Lab-grown diamond prices in Canada now have a benchmark of their own. Wholesale prices fell 13 per cent year over year in Q2 2026, but one-carat rounds rose 1 per cent — the first firming in the category’s history. For Canadian retailers, a one-carat IGI-certified CVD round now wholesales for roughly $490 to $840 CAD.
This is the first edition of the Canadian Jeweller Lab-Grown Diamond Price Report, published quarterly. Each edition converts the leading wholesale benchmarks into Canadian dollars and explains what the numbers mean for buying decisions in this market.
What are lab-grown diamond prices in Canada at wholesale?
The most cited benchmark, Edahn Golan’s LGD Wholesale Price List, recorded an average decline of 13 per cent year over year in the second quarter. The index now sits 96 per cent below its July 2018 starting point. However, the average hides a split market.
| Size (rounds, IGI-certified) | Change, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025 | Approx. wholesale (USD/ct) | Approx. wholesale (CAD/ct)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00–1.49 ct | +1% | $350–$600 | $490–$840 |
| 1.50–1.99 ct | −11% | varies by make | varies by make |
| 2.00 ct and up | −20% | varies by make | varies by make |
*Converted at approximately 1.40 CAD per USD (Bank of Canada, mid-July 2026). Wholesale figures reflect cash transactions for IGI-certified goods in Mumbai and Surat and exclude shipping, insurance, and Canadian import costs.
Why are one-carat prices rising while larger stones fall?
Larger stones historically carried the fattest wholesale margins, which left them the most exposed once retail pressure arrived. Two-carat goods consequently absorbed the steepest cut, down 20 per cent in a year. One-carat rounds behave differently. Demand for them has actually slowed as bigger stones became affordable, yet their price firmed. Analysts read this as a sign the category has found its floor at popular price points rather than a response to demand.
What is happening to rough lab-grown prices?
Here is the number that should catch every buyer’s attention: rough lab-grown prices are moving up while polished prices drift down. Chinese producers raised rough prices by at least 30 per cent this spring, and Diamond Foundry lifted its prices by about 25 per cent. Because production costs remain very low, these increases look like opportunistic moves in a consolidating market. If they hold, the gap between rough and polished pricing will squeeze midstream players first — and could firm polished prices later in the year.
How are consumers responding?
United States specialty retailers grew lab-grown diamond jewellery sales 24 per cent in the second quarter, according to Tenoris, with unit sales rising alongside revenue. The ceiling is equally clear: average spending per piece has stayed inside a narrow band for 18 months. Shoppers keep buying more lab-grown jewellery, but they refuse to spend more per purchase. Canadian Jeweller has tracked diamond price pressure and new industrial demand before. Comparable Canadian point-of-sale data for lab-grown diamond prices is not publicly available — a gap this report will note openly until a reliable Canadian source exists.
What should Canadian retailers do with these numbers?
Three decisions follow from this quarter’s data. First, hold firm on one-carat pricing; the wholesale floor under that size means discounting there gives away margin the market no longer demands. Second, treat two-carat-plus inventory cautiously, because replacement cost keeps falling and aged stock at yesterday’s cost is a real risk. Third, build assortments around fixed consumer budgets. The evidence says a $1,500 or $2,500 ticket works — the growth is in giving customers more look for the same spend, not in pushing tickets higher.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 1-carat lab-grown diamond cost wholesale in Canada?
In Q2 2026, IGI-certified CVD rounds around one carat trade for roughly $350 to $600 USD per carat — about $490 to $840 CAD before shipping, insurance, and import costs.
Are lab-grown diamond prices still falling in 2026?
The average wholesale price fell 13 per cent year over year in Q2 2026, but the decline is decelerating, and one-carat rounds rose 1 per cent. The market shows signs of stabilizing.
Do lab-grown diamonds face import duty in Canada?
Loose diamonds generally enter duty-free, while finished jewellery can carry duty of up to 8.5 per cent depending on classification and origin. GST and provincial taxes apply on importation.
Why did rough lab-grown diamond prices increase?
Producers in China raised prices at least 30 per cent and Diamond Foundry about 25 per cent in mid-2026 — widely read as opportunistic pricing in a consolidating market rather than demand-driven increases.
Where does the wholesale data come from?
Primary sources are Edahn Golan’s quarterly LGD Wholesale Price List (transactions in Mumbai and Surat for IGI-certified goods) and Tenoris retail analytics, converted to Canadian dollars at the Bank of Canada rate.
Sources: Edahn Golan Diamond Research, Q2 2026 LGD Wholesale Price List; Tenoris; Bank of Canada daily exchange rates.
