Lab grown Diamonds - Thoughts?

[loverose]

Bf was on the checkout page for natural mined, but I stopped him and made him get lab grown instead. Personally, I have no attachment to the idea of something being billions of years old. On the contrary, I think lab grown symbolizes human brilliance, perseverance and awesome pursuit of science and technology. I may be biased as I work in a lab myself, and therefore have no negative connotations towards lab work. Price, of course, was a bonus.

I’d also note that the band and setting were done by a local jeweler, NOT Clean Origin from whom we purchased a loose stone. Once received, I noticed the right side prongs weren’t straight, but that has nothing to do with whether it’s lab or natural.

Anyway, here’s a few photos with different lighting. It’s GIA G and VS1 for reference.

View attachment 5039671View attachment 5039672View attachment 5039673

100% agree with this! My husband and I both work in science/technology fields. Lab grown diamonds make so much sense to us. We have zero attachment to something coming directly from the earth and being billions of years old, and we believe that we can use science to make the world a better place.

Lab grown diamonds also appeal to our desire for our lifestyle to have minimal impact on the earth. We aren’t vegan or anything like that, I still buy and wear leather goods, but when we can make a choice that is more environmentally friendly we do.

We bought my 2.04ct lab grown stone separately and had it set by our local jeweller about 3 years ago. No problems with it so far and it sparkles brilliantly ☺️

 

[Gourmetgal]

Here is an article on natural vs. lab grown diamonds. It is not so much if it's "real" or not. It's that these lab grown diamonds are not rare, they can be created anytime (e.g. endless supply) and they will not retain their value. When China and India start producing them in their factories, the price will crash even further.

Consumers View Natural, Lab-Grown Diamonds Differently, Says De Beers – JCK (jckonline.com)

Good article. Personally I wouldn’t mind if prices continued to decrease but the retailers need to allow for trade-ins within a certain timeframe. At some point prices will bottom out. You would think that eventually the lab-grown will affect the value of mined diamonds negatively...meaning decrease the value because of a halo effect and doubt about authenticity of mined diamonds. As for endless supply, just go to any diamond mart and after seeing thousands of diamonds on display you really begin to feel that even mined diamonds are nothing special or unique. Just another consumer good. It’s bothersome that China will end up being the biggest producer...I hate to give them anymore business than necessary and I would certainly avoid them.

 

[BigAkoya]

Good article. Personally I wouldn’t mind if prices continued to decrease but the retailers need to allow for trade-ins within a certain timeframe. At some point prices will bottom out. You would think that eventually the lab-grown will affect the value of mined diamonds negatively...meaning decrease the value because of a halo effect and doubt about authenticity of mined diamonds. As for endless supply, just go to any diamond mart and after seeing thousands of diamonds on display you really begin to feel that even mined diamonds are nothing special or unique. Just another consumer good. It’s bothersome that China will end up being the biggest producer...I hate to give them anymore business than necessary and I would certainly avoid them.

I think when lab grown diamonds are mass produced by China / India and prices drop, this will cause some jewelers to create cheap low end jewelery pieces. Once that happens, it will kill the allure of a lab grown diamond as people may associate it with being "cheap" man-made stuff, with "cheap" being the issue, not the natural vs. man-made debate. No one wants to waste money on jewelry perceived as "cheap", and especially not fine jewelry. When cubic zirconia first came out, there was fear it would kill the diamond market, then it was the same when moissanite came out. The marketing for these created stones was great at first and cause a lot of hype and demand. It even had diamond producers worried. Then jewelers decided to use these stones in cheap jewelry, and that killed it. For most, a jewelry purchase is based on emotion and often a sentimental gesture. Once these become "Made in China / India", say $9.99 per carat factory-made stones, no marketing can save that perception of it being cheap.

 

[limom]

Well I disagree about the perception that made in China/India will bother the brands.
Since some handbags/clothes/shoes have been made there and no savings were passed on to the consumer, I suspect that some brand will adopt some of the same techniques to market their goods, jmo.
Tiffany sells both 18 and 14k and that strange rubeido metal, for instance. Some stones are sourced and cut in lower quality areas.
Prada has bags made in China. The prices still raised. And few consumers noticed or stopped buying the brand.
Same will happen with lab diamonds. Marketers will find a clever way to market and consumers will accept the switch.

