The high quality and low price of laboratory diamonds give them a near-universal appeal; By Brilliant devotees are a diverse and slightly unlikely bunch. Cash-strapped young lotharios and magpie-eyed bargain hunters pick out key pieces of fashionable frosting at the Chelsea store, only to find themselves rubbing shoulders with the wealthy. Saudi princesses descend on the shop each summer, and according to Dervla and Emma, 'treat the boutique like a playground, buying the jewellery as if it were sweets'. For those lucky enough to own the real thing, these stand-in stones offer a chance for carefree pleasure, allowing them to pop to Harrods, or dive off their yachts fully kitted out in bling, without worrying about a priceless jewel coming loose from its setting, or being stolen. Nervous soon-to-be husbands pop in to choose a financially accessible alternative to the ring their wide-eyed sweetheart is hankering after, only splashing the cash on a real diamond once the 'yes' is firmly in the bag. Women make good customers, too - tired of waiting to be given jewels, they have started spending their hard-earned cash on sparklers for themselves.
