Here’s everything you need to know about buying your next diamond, and our tips to keep it dazzling. (Just in time for a holiday engagement)
The newest craze to hit your FYP on TikTok are live streams that bring the excitement of a live auction to your living room. Hosts hold up stunning, oversized diamond rings to the camera, flash light off their facets, and take fast-paced bids in the comments section. The best part is the absurdly low prices these gems are selling for. These are lab grown diamonds, which are grown in a lab using chemical reactions as opposed to being grown in the earth over thousands of years.
What used to require a trip to a high-end showroom with velvet trays and intimidating price tags has shifted to smartphone screens. More importantly, it’s proving that high-wattage luxury is no longer reserved for formal occasions or once-in-a-lifetime milestones.
Lab Grown Diamond Auctions Are Winning the Internet
It’s hard to believe that the secret behind these fast-moving social media auctions isn't a scam. But lab grown diamonds, which are chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds, have democratized diamonds, making these wholesale prices a reality. Formed under extreme pressure and heat in controlled settings, they pack the exact same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale) and brilliant refraction as stones dug from the earth.
Because laboratory production streamlines the supply chain, lab-grown diamonds often cost anywhere from 70 percent to 90 percent less than mined stones of the same carat weight and quality. That price drop has reshaped how consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennial buyers, view fine jewelry. Instead of saving up for years for a modest solitaire, shoppers are buying 3-carat and 4-carat statement pieces just because they can. And we’re here for it, because life is that much more dazzling with the right stones.
How to Buy Lab Grown Diamonds on TikTok
Combining lab-created stones with live social media bidding created a perfect storm for online retail. Here’s how the TikTok live auctions work. Viewers watch real-time demonstrations, ask questions in the chat about clarity or cut, and win items within minutes. The auctions are timed, and the last person to enter a bid in the chat wins the stone. Transparent specs and live visual tests make buying diamonds feel casual, approachable, and fun.
Use Loose Stones to Make Custom Creations
One of the most popular ways savvy shoppers are taking advantage of live stream auctions is by buying loose lab grown diamonds at wholesale prices and taking them to a local jeweler for custom setting. If you're looking for a sleek, modern aesthetic that holds up to daily wear, asking your jeweler for a bezel setting is a total game-changer. Unlike traditional prong settings that grip the stone at four or six points, a bezel setting wraps a continuous rim of precious metal like platinum or gold entirely around the outer rim of the diamond. It not only secures the stone tightly so it won't snag on clothing, but the metallic border also visually expands the diamond's profile, making your lab grown stone look even larger while offering maximum protection for everyday wear.
PRO TIP: Look for lab grown diamonds that are certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the International Gemological Institute (IGI).
More Diamonds Means More Care
With lab grown gems making large, everyday diamonds available to everyone, caring for your collection has never been more important.
PRO TIP: A lab-grown diamond accumulates oil, lotion, and everyday grime at the exact same rate as a mined diamond.
Diamonds are natural magnets for grease and grime. Body oils, hair products, hand creams, and soap quickly build up around the setting and underneath the stone, blocking light from entering and dulling that signature sparkle. Even with a protective bezel setting, skin oils love to settle right around the rim.
Whether your diamond spent millions of years under the earth or was created using advanced plasma technology, keeping it brilliant requires regular maintenance.
How to Keep Your Diamonds Showroom-Ready with Three Easy Steps
Clean Diamonds Regularly: Don't wait for a special occasion to restore your jewelry’s brilliance. A quick dip in the Connoisseurs Fine Jewelry Cleaner removes built-up oils and cosmetics without harming precious metals like gold or platinum.
Target Hidden Spaces: Dirt loves to hide behind prongs and along metallic rims. Using an easy-to-grip brush like the Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik lets you gently scrub those hard-to-reach angles, leaving your stone as bright as the day you unboxed it. Our formula was developed by jewelers exclusively for diamonds to restore their "wow-factor."
Schedule a Deep Clean: If you wear your favorite diamond jewelry every day, toss rings, bracelets, and necklaces in a sonic cleansing bath once a week. The Connoisseurs LaSonic Diamond Dazzler uses our concentrated Dazzle Drops solution to safely cut through all impurities and restore your diamond’s brilliance.
Want to learn more about how to clean diamonds in all types of settings? Discover Sparkle, our AI-powered tool that helps you find the cleaning ritual that’s tailored for your lifestyle