Our Journey to Lab Grown Diamonds

Hello from Katherine: My Journey to Lab-Grown Diamonds

Hello fellow jewellery lovers, welcome aboard, you’re amongst friends here! Katherine here, and I’m thrilled to welcome you to the first ever KJJ Diamonds blog. Exciting times!

To start this first blog, I want to share a little about my own journey and how I came to embrace lab-grown diamonds—a decision that has transformed the way I see jewellery, and led me to set up KJJ Diamonds.

A Lifelong Love for Gems

As someone who has always been obsessed with antique and vintage jewellery, and having grown up in 80s London, I’ve spent my life surrounded by sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and, of course, diamonds. I love stones, I’ve never been a fan of style over substance, designer pieces featuring melee designs for example usually leave me cold, for me it was always about big, special gems, chunky gold, the actual materials. I like clothes made of one thing, I’m a vegan who likes foods with one ingredient, I’m a purist about what stuff is actually made from, and whilst I may not be great fun at parties, this trait for valuing the size, weight, quality, and material of things has stood me in really good stead in the world of fine jewellery.

I’ve always been enchanted / obsessed by the beauty of precious gemstones. Whether it was the deep blue of a sapphire, the fiery red of a ruby, or the mesmerizing sparkle of a zircon, each stone held a special and unique magic. It’s said that no two Tourmalines are exactly the same colour, and having been obsessed with gazing at Tourmalines most of my life, I can agree with that. 

This passion for large exquisite stones, and budgetary constraints to simply buying them all, hoarding them, and becoming a Golum like character, led me to start KJJ Rocks, where I could share these treasures with the world.

The Lab-Grown Revelation

When I first heard about lab-grown diamonds, I have to admit, I wasn’t sold. How could something created in a lab compare to the natural wonders formed over billions of years? It felt like comparing a breathtaking sunset to a painting of one. I was skeptical, to say the least. When I first looked into them, price per carat they were too close to vintage naturals for me to really take much notice, and I was too busy looking at antique Sapphires! 

While I’ve always adored Old Cut Diamonds, they have an uniqueness to them, new Diamonds didn’t captivate me so much tbh, and I never felt comfortable with the way the market in them operated. From the mining, to the mark ups, to the marketing, it all felt dishonest to me.

Unless you're buying ‘important jewels’ from one of the major auction houses, diamonds aren’t rare and a mid grade solitaire bought on the high street won’t appreciate in value.

The best diamonds are graded D / IF, in the world of diamonds, that means perfect, and perfect is replicable. There’s no variation in colour, no unique silk that makes them lush and velvety, they're prized and graded for that uniform perfection, and they’re beautiful and breathtaking, but if you've seen one brilliant cut D / IF diamond, you've seen them all, they are simply carbon perfectly arranged with no impurities, so growing them under pristine lab conditions did make perfect sense to me. 

Something clicked. Knowing what I know about the diamond trade, the more I saw and learned about lab-grown diamonds, the more I realized they were identical to their natural counterparts in every way that mattered. It was like discovering that a perfect garden rose could be grown in a greenhouse—it’s still the same beautiful flower, just nurtured in a different environment. The penny dropped, and I saw lab-grown diamonds for what they truly are: stunning, ethical, and sustainable.

The Big Switch

This newfound understanding changed everything for me. I saw the incredible potential of lab-grown diamonds not just as an ethical alternative, and a way to circumvent the stranglehold certain diamond companies had on the market, but as a brilliant choice in their own right. I was so convinced that I even switched out my own engagement ring for a lab-grown diamond. The result? A ring that’s more dazzling and just as meaningful as ever, but with a story I’m even prouder to share. And honestly, it was a tenth of the price, and it’s a better stone, and I don't feel worried or guilty when I wear it. I get a nice feeling when I look at it, not only is it D / IF, it feels clean in every way that truly matters. 

Why Lab-Grown Diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds offer so many benefits. Amongst them are:

Ethically Sourced: No concerns over conflict sourcing or environmental harm. This gives a really warm glow, they feel kind and nice.

Identical to Natural Diamonds: Same physical, chemical, and optical properties. Now I really get it, I can’t see how I can honestly stand in front of a client and make the case for buying a thing that’s exactly the same as another thing but 10 x the price.

Affordable Luxury: More sparkle for your money without compromising on quality.

Embracing the Future

At KJJ Diamonds, we’re dedicated to bringing you the finest lab-grown diamonds, set with all the care and precision I’ve experienced in dealing in the best antique and vintage pieces over the years at KJJ.Rocks. Whether you’re looking for an engagement ring, a special gift, or a treat for yourself, our collection has something for everyone. And if you can’t see exactly what you’re looking for, get in touch, and we’ll make it for you, for less than you’d expect.

Join Our Sparkling Journey

Thank you for joining us on the first steps of this sparkling journey. Stay tuned for a roundup of what we’re setting up each week, new designs as they go live, and insights about what’s going on in the trade from the heart of Hatton Garden. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to keep up with our latest creations and exclusive offers. Share your KJJ Diamonds moments with the hashtag #KJJDiamonds, and you might just be featured on our page!

Keep shining bright, and I’ll see you next week!

Warmest regards,

Katherine
Founder of KJJ Diamonds