Are lab-grown diamonds (LGD) here to replace natural diamonds? That’s the tension at the heart of the LGD debate. While they are chemically identical to mined diamonds, they serve a different purpose. The LGD story is one of changing behaviour — of how diamonds are moving from rare, milestone purchases to everyday, self-expressive, repeatable ones. @apurvavc (Apurva) and @muskan9gupta (Muskan) from Blume’s investment team have spent months tracking this trend, speaking to growers, cutters, retailers, brands, and end-consumers. Their latest Bluprint breaks down the what, why now, and where the opportunity lies across the LGD stack. Here are some of the ideas that stood out: 💎 This isn’t “cheap diamonds.” It’s a new purchase behaviour. LGDs are enabling optionality, not just affordability. A 1-carat stone is no longer reserved for engagement , it’s now birthday-worthy, boardroom-ready, and self-giftable. The shift is from “once-in-a-lifetime” to “why not now.” 🛍️ India is shifting from store-of-value to style-within-budget. Today’s buyer is mixing 9k/14k/18k gold, silver, fashion jewellery and LGDs. Jewellery is becoming a way to reflect identity and mood; its something you wear for *yourself*, not for future liquidity. Jewellery is evolving from a long-term store of value to a short-cycle style statement. 🧠 The real barrier isn’t awareness. It’s perception. In a survey of India1 consumers, 90% had heard of lab-grown diamonds, but only 40% were open to considering a purchase, primarily due to concerns around prestige. But once the prestige hurdle is crossed, repeat behaviour kicks in. The narrative around LGDs should change to make it acceptable for everyday wear to increase conversion. Natural diamonds will always have emotional equity. But LGDs are expanding the pie — and reshaping the definition of what a diamond means in everyday life. 📖 Read the full Bluprint by Apurva and Muskan here → docs.google.com/presentation… @BKartRed @AshishFafadia @sajithpai @sanjaynath @arpiit @riashroff @saritaraichu @mehtaalok @mitul_am @SeekingN0rth @DeepikaDakuda @gauthamsiv @ray_elton99 @vikramg05 @llnachull

Anyone who likes discovering and shopping from novelty brands?? If you do, we @flashcoapp_in have been working on something super-cool for you and we’d love to give you beta access. Please DM!

My fav senior was part of the team that came up with the report. ✨

The Indus Valley Report 2025 - 4th edition is here!! 🎉 This report is our take on India and the Indian startup ecosystem, through different lenses to sensemake what we call as “Indus Valley” - a catch-all moniker for the Indian startup ecosystem. Here are 14 lenses or frames for you all to munch on @sajithpai @llnachull @blumeventures @dhruvtrehan9

The 2025 edition of @BlumeVentures's Indus Valley Annual Report drops this week. There are seven sections in this report. I’ve been lucky to work on it for seven months with @sajithpai, @anurag_pagaria and @llnachull. And here are seven insights from behind the scenes of putting together this oracle of the Indian startup ecosystem (in four tweets 🙈) 🧵

It is that time of the year again!