It seems some posters here are missing an important point about engagement rings: they are a gesture of financial commitment. The expensive price tag is a feature, not a bug that can be solved by creating chemically-identical but inexpensive alternatives.
If lab-grown stones become the norm for ethical reasons, but they are priced too low, I can see culture shifting to new gestures of commitment.
If lab-grown stones become the norm for ethical reasons, but they are priced too low, I can see culture shifting to new gestures of commitment.