A Legacy piece of ValentinaRings Breaks Record at Canadian Auction, Challenging all Myths About Lab-Grown Diamonds

Chicago jeweler Valentina Rings makes history as a legacy piece from late founder Elena Valentina sells for 350,000 CAD at a Toronto auction, setting a record.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A necklace designed by the late Elena Valentina of Chicago-based jeweler Valentina Rings sold this week for 350,000 CAD at a Canadian auction, setting a lab-grown diamond jewelry auction record and sparking fresh debate over the long-running divide between natural and lab-grown diamonds.

The dual-stone legacy piece, featuring a 6.82 carat white lab-grown diamond and a 5.49 carat champagne lab-grown diamond set in recycled 18k gold, drew international bidders from New York, London, and Dubai. Auctioneers confirmed it as the highest recorded sale for lab-grown diamond jewelry of its kind.

“This result proves what many in the industry have resisted for years — lab-grown diamond jewelry can command prestige, legitimacy, and record-breaking value,” said a Toronto-based jewelry analyst. “It is a hard rebuttal to decades of discrimination by natural diamond sellers who frame lab-grown as cheap or inferior.”



A Hard Slap to the Narrative of Natural Diamond Lobby

For decades, major mining companies and natural diamond lobby groups have poured millions into marketing campaigns designed to distinguish “natural” diamonds as the only “real” diamonds. Their propaganda typically pushes two myths:
1. That natural diamonds appreciate in value while lab-grown diamonds depreciate.
2. That natural diamonds are ethically superior, protected by the Kimberley Process.

The record-breaking Valentina Rings auction challenges both points head-on.



The Value Myth:

In public advertisements and private sales pitches, many jewelers tell customers that natural diamonds “hold their value” and lab-grown diamonds do not. Yet the reality is more nuanced.
• The only diamonds that truly appreciate in value are extremely rare stones: large, flawless, colored, or historical pieces. These account for less than 1% of all diamonds sold.
• More than 90% of buyers purchase common sizes — between 0.5 and 2 carats — which are widely available and not rare at all. These stones, whether mined or lab-grown, behave more like consumer goods than investments.

In fact, industry pricing data shows that natural diamonds have depreciated sharply in recent years:
• According to Rapaport price reports, natural diamonds have lost nearly 40% of their market value in the last five years (2019–2024).
• The oversupply of mined diamonds, combined with reduced consumer demand from younger generations, has accelerated this decline.

By contrast, lab-grown diamonds offer customers something different: access to higher quality at lower cost. As one Chicago jeweler put it:

“With a budget of $5,000, a buyer can afford a 5 carat D–E color, VVS1 lab-grown diamond ring. With the same budget, they may only get a 1 carat G–I color, VS1 natural diamond. The difference in beauty and quality is obvious to the eye. Which choice feels like better value to today’s consumers?”

For customers who value appearance, ethics, and experience over speculative investment which always depreciates, lab-grown diamonds are proving to be the smarter luxury.



The Ethics Myth:

The second myth promoted by the mined diamond industry is that natural diamonds are safer for society because of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Marketed as a safeguard against “blood diamonds,” the scheme was adopted in 2003 and still features prominently in mining companies’ advertising.

But in practice, the Kimberley Process is narrow and flawed. It only blocks diamonds sold by rebel groups to fund wars. It does not address exploitation, forced labor, or environmental devastation — issues often tied to diamonds mined under government control or large multinational corporations.

Some examples frequently cited by NGOs:
• In Zimbabwe’s Marange fields, government forces and private security companies have been accused of human rights abuses including forced labor, child labor, and violent crackdowns.
• In Angola, miners in formal operations have reported poor working conditions and intimidation tactics, despite Kimberley Process compliance.
• Reports from Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo highlight ongoing smuggling of uncertified stones, with little global enforcement.

As Global Witness, one of the original Kimberley Process NGOs, noted when it withdrew from the scheme in 2011: “The Kimberley Process has failed. It continues to certify blood-stained diamonds as conflict-free.”

Elena Valentina recognized this truth as early as 2016. That year, she announced Valentina Rings would abandon mined diamonds altogether, shifting exclusively to lab-grown diamonds and moissanite. It was, at the time, a radical move. Today, it looks prophetic.



The Auction Sale as Milestone:

The record-breaking necklace sale is being viewed not just as a win for Valentina Rings, but as a milestone for the entire lab-grown category.

“Lab-grown diamonds are no longer the underdog,” said an analyst from the Canadian Auctioneers Guild. “This auction demonstrates that with rarity, artistry, and story, lab-grown pieces can reach the same cultural and financial heights as any mined stone.”

For collectors, the piece is historic: one of only 194 creations Elena Valentina completed before her passing in 2020. For consumers, it validates what many already feel when they search for Valentina Rings reviews or Valentina Rings moissanite reviews online: that the brand is both legitimate and forward-thinking.



Why Customers Care: Due Diligence and Trust

Today’s buyers rarely walk blindly into jewelry purchases. Before spending thousands, they open Google and type questions like:
• Is Valentina Rings legit?
• Valentina Rings reviews
• Valentina Rings moissanite reviews

These searches reflect a healthy skepticism — the same skepticism that mining companies have weaponized against lab-grown diamonds. Yet what this auction shows is that legitimacy isn’t proven in slogans, it’s proven in history.

Valentina Rings, once a garage workshop in Chicago, has now achieved something even the biggest mining-backed brands cannot deny: a lab-grown diamond jewelry auction record.



Voices From Both Sides:

Natural diamond sellers continue to push back. Some argue that lab-grown stones are “synthetic” or “fake,” despite the fact that gemological institutes, including the GIA, classify them as diamonds with identical physical and chemical properties.

“Calling lab-grown fake is like calling test-tube babies fake humans,” said a New York jewelry professor. “It’s scientifically incorrect. Both are real. The difference is only origin.”

Meanwhile, customers who’ve purchased lab-grown continue to push back online. On Reddit and Quora, hundreds of threads discuss the experience of buying lab-grown versus mined. The recurring theme: people feel they get more beauty, size, and peace of mind from lab-grown — while avoiding the industry politics of mining.



Valentina Rings: A Legacy in Context

The brand at the center of this auction milestone carries its own story. Founded in 2008 by Elena Valentina, the company began as a small garage operation before growing into a Chicago studio. Elena’s philosophy — perfection, sustainability, and rare design — guided her to produce only 194 pieces in her lifetime.

Since her passing in 2020, the brand has continued under her name, launching an online store in 2022 and serving customers across the United States and abroad. Despite occasional skepticism — often reflected in searches like Is Valentina Rings legit? — the brand continues to prove its authenticity through transparency, sustainable practices, and now, this auction milestone.



Conclusion: A Shift Too Big to Ignore

The 350,000 CAD sale of a Valentina Rings necklace is more than a financial headline. It is a turning point in the conversation about diamonds.

It demonstrates that lab-grown diamond jewelry can:
• Achieve record auction prices.
• Earn legitimacy even among collectors.
• Offer consumers unmatched beauty and ethics at fair value.

For decades, the mined diamond industry has tried to discriminate against lab-grown diamonds with myths, propaganda, and fear. But history is rewriting itself. With every search for Valentina Rings reviews or Is Valentina Rings legit, more customers are finding answers not in marketing but in milestones.

The Valentina Rings auction is not just about one necklace. It is about a generational shift: away from the politics of mining, toward the future of modern luxury built on lab-grown brilliance.

Alex Xavier
Gems & Jewelry Society
+1 331-226-4248
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