Lab-grown diamonds: brilliant for the environment and the pocket

MARKETING specialist Lim Xin Yi has been a conscious consumer since her days in university, willing to spend a little more on items such as clothes from retailers that are environmentally and socially conscious.

So when the 26-year-old started shopping for engagement rings when planning to propose to her boyfriend, it was a no-brainer decision to go with a lab-grown diamond over a naturally-mined one – though for once, the ethical choice was also the cheaper one.

“(With naturally-mined diamonds), I don’t know if child labour was behind the naturally-mined diamond if I were to get it,” said Lim.