Can a Lab-Grown Diamond Be an Heirloom?

Diamonds, they say, are forever. Since time immemorial, fine jewellery has been about what lasts, be it a ring inherited from a grandmother or earrings passed from mother to daughter. Now a new perspective has entered the conversation, and Astrea London has chosen Dubai to take it forward. Founded by Nathalie Morrison, the London maison works only with lab-grown diamonds. It has brought Sarah Jessica Parker's second collection as Global Creative Director to the UAE, fresh from its New York debut. Parker launched her first Astrea collection here last December and has called working with the brand "a dream come true".

Lab-grown diamonds however, aren't new. They have spent years challenging the idea that they are second best, and in 2025, De Beers announced it would close Lightbox, its own lab-grown label, to focus on natural stones. Astrea differs on this. "We believe that true luxury is defined not simply by tradition, but by the beauty, quality, creativity and emotion behind every creation," says Morrison. Every diamond Astrea uses is graded D, E or F for colour, with VS1 clarity or better. The new pieces make that case in different moods. Bloom is the softest: white and pink diamonds set in 18-carat white gold, across earrings, rings and necklaces. At the other end is a new pairing for Astrea, black gold with teal blue diamonds. It appears in the sculptural Architecture Earrings and the Solitaire Architecture Ring, where the dark metal makes the colour of the stones feel almost electric.

Then there is the French Riviera Necklace, the piece Astrea expects to become its signature. It features 175 carats of D-colour diamonds and 153 fresh pearls, with matching climbing earrings, and the brand presents it as the first of its kind in lab-grown jewellery. If any single piece symbolises the answer to the lingering question about whether lab-grown stones belong in high jewellery, it will probably be this one. The maison has also stepped into men's jewellery for the first time, with a collection created with international rugby player Maro Itoje.

Coming back to the question: can a lab-grown necklace ever be a family heirloom? Only time will answer that. In the meantime, Astrea London offers lasting design and quality to cherish.

In Dubai, Astrea London is at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, and is part of a growing list of addresses that includes Ritz Paris, Mandarin Oriental Lutetia in Paris, Villa La Coste in Provence and One&Only Kea Island in Greece.

www.astrealondon.com | @astrealondon