Are “natural” diamonds still worth it if you can get a near-identical alternative for a fraction of the cost? With a boost from celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, lab-grown competitors could be coming for the crown.

On today’s Big Take podcast, guest host Stacey Vanek Smith talks to industry insiders and De Beers Group CEO Al Cook about what $12 half-carat earrings could mean for the luxury business’ future and how the old guard is pushing back. 

Read more: The Diamond Industry’s Old Guard Wants You to Buy ‘Natural’


We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer

Host: Stacey Vanek Smith; Guests: Al Cook, Edahn Golan, Adelle Archer; Produced by Julia Press; Edited by Aaron Edwards; Engineering by Sean Carter.

Are &ldquo;natural&rdquo; diamonds still worth it if you can get a near-identical alternative for a fraction of the cost? With a boost from celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, lab-grown competitors could be coming for the crown.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, guest host Stacey Vanek Smith talks to industry insiders and De Beers Group CEO Al Cook about what $12 half-carat earrings could mean for the luxury business&rsquo; future and how the old guard is pushing back.&nbsp;
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-18/de-beers-and-the-natural-diamond-industry-face-a-lab-grown-reckoning">The Diamond Industry&rsquo;s Old Guard Wants You to Buy &lsquo;Natural&rsquo; </a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer</a>
Host: Stacey Vanek Smith; Guests: Al Cook, Edahn Golan, Adelle Archer; Produced by Julia Press; Edited by Aaron Edwards; Engineering by Sean Carter.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Diamond Industry’s Battle for Your Ring Finger

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/51f8f48b-7164-4ffc-a93b-b4e501356035/transcript