comparison to jewelry quality ones.

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grues-dinner 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

It depends what you use it for. Abrasives can use pretty much any horrible misshapen brown rock of roughly the right size.

But there are also applications for larger flawless crystals in things like diamond windows, semiconductor substrate and microtomes. Recently you can even buy a diamond 3D printer nozzle for extruding abrasive materials like carbon fibre. These require better processes than the ones that churn out abrasive diamonds.

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ReptileMan 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

A rising tide lifts all boats. The demand for industrial diamonds is insatiable. And for bigger grits. This leads to people learning how to make bigger and stronger diamonds. Eventually some of the knowledge and tech will percolate to the jewelry side.

	▲	cwmoore 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		So simply, produced over time by a different kind of intense heat and pressure.