Alexey Nikolsky/RIA Novosti
At the same time, requirements for the labeling and description of such products are being tightened, according to Kommersant. The weight of synthetic gemstones can no longer be listed in carats—only in grams. Tags and labels must include the word “synthetic,” and any wording that could give the buyer the impression of natural origin will be prohibited. In particular, the words “precious” and “eco-friendly” fall under this restriction.
In effect, this is an attempt to more strictly separate two rapidly converging market segments—natural and lab-grown stones, which are virtually identical in their chemical and physical properties.
The economic gap between them, however, remains enormous. According to the Jewelers’ Guild, the wholesale price of a 1-carat lab-grown stone is about $100 (€92), while a natural stone of the same weight is valued at approximately $4,500 (€4,140). At the same time, these differences are often blurred at the retail level: for example, a white gold ring with a 1-carat lab-grown diamond is offered on the market for about 50,000 rubles (€520), while a piece of jewelry with a 0.5-carat natural stone can cost around 208,000 rubles (€2,160).
According to market estimates, the share of items with synthetic stones is growing rapidly. In the “585 Zolotoy” chain, they have already reached 6.9% of sales, having nearly tripled over the course of a year. At Sokolov, such items account for up to 25% of sales of jewelry with gemstone settings.
Authorities cite consumer protection as the reason for the reform: according to the Russian Ministry of Finance, the lack of uniform standards allowed categories to be mixed and misled buyers during major purchases, which are often viewed as investments or family heirlooms.
The industry’s reaction is mixed. Major players, including ALROSA, support the initiative, pointing to international practice—for example, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has excluded synthetic stones from the 4C grading system starting in 2025. However, some market participants fear that the renaming and new labeling requirements will increase costs and may slow the growth of the lab-grown gemstone segment.
Experts also warn of a possible short-term cooling of demand, although they believe that long-term interest in more affordable alternatives to natural diamonds will remain.
