Once overshadowed by natural diamonds in consumer markets, lab-grown versions of the world’s strongest natural substance have become a bright spot for industrial applications, fuelled by the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom. As the world’s largest producer of the synthetic gems, China has posted strong export growth in recent years. “But over the past five years, China’s lab-grown diamond industry has emerged as a major powerhouse. A worker is seen at an intelligent-production workshop for lab-grown diamonds in China’s Henan province. Photo: XinhuaLab-grown diamonds are chemically and physically identical to natural ones, with the same material properties.