India, Feb. 25 -- Vidita Kochar Jain was stunned by the big diamond studded on the proposal ring. The boyfriend was aspiring to be the husband. It must have been frightfully expensive - the thought kept gnawing at her until she came to know that it was a man-made diamond created in laboratories, barely in a few weeks.

Vidita wasn't aware that the chemistry that goes behind the making of these vanity rocks could now create the magic sparkle at a cost that suits the budget-conscious Indian as natural diamond gets increasingly out of bounds.

What makes lab-grown diamonds 80-95% cheaper than natural diamonds? It was an obvious curiosity for someone like Vidita, who experienced the artificial gemstone for the first time. It takes 100-300 Cr ...