Lab-grown diamonds pass 50% of new engagement rings, BriteCo index finds

BriteCo’s first annual Jewelry, Diamond, & Watch Price Index says lab-grown diamonds are now in 51% of newly appraised engagement rings, a sharp shift in the U.S. market. The report also shows rising ring sizes, shifting metal preferences and a widening gap between what shoppers pay and what insurers replace.

Why it matters: - Lab-grown diamonds have crossed a symbolic threshold in the engagement ring market, reaching a majority of newly appraised rings for the first time. - The index gives buyers, insurers and publishers a single view of what jewelry costs to buy and what it would cost to replace. - The report also shows how consumer preferences are changing across stone type, size and metal choice.

What happened: - BriteCo released The BriteCo Jewelry, Diamond, & Watch Price Index 2026, its first annual report on jewelry and watch pricing. - The report tracks real appraisals recorded from January 2019 through June 2026 across all 50 states and Washington, DC. - Lab-grown diamonds appeared in 51% of newly appraised engagement rings from January through June 2026, up from 6% in 2019. - The index includes 52 charts covering engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, eternity and anniversary bands, fancy colored diamonds, colored gemstones, precious metals and luxury watches. - The full index is available free for publishers to use, along with charts, state-by-state breakdowns, downloadable data and methodology at the full index.

The details: - Engagement rings had a median sales price of $6,939 in 2025. - The median appraised value for engagement rings was $9,676 in 2025. - Natural diamond engagement rings had a median sales price of $12,961 in 2025. - Lab-grown diamond engagement rings had a median sales price of $4,557 in 2025. - Median lab-grown diamond sales prices fell from $4,622 per carat in 2019 to $2,057 in 2025. - Natural diamonds ran $8,428 per carat in 2025. - The median engagement ring center stone doubled in size, from 1.01 carats in 2019 to 2.0 carats in 2025. - Yellow gold overtook white gold as America’s leading jewelry metal in 2025, at 39% versus 38%. - White gold accounted for 51% of jewelry pieces in 2019. - Platinum rose from 11% of jewelry pieces in 2019 to 16% in 2025. - The median watch sales price was $8,442 in 2025. - The median watch appraised value was $11,000 in 2025. - Rolex watches had a median sales price of $10,081 and a median appraised value of $13,900 across the full data window. - Wedding bands had the highest median sales price among gift categories in 2025 at $7,252. - December was the strongest month for jewelry shopping in the complete-year data. - Yellow led fancy colored diamonds, blue sapphire topped colored gemstones, and moissanite continued to climb. - The watch section breaks down prices by brand, movement, case material and complications. - The projections section extends engagement ring trends through 2028. - The index reports lab-grown adoption and engagement ring prices for all 50 states and Washington, DC.

Between the lines: - The report separates sticker price from replacement value, which helps explain why insurance valuations often exceed what shoppers paid at checkout. - Falling lab-grown prices appear to be helping buyers trade up in size, with larger center stones becoming standard. - The shift from white gold to yellow gold suggests changing style preferences, not just changing stone economics. - The data points to two distinct engagement-ring markets: higher-priced natural diamond rings and lower-priced lab-grown rings.

What’s next: - BriteCo says the index will be updated every year at the same address. - The company plans to keep projecting engagement ring trends through 2028. - Journalists and publishers can republish the charts and data with attribution and a link.