 

[BPC]

Well I disagree about the perception that made in China/India will bother the brands.
Since some handbags/clothes/shoes have been made there and no savings were passed on to the consumer, I suspect that some brand will adopt some of the same techniques to market their goods, jmo.
Tiffany sells both 18 and 14k and that strange rubeido metal, for instance. Some stones are sourced and cut in lower quality areas.
Prada has bags made in China. The prices still raised. And few consumers noticed or stopped buying the brand.
Same will happen with lab diamonds. Marketers will find a clever way to market and consumers will accept the switch.

Tiffany sells 14k??
They're phasing the Rubedo out.

 

[Minimalist_Chic]

... Once these become "Made in China / India", say $9.99 per carat factory-made stones, no marketing can save that perception of it being I cheap.

I think we need to change our perception that just because diamonds are made in China or India that they are cheap or of lesser rarity. China and India are now one of the top diamond consumptions so for them to be able to produce for their domestic markets as well as to export to the US and Europe of higher quality is critical. Also, there's a reason why they are produced there, it's not all only costs, just like designer handbags then to be made in Europe. We have historically viewed that goods from these countries are produced cheaply, and that is correct for the most part, but at the same their economy has been growing and their middle income earners are growing where their demand for fine and high jewellery is also at an all time high. Gold for example, Indians traditionally don't buy less than 24K, yet in the US and Europe we see so often, 9K, 18K and now increasingly vermeil gold.

Diamonds will still be cheaper from China and India, but if craftsmanship is there then why choose US made or European made diamonds. I think demand for natural diamonds will still exist. Also it would be interesting to see where all the high end jewellers source their diamonds from and which country produces these. Traditionally diamond demand has been higher in US, so if US are producers that make sense, and if that demand is growing elsewhere too, it is natural to see production also move (cost, skills, others factors permitting).

 

[BigAkoya]

I think we need to change our perception that just because diamonds are made in China or India that they are cheap or of lesser rarity. China and India are now one of the top diamond consumptions so for them to be able to produce for their domestic markets as well as to export to the US and Europe of higher quality is critical. Also, there's a reason why they are produced there, it's not all only costs, just like designer handbags then to be made in Europe. We have historically viewed that goods from these countries are produced cheaply, and that is correct for the most part, but at the same their economy has been growing and their middle income earners are growing where their demand for fine and high jewellery is also at an all time high. Gold for example, Indians traditionally don't buy less than 24K, yet in the US and Europe we see so often, 9K, 18K and now increasingly vermeil gold.

Diamonds will still be cheaper from China and India, but if craftsmanship is there then why choose US made or European made diamonds. I think demand for natural diamonds will still exist. Also it would be interesting to see where all the high end jewellers source their diamonds from and which country produces these. Traditionally diamond demand has been higher in US, so if US are producers that make sense, and if that demand is growing elsewhere too, it is natural to see production also move (cost, skills, others factors permitting).

Yes, I totally agree with you... why buy from the US if you can get the same stuff cheaper made in China/India.
I am not saying Made in China/India in itself is cheap quality. I am saying because they are made in China/India, they will be priced cheap due to cheap labor. And a "cheap" item is not something that will be used in fine jewelry which means lab created diamonds will end up being used for cheap jewelry. These stones could be created in a US or France factory, and if technology & labor allow them to be created at $9.99 per carat, no one will consider it "fine jewelry". India is now a huge gem cutting center, out leading Antwerp who was once the leader. But again, "diamond" purchases are emotional, and paying say $9.99 per carat for a perfectly cut and polished factory created diamond that you can order up anytime has no emotional allure.

I also think once China/India open up lab grown diamond factories, the US factories will not be able to compete in price. It's just math... the cost to create the diamond is the same (it's from a machine), the differentiator is the labor, and hands down, China/India have much cheaper labor. People will buy China/India lab-grown diamonds which kills the price and perception of value. It becomes like moissanite. Colvard once had the market on moissanite and managed the price and perception. Then it went to China, and now you can get moissanite from China for about $50 / carat. And I agree with what you said... if China can cut/polish with the same quality, why buy US higher prices, which then prices will continue to drop.

 

[limom]

Tiffany sells 14k??
They're phasing the Rubedo out.

I have 14 k Tiffany jewelry. Earrings and a locket.
I don’t know if they still sell it but they did in the past.

