Bigger Stones, Fewer Pieces: What India's Brides Are Choosing This Wedding Season, According to a 17-Store Lab-Grown Jeweller
Surat (Gujarat) [India], October 17: India's wedding season is spending more per wedding and buying differently, says Ivana Jewels, the Surat-based lab-grown diamond and Polki jewellery retailer with 17 showrooms across 15 cities. Across its stores, the brand reports a clear pattern: brides are choosing fewer pieces and larger stones, and 2-carat solitaires have moved from an aspiration to a routine ask. The brand's lab grown diamonds and bridal collections cater to customers exploring contemporary designs for their wedding celebrations.
VMPL
Surat (Gujarat) [India], October 17: India's wedding season is spending more per wedding and buying differently, says Ivana Jewels, the Surat-based lab-grown diamond and Polki jewellery retailer with 17 showrooms across 15 cities. Across its stores, the brand reports a clear pattern: brides are choosing fewer pieces and larger stones, and 2-carat solitaires have moved from an aspiration to a routine ask. The brand's lab grown diamonds and bridal collections cater to customers exploring contemporary designs for their wedding celebrations.
The season in numbers
The Confederation of All India Traders estimated 46 lakh weddings between 1 November and 14 December 2025, with spending of ₹6.5 lakh crore, against 48 lakh weddings and ₹5.9 lakh crore a year earlier - fewer weddings, higher spend per wedding. Jewellery is the largest single category at 15% of wedding spend, ahead of apparel and catering.
On the supply side, India's export volume of polished lab-grown diamonds overtook natural diamonds for the first time in the year to March 2026, according to figures published by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC): lab-grown exports rose almost 31% to 18.84 million carats, against 16.00 million carats of natural diamonds, down almost 4%. Department of Commerce data shows the trend continuing into calendar 2026, with 7.05 million carats of lab-grown diamonds exported between January and May against 6.70 million carats of natural. Lab-grown is now the volume category, by carats shipped if not yet by value.
What store teams are seeing
Stone first, setting second. The budget that once went entirely into a sub-one-carat natural solitaire now buys a certified 2-carat lab-grown stone and leaves enough over to put into gold or a first investment. Brides are wearing the bigger diamond and investing the difference. It is the smarter buy: same sparkle, a certificate to prove it, and money left over that keeps growing. Ivana's teams report that engagement buyers increasingly walk in with a carat target and choose the setting afterwards. Customers exploring lab grown diamonds can also refer to the brand's 2-carat lab-grown diamond price guide when comparing diamond sizes.
Polki is back, grown. Lab-grown uncut Polki - traditional Polki craftsmanship with laboratory-grown uncut diamonds - has become a bridal mainstay across Ivana's stores, bought for the wedding day and the sangeet rather than as a single statement piece. Polki is covered under the brand's lifetime buyback on the same terms as its other jewellery. Customers can explore the Polki diamond jewellery collection for more designs.
Lighter gold, more wear. Ivana introduced 9kt gold six months ago for everyday and workwear pieces; brides are increasingly adding a lighter 9kt set for the days after the wedding alongside the main bridal purchase. The brand's bridal lab grown diamond jewellery range offers another option for customers considering jewellery for their wedding celebrations.
Order-by dates for November weddings
Made-to-order pieces take 14 to 21 days including design approval. For a wedding on 25 November, the last safe date to confirm a made-to-order design is 4 November. Ready-to-ship designs dispatch within 48 hours. Ivana recommends shortlisting on a virtual appointment or home trial before the store visit, and confirming the CAD preview in writing.
Customers planning their Bridal Wedding Jewellery can explore the Bridal diamond jewellery collection and confirm availability and delivery timelines before placing an order.
What every piece carries
Each Ivana diamond is a laboratory-grown diamond certified by IGI or SGL; gold is BIS-hallmarked 9kt, 14kt or 18kt with a verifiable HUID. The brand's lifetime buyback returns 80% of the prevailing diamond value and 100% of the prevailing gold value under its published terms, and applies to Polki as well as diamond jewellery. Customers considering bridal lab grown diamond jewellery can review the brand's product information and policies before making a purchase.
"When we opened in 2023, a bride chose the biggest stone her budget allowed and compromised on certification or setting. Now she chooses the 2-carat stone, gets the certificate, and still has budget for the setting she wanted. Buyers aren't spending less on lab-grown; they're finally buying what they wanted in the first place." - Ayushi Jindal, Co-founder, Ivana Jewels
About Ivana Jewels
Ivana Jewels (Ivana Lifestyle Private Limited) was founded in 2023 in Surat. The brand offers IGI- or SGL-certified lab-grown diamond jewellery in BIS-hallmarked 9kt, 14kt and 18kt gold through its showrooms and online store, with customisation, virtual appointments, home trials and a lifetime buyback policy subject to applicable terms. The brand offers lab grown diamonds in styles suited to both everyday wear and wedding celebrations.
For more information, visit the Ivana Jewels facts page.
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