Lab grown Diamonds - Thoughts?

[cecchetti]

I agree with you on both counts. It's cheap to make and buy LG, but they still have to be cut and polished (which granted is all done by lasers and machines) many are outsourced in India, handed on through highly regulated companies and outsourced to smaller communities that may not have such strict labour regs on labour practices, not know them or disregard them. Lab-grown are absolutely NOT the ethical choice many believe them to be - and that's not including the vast amount of energy needed for HPHT/CVD.

Russian diamonds are illegal to buy for many people because there are sanctions against the country in many parts of the world, including where @cecchetti and I live. That is all. It is illegal for us to buy them even from third parties, or sell them (Reg '24). Likewise the EU, perhaps the US too.

I think if anyone buys diamonds informed and from traceable means there should be no problem, GL or natural. There is a lot of fear of buying LG unwittingly, but soon that will be a thing of the past with the new testing equipment obtainable.

I own 2 Russian pink diamonds, bought before the sanctions against Russian diamonds.

It’s hard to value them(I’m having one valued now), as if they were Argyle they would be very valuable, but as @papertiger rightly said, I can’t sell them, however I Can insure and wear them, however I couldn’t replace them.

This is off topic however, sorry!

 

[duna]

Do they make old cut LG diamonds aswell? I'm not a big fan of diamonds in general, I have some old cut ones from my grandmothers and great-grandmothers and I prefer them to modern cut diamonds: I like the idea that they have been in the family for centuries and have a history. I would have no problem whatsoever buying LG diamonds instead of natural ones.

 

[pammbw]

Do they make old cut LG diamonds aswell? I'm not a big fan of diamonds in general, I have some old cut ones from my grandmothers and great-grandmothers and I prefer them to modern cut diamonds: I like the idea that they have been in the family for centuries and have a history. I would have no problem whatsoever buying LG diamonds instead of natural ones.

Yes, several companies cut lab diamonds in old euro, old mine, and many old style cuts as well as innovative new cuts. Thats a benefit of labs is the cost is lower so cutters can experiment a bit more with cut styles, and have been producing some gorgeous pieces!

 

[pammbw]

If they were real they would hold the same value as the real ones. But they’re getting super cheap and will get cheaper every year.
Diamonds are investments. Lab diamonds are not, good luck with reselling them.

Diamonds are not investments, mined or lab. Jewelry as a whole is not an investment. Unless you are Elizabeth Taylor or QE2, your jewelry isnt worth nearly what you paid for it. Thats a bad ROI.

 

[Mrs.Z]

Agreed that diamonds are not an investment, especially since the value of mined diamonds has collapsed about 25-30%.

 

[pammbw]

I like natural diamonds too. The growth curve is different when you examine the mined diamonds and lab-grown diamonds under equipment. To me, the lab-grown diamonds are just like the cultured pearls. One can get one piece of perfect looking cultured pearls. But if one has the real south sea pearls, they cost a lot. I do not buy lab-grown diamonds now as they are still over-priced to me. If the lab-grown diamonds down to less than $500 per carat, I will purchase them just for fun. If I lose it on the street, it is ok, just like loosing a crystal. I will only buy lab-grown diamonds as a fashion jewelry, like cultured pearls or shell pearls. They are pretty and fun to wear, but no value at all. The value is not referring to re-sell value. I refer to that if it is lost or stolen, I am not upset at all, just go buy another

You actually bring up a good “compromise “ if you will. I am one of those people that believes there is room for both lab and natural diamonds in the jewelry marketplace and we don’t need to do all this bickering back and forth.

We can use natural diamonds for bridal jewelry and use lab diamonds for everyday or fashion jewelry.

We also need to put to final rest the whole ridiculous resale/investment argument. Diamonds have little resale value. I’ll say it again for those that need to hear it twice- diamonds of any type have little resale value.

 

[pammbw]

That’s a false equivalency. Value is only determined by the market. I don’t consider losing money on a trade-in by having to pay more per carat for the replacement an investment. That’s just a device that benefits the jeweler. Diamonds bought at retail are not an investment and it’s so great that lab stones are becoming less expensive because most people who buy them do not care if they ever get their money back - they love the intrinsic beauty of the stones. Historically the allure of diamonds included the perceived price that may have been paid thus creating an image of wealth. That image is no longer part of the equation.

You make very good points. I am glad that we are getting back to the real reason why diamonds are the top of the gemstone heap- and it IS NOT price, rarity or any of that marketing baloney we’ve been told for decades.

