The Hyundai, Lab Diamond 'Earnest Seoul' Popup Store Opens

- Lab Diamond Gaining Attention from MZ Generation, Especially Millennials
- Rational Choice: Increasing Stone Size and Choosing Lab Diamonds

Lab-grown diamond (hereinafter, lab diamond) jewelry brand Honest Seoul announced that it will hold a pop-up store on the first floor of The Hyundai Seoul for one week starting May 27.

Honest Seoul, a brand launched by creative director Moon Seol-ah, who was in charge of branding for 'Gentle Monster,' advocates 'contemporary fine jewelry that can be worn as a fashion item in everyday life.' Honest Seoul has gained popularity among the MZ generation with its sophisticated branding that breaks away from the old-fashioned image of fine jewelry, which was previously difficult for young people to approach.

Honest Seoul stated that the lab diamond market is rapidly growing, especially among millennial women in their 30s within the MZ generation. As of 2024, one-third of their customers are women in their 30s, and the website traffic from this demographic has increased about threefold compared to the previous quarter.

Jieun Choi, CEO of Honest Seoul, said, “Lab diamonds are already gaining attention among young people overseas,” adding, “Luxury brands such as Pandora, Swarovski, and TAG Heuer are also introducing products using lab diamonds.” She further explained, “Lab diamonds are about one-tenth the price of natural diamonds based on unmounted stones and are free from the environmental destruction and human rights issues continuously raised in the natural diamond industry, meeting the needs of the MZ generation who want reasonable and meaningful consumption.” She added, “Especially among those born in the 1990s who are beginning to enter the marriage market, there is a noticeable tendency to choose lab diamonds over natural diamonds while opting for larger carat sizes.”

With lab diamonds as the theme, Honest Seoul’s pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul plans to target the MZ generation by offering various experience zones. These include a ‘1 Carat Experience Zone’ where visitors can try on 1-carat rings and a ‘Natural VS Lab’ event zone comparing natural diamonds and lab diamonds. The store will be designed to allow visitors to explore various lab diamond products in their desired sizes and designs.

Meanwhile, lab diamonds refer to diamonds grown by artificially recreating the environment similar to how diamonds grow naturally, using natural diamond seeds. Honest Seoul explained, “If natural diamonds are icicles formed in nature, lab diamonds can be compared to ice cubes frozen in a freezer,” adding, “Lab diamonds are physically and chemically identical to natural diamonds and are therefore also classified as diamonds.”