Lab Diamonds vs Mined Diamonds: Are both Forever?

Are young couples beginning to prefer lab diamonds for their "forever" engagement rings?  Chemists can now make gem quality diamonds in the lab and young couples have taken notice.  Harriet Constable in a piece on the BBC "Future Planet" website notes that Millennials and now Generation Z – who together are the main purchasers of diamonds for engagement rings – are moving away from conventional diamonds, with nearly 70% of millennials considering buying a lab grown alternative." Both environmental and humanitarian concerns contribute to the young peoples interest.  Mining consumes a lot of energy.  On average recovering 1 carat of diamonds requires moving 250 tons of earth.  This is usually done with polluting diesel driven equipment.  Mining, particularly in developing countries where much of the mining is done, has involved abusive labor practices, and the proceeds have financed brutal gang warfare.  The industry has made efforts to curb these practices, but there is evidence they have not always succeeded.  On the other hand diamond mining provides employment in some otherwise impoverished areas.

Recovering 1 carat of diamonds requires move 250 tons of earth

Laboratory diamonds grow on a tiny seed crystal from high temperature carbon rich gasses.  The customer can buy directly from the laboratory so there is no question about complicated and possibly disturbing supply chains.  On the other hand the laboratory process is quite energy intensive.  Of course the energy from renewable sources is immediately adaptable to the process.

Making diamonds in the laboratory is quite energy intensive

On balance this is one case where young people are increasingly choosing chemistry over "natural."  While environmental and humanitarian concerns are certainly important Ms Constable notes that it might also be relevant that Meghan Markle has recently been seen wearing "a pair of glittering drop earrings embedded with diamonds that had been grown in a lab."