How ‘Seeds’ and Super-Hot Gas Could Take Down the $80 Billion Diamond Industry

Lab-grown diamonds, which are quietly arriving in stores across the country, are increasingly marketed to younger Americans as an ethically sourced alternative to traditional diamonds. They cost about 20 percent less than mined diamonds and, according to experts, are indistinguishable to the ­naked eye. And yes, they sparkle. (All diamonds are made of just one element: carbon.)