Billions of years in the making, buried deep under the Earth’s crust in extreme heat and pressure, diamonds have long been synonymous with rarity and indestructibility. But when you remove that elemental interplay of forces, do diamonds still hold the same appeal?
If the boom in lab-grown diamonds is any sign, there’s a niche group of buyers willing to forgo natural rarity to get practically the same product for a fraction of the price.According to Verified Market Research’s “Global Synthetic Diamond Market” report, that “niche” was valued at US$21.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$38.9 billion by 2030. Another report, by Research and Markets, suggests the market grew by 50 per cent between 2015 and 2022.
Few pieces add such a timeless edge to everyday jewellery as a welded bracelet. These stand-alone pieces – sometimes known as permanent jewellery – come as ultra-slim chains, usually in silver or gold, and are available in a variety of finishes, styles and thicknesses, fastened onto your body in-store using a laser that links the chain into a seamless single strand. As such, welded jewels have no clasp, and thus cannot be taken off – unless cut with scissors.
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