 

[Liberté]

Well I disagree about the perception that made in China/India will bother the brands.
Since some handbags/clothes/shoes have been made there and no savings were passed on to the consumer, I suspect that some brand will adopt some of the same techniques to market their goods, jmo.
Tiffany sells both 18 and 14k and that strange rubeido metal, for instance. Some stones are sourced and cut in lower quality areas.
Prada has bags made in China. The prices still raised. And few consumers noticed or stopped buying the brand.
Same will happen with lab diamonds. Marketers will find a clever way to market and consumers will accept the switch.

I think you're right about the fact that made in China or India lab grown diamonds won't affect the price of branded items. "Lab grown diamonds" as such is not a brand though, it's a generic, replaceable material like gold. So much like Cartier pieces, Tiffany jewelry or Chanel bags could use lab grown diamonds made wherever with high prices, the price of generic items with lab grown diamonds or items with low added brand value will probably plummet if the production price goes down.

I was under the impression that there's not that much human labor involved in the making of lab diamonds, so even if I'm sure low cost countries can produce somewhat cheaper, the process and equipment make up the biggest costs probably no matter where it's made as of right now. Russia already has an industry for making lab grown diamonds and other semi-precious stones that has existed for a long time, and labor costs there are also low compared to the US, but they aren't flooding the market with cheap stones.

 

[SPBiaes]

We are forgetting that both natural and man made diamonds can be graded by third party organizations like GIA and IGI. The 4C’s still stand regardless of the subject of matter. If it’s graded, I would not care if it’s a natural diamond or a MMD, or if it’s made in the US or in China/India. Industry standards exist and do matter. If they can send a rocket to the dark side of the moon, I have no doubt that they can create beautiful gems. It all depends on what the company that commissions the factories wants. Chanel’s handbag quality has been declining for years, and last time I checked it had nothing to do with factories in Asia.

If a natural diamond and a MMD share the exact same 4C’s and the same price - I doubt many will care if it’s mined from the earth or made in a lab. Because they are literally identical in every aspect and no one will be able to tell the difference! And that’s exactly what the diamond industry is afraid of. That’s why De Beers had the initiative to create Lightbox and labeled it as fashion jewelry. They want to further the bias that MMD is inferior. They don’t offer platinum settings (not even 14k gold I believe), no third party grading, you can‘t choose diamonds, and everything is made to look “less expensive” than traditional fine jewelry. They did their marketing tricks before with natural diamonds, they are doing it again now with MMD’s. It just depends on how many people are willing to take the bait.

Like so many have said before, unless it’s a gem like the Hope or a special kind like the Graff Venus, diamonds themselves are in no way rare. Carbon is literally one of the most common elements on this planet. The diamond industry has been around for more than a century and you can still find loose D/E/F IF/VS ideal cut diamonds everywhere. I am not sure if we can still call something like this “rare”...

As for the sentimental values, personally that comes from who I receive the jewelry from. I personally don’t get attached to the fact that rocks on my Cartiers comes directly from the earth. My most precious piece of jewelry is a pair of sterling silver earrings with garnets made by a local jeweler. They are in no way rare comparing to my other jewelries, but my kids purchased them with their very first paychecks. That sentiment is irreplaceable.

 

[limom]

I don’t want to comment on Chanel ( is it even still made in Italy?) specifically but many French brands are exporting bits and parts from other countries and even sometimes flat out manufacturing there.
They also sometimes export workers.
My point is don’t flout the French savoir faire while the product is anything but French. And to top it all pay the workers like crap.
There are many artisans still working there and they produce incredible objects.
My favorite pieces are also sentimental.
Of course, since I am older I have plenty to choose from

Interesting theory on Lightbox. I also noticed that it was set in 10k in Bloomies.
I prefer mined for now but if the price makes sense, I am open to lab stones.


Any feedback on lab grown precious stones?

 

[BigAkoya]

I think you're right about the fact that made in China or India lab grown diamonds won't affect the price of branded items. "Lab grown diamonds" as such is not a brand though, it's a generic, replaceable material like gold. So much like Cartier pieces, Tiffany jewelry or Chanel bags could use lab grown diamonds made wherever with high prices, the price of generic items with lab grown diamonds or items with low added brand value will probably plummet if the production price goes down.

I was under the impression that there's not that much human labor involved in the making of lab diamonds, so even if I'm sure low cost countries can produce somewhat cheaper, the process and equipment make up the biggest costs probably no matter where it's made as of right now. Russia already has an industry for making lab grown diamonds and other semi-precious stones that has existed for a long time, and labor costs there are also low compared to the US, but they aren't flooding the market with cheap stones.

