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Lab groans: Synthetics’ price collapse offers hope for naturals

Real deal: Natural diamonds appear to be slowly recovering from their slump last year PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Real deal: Natural diamonds appear to be slowly recovering from their slump last year PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

In January lab-grown diamond producers saw their revenues dip for the first time since their creations exploded onto the scene a few years ago. Sales are still strong, but cynics say collapsing prices confirm that the lab-growns are ‘shiny trinkets’ far removed from the real deal. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI, reports

Too much of a good thing? Or from the perspective of some natural diamond producers, good riddance to bad rubbish?

The latest data coming out of the retail jewellery sector indicates that lab-grown diamonds are facing their moment of truth, a crash in prices so deep that their even soaring sales are unable to prevent a squeeze on revenue.

Editor's Comment
A time for celebration musn't become a time for fear

In one incident, a young woman awoke in a guesthouse with no memory of how she got there, feeling 'violated' by a man she called a friend. In another case, a 22-year-old was brutally raped whilst walking home with friends in the early hours. And, most heartbreakingly, a 16-year-old girl is at the centre of a defilement case after failing to return home.As we approach the festive season, a time meant for joy and community, these stories...

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