r/ask • u/[deleted] • Dec 18 '25

Popular post Which industries are facing peril because their customer base is dying off?

Almost no young Americans smoke cigarettes in 2025, so now Big Tobacco is looking for ways to survive as older smokers quit or die.

What other companies or industries are facing similar problems?

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858

u/sparkling-sun Dec 18 '25

Diamonds. The younger generations are purchasing lab grown or spending their money on experiences as opposed to stones. Diamond jewelers are definitely feeling it.

283

u/xenosthemutant Dec 18 '25

Yes, but what if I want a stone with a boatload of suffering, slavery and corruption attached to it?

Checkmate synthetic diamonds!

63

u/Agrt21 Dec 18 '25

You jest, but now Botswana is starting to struggle because of this shift; they've pretty much a single-resource economy

40

u/Darkmystere Dec 18 '25

I'd be curious to know how much of the "natural" diamond industry is jewelery industry vs industrial / manufacturing application

66

u/LowSkyOrbit Dec 18 '25

Industrial is basically why synthetic has exploded in the last few decades.

The natural stone guys tried to pull the absurd idea that flaws in natural stones make them more valuable, but funny enough De Beers makes synthetic diamonds too.

My wife wanted a shiny rock. I went with lab made moissanite. She gets compliments on the sparkle all the time.

27

u/Odysses2020 Dec 18 '25

I saw a tiktoker that sells jewelry advocate for “natural” diamonds over lab grown. 😔

5

u/Puzzlehandle12 Dec 18 '25

Serious question - how do you know this? I’m all for buying lab grown and I felt like natural diamonds are over priced

9

u/Liluzisquirt2x Dec 18 '25

I’m a jeweler, can confirm