The lab created stones come out looking like a rough diamond, an ugly rock. They do not come out all nice and polished.

Creating the stone is the easy part once you have the machine. Now this rough stone needs to be cut, faceted, polished... all by human hands. Yes, there is the help of machines such as lasers, but it is people that use these machines to make it a finished product, all nice and sparkly. That's how the Asian countries make it cheaper as their labor is far cheaper than the US and many European countries. Which is why this industry is worried when the Asians start, they will for sure take over and kill the market due to a flood and much lower prices. And speaking of labor, natural diamonds are cut and polished in Asia (mostly India) these days now.

My personal opinion is that once the Asians see demand, they will crank out these stones and create jewelry from it and sell it cheap to chain stores. It will be like cubic zirconia jewelry, available everywhere, but not viewed as fine jewelry.

The key though whether Asia is interested in doing this at a mass level will be demand. The Asians are very business minded, and if there is no demand and this marketing hype dies down, they will not pursue. It's like the lab created emerald back in the 30s. Many in the trade were initally worried it would kill the natural emerald market, but it did not. Yes, you can still purchase lab created emeralds, but demand is almost nothing for them, and you see it in mostly low end jewelry. On the contrary, the demand for natural emeralds, especially Colombian has skyrocketed. Or maybe they will still do it... like Moissanite... China makes moissanite, and there's still a tiny demand for it (after all the hype when it first came out).

So, we'll have to see how this plays out.

 

[PauseBreak]

But that’s what’s so cool about lab grown! Technology gets increasingly better over time, and things are more available and more affordable. In the early 1900s, only the very wealthy could afford cars. Now, ~90% of US households have a car that functions way better than the 1900s ones! Maybe in the next 10 years, someone will develop a superior method for growing rocks and included stones won’t even be a thing anymore and everyone can have VVS+ jewelry. To me, that’s amazing!

edit: I suppose the flip side is that maybe someone will come along and make an even better mining method so they can suck out only the best diamonds from the earth.

 

[Gourmetgal]

We are forgetting that both natural and man made diamonds can be graded by third party organizations like GIA and IGI. The 4C’s still stand regardless of the subject of matter. If it’s graded, I would not care if it’s a natural diamond or a MMD, or if it’s made in the US or in China/India. Industry standards exist and do matter. If they can send a rocket to the dark side of the moon, I have no doubt that they can create beautiful gems. It all depends on what the company that commissions the factories wants. Chanel’s handbag quality has been declining for years, and last time I checked it had nothing to do with factories in Asia.

If a natural diamond and a MMD share the exact same 4C’s and the same price - I doubt many will care if it’s mined from the earth or made in a lab. Because they are literally identical in every aspect and no one will be able to tell the difference! And that’s exactly what the diamond industry is afraid of. That’s why De Beers had the initiative to create Lightbox and labeled it as fashion jewelry. They want to further the bias that MMD is inferior. They don’t offer platinum settings (not even 14k gold I believe), no third party grading, you can‘t choose diamonds, and everything is made to look “less expensive” than traditional fine jewelry. They did their marketing tricks before with natural diamonds, they are doing it again now with MMD’s. It just depends on how many people are willing to take the bait.

Like so many have said before, unless it’s a gem like the Hope or a special kind like the Graff Venus, diamonds themselves are in no way rare. Carbon is literally one of the most common elements on this planet. The diamond industry has been around for more than a century and you can still find loose D/E/F IF/VS ideal cut diamonds everywhere. I am not sure if we can still call something like this “rare”...

As for the sentimental values, personally that comes from who I receive the jewelry from. I personally don’t get attached to the fact that rocks on my Cartiers comes directly from the earth. My most precious piece of jewelry is a pair of sterling silver earrings with garnets made by a local jeweler. They are in no way rare comparing to my other jewelries, but my kids purchased them with their very first paychecks. That sentiment is irreplaceable.

Very thoughtful comments. Inthink my next diamond purchase will be man made!

 

[Breakfast@Chaumet]

Lab-grown “diamonds” are a bit like a fake replica handbag - would you buy a replica handbag even if it had the same materials as a real one.

The price of a lab grown diamond reflects it being so available and accessible.

A natural diamond derives it’s value from being a scarce, natural rock. Imagine finding something that special in nature!