The REAL REASON diamonds are the best of the best- sparkle, hardness and durability. Diamonds have a particular sparkle, not too much, not too little. Just right. But the big reasons are hardness and durability. A diamond is more than a hundred times harder than the next gemstone down on the Mohs scale, sapphire. Which means diamonds can be repaired with tools jewelers have on hand- no special equipment required. Durability is excellent, good for everyday wear- which is why diamonds are chosen for bridal jewelry-not because they are expensive. Other softer gemstones will not stand up to the daily wear.

Those factors are available in both lab and natural diamonds, so why pay more for the same thing?

 

[limom]

As far as reselling jewelry, gold is where safety/resale is.
the scrap price is published. No surprise if you need cash, imo.
Hopefully, no one here has to resale their jewelry in case of emergency

 

[pammbw]

Be careful, illegal Russian diamonds (manufactured in India - along with legal stones from elsewhere) are being sold through Dubai. That's one reason they're 'good value'.



Composite Rubies are real (i.e. test as ruby). The price difference between composite and naturally mined stones are not comparable.


A lot of people are just going to wear LG diamonds as fun, fashion pieces as the price continues to drop. There are HUGE factories in India and China that are churning stones out as fast as possible. With the development of testing equipment it's going to be harder to equate LG with natural so I think there'll be two totally different markets.

I disagree. Mixing lab in with natural diamonds is already a big problem, like you said- lab stones from India funneled through Dubai and sold as Russian diamonds. I already see many sellers listing pieces simply as diamond and not one or the other. Deceptive in my opinion.

I see a future where there will be no differentiation between lab and natural. Just diamonds.

 

[mocktail]

Yes, several companies cut lab diamonds in old euro, old mine, and many old style cuts as well as innovative new cuts. Thats a benefit of labs is the cost is lower so cutters can experiment a bit more with cut styles, and have been producing some gorgeous pieces!

Distinctive Gem does old cuts of lab diamonds.

Ouros Jewels does very innovative cuts of lab diamonds. Look at their “antique shapes”. They do a shape that’s a popular theme at bachelorette parties in the US Plus lots of other interesting shapes.

 

[GraffS]

I’m a qualified gemmologist and used to work in Bond Street, my specialities (which I wear and collect) are Type 11a and Type 11b(blue) diamonds.

The only old piece I have is my paternal grandmothers.

I also wouldn’t wear lab diamonds-but I’m keen to see your earrings!

I’ll post them when they’re ready. On Friday hopefully.
I’m planning on wearing them as my casual every day earrings.

 

[GraffS]

Picked up the earrings made with my 4 + carats lab diamonds (2.11 and 2.14 stones, F color). I’m happy with them and this is the design I wanted for many years. Yet I still feel like these are not real diamonds.

 

[missie1]

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Picked up the earrings made with my 4 + carats lab diamonds (2.11 and 2.14 stones, F color). I’m happy with them and this is the design I wanted for many years. Yet I still feel like these are not real diamonds.

Let’s get into this total Earstack. It’s a bling fest and so perfect. I need the deets on that tragus earring. I do understand how you feel about the labs. I feel the same but think of them as fashion/costume jewelry that you wear when creating different looks.

 

[GraffS]

Let’s get into this total Earstack. It’s a bling fest and so perfect. I need the deets on that tragus earring. I do understand how you feel about the labs. I feel the same but think of them as fashion/costume jewelry that you wear when creating different looks.

Oh thank you!

The tragus flower/leaves kind of thing is La Bella jewelry from Dubai.
The other one not sure the name of it is Maria Tash.

On my other ear all piercings are Maria Tash.

All my piercings are real diamonds though 😆 I do feel like the lab diamond is like a higher version of costume jewelry. I know it’s technically a diamond but not really… it doesn’t feel right. Feels almost like if I purchased a superfake. People say wow huge diamonds but I feel like I’m cheating.

 

[missie1]

Oh thank you!

The tragus flower/leaves kind of thing is La Bella jewelry from Dubai.
The other one not sure the name of it is Maria Tash.

On my other ear all piercings are Maria Tash.

All my piercings are real diamonds though 😆 I do feel like the lab diamond is like a higher version of costume jewelry. I know it’s technically a diamond but not really… it doesn’t feel right. Feels almost like if I purchased a superfake. People say wow huge diamonds but I feel like I’m cheating.

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I love Maria Tash jewelry. I think these look stunning but it’s hard for you to feel that way because you don’t consider labs to be real. I understand but try considering these as fashion earrings same as we would consider Chanel Costume pieces.