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Thread: Lab-Grown Diamonds

  1. #1
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    Default Lab-Grown Diamonds

    What's the general consensus when it comes to purchasing lab-grown diamonds? I've been doing some research on mined and lab created diamonds and the price point of lab-grown are just too attractive to not consider if you're on a budget. But some frown upon it, despite the fact that they are very real diamonds, and not simulants (CZ, Moissanite).

    Although my potential purchase isn't for resale value anyway, the main difference based on what I am reading is that there is little to no resale value on them, whereas you could get at least half your money back on mined diamonds. But otherwise they are chemically, structurally and visually the same. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of these points:

    Mined Diamonds
    Pros
    - one of a kind
    - better resale value (~50%)
    - superficially pleasing (price and blood show your love, haha)

    Cons
    - more expensive than lab-grown diamonds

    Lab-Grown Diamonds
    Pros
    - 30-40% cheaper than mined diamonds
    - easier to find the the exact cut specs you want (table/depth%, crown angle, girdle, culet, fluorescence etc)
    - ethically sourced

    Cons
    - Little to no resale value
    - Not as 'baller' for some

    My main question is, are they worth buying? And did anyone go the lab-grown diamond route?
    I'd like some thoughts on this, maybe it will help with my purchase. Thanks!
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    100% no issues going lab grown. They weren't quite a thing when I bought my wife's ring, but if they were, I'd have gone that route for sure.

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    Fuck supporting diamond mining companies, go synthetic 100%. Also if resale value is a concern of the purchase perhaps it's not the time to buy a ring.

    The whole diamond market is BS. Look at Spence diamond's marketing for example. 5-10 years ago they were constantly running ads talking down about synthetic diamonds not being real or a true sign of love and blah blah blah. But now that they are in on it they are constantly pushing ads for 'Artisan crafted' diamonds. It's all just a marketing game to convince you to spend more.

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    If this is for an engagement ring, what about a band without a gemstone and use that money for a kickass honeymoon? If your gal is the type that would approve of that then I approve of her.

    Fuck the entire concept of gawdy gemstones.
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    I went lab grown for the engagement ring and her wedding band.
    Also went through a diamond wholesaler in the states.
    Highly recommended
    Originally posted by Mibz
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    The bloodier the better when it comes to diamonds IMO.

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    When I did the research 4 years ago, the most reputable gem grading labs like GIA and AGS did not grade lab grown and that was a deterrent at the time. Has this changed?

    The reason I didn't go with lab grown at the time was purely due to trying to pick the best cut diamond by first picking from GIA and AGS graded ones.

    (I picked a round, so it's easier to get idealscope and hearts & arrows scope images of diamonds to compare too).

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    Ahh yes the lovely diamond trade...

    If you want a stone that looks and feels like a diamond for 1/15th the price, look up Moissanite.

    https://www.brilliantearth.com/news/...te-vs-diamond/

    I went that route with my wife and we put the saved money into our honeymoon and extended it two weeks

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    Moissanite is also a great choice, I bought a pair of earrings for the wife and they look great!

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    OP already mentioned moissies and is aware, mate.

    Anyway, phoexs hit the nail on the head. Companies were still pushing mined diamonds years back saying simulants weren't shit compared to them, and now they're milking moissies and lab growns through an eco-friendly marketing lens, whilst charging disproportionately for them.

    Diamonds are like cars, people just want to be seen with nice ones but no one gives a fuck about how you got it.

    Save money where you can and put it into @max_boost stonks.

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    It's pretty much the same product at ~50% of the cost of a mined diamond. If you are brave enough to walk into a nightmare like Spence diamonds, you will see all their rings have 2 prices, one with a mined diamond, one with a lab grown - the lab ones are 50% cheaper, so you are simply choosing if you want to pay double for the same thing or not haha. Also I wouldn't worry too much about resale (well, hopefully you never need it haha) - it's not like you can turn around and sell a diamond back for what you paid for it despite them being sold on spec. I'd rather pay 50% and have worse resale than pay double and still have crappy resale. Look on Kijiji for used wedding rings and see how cheap they are - nobody wants them.

    I went with Moissanite and my GF could not be happier, she gets so many compliments on how sparkly it is. It's a fraction of the cost of even a lab grown diamond for perfect quality, more rare than a diamond (if natural), almost as hard as a diamond (9.5 vs 10 on the Mohs hardness scale), more heat resistant than a diamond, and has a higher refractive index than a diamond. Also keep in mind literally the only time it will matter what type of stone it is, is when your Fiancé is showing her friends, and none of them are going to pull out a gemologist's loupe. As long as it's big and sparkly (or whatever she wants), that is going to get the desired result.

    The DeBeers monopoly on the diamond industry artificially making prices as high as they are is the main reason I didn't want one, the entire industry is such a turn-off if you take the time to learn about it.

    All that being said I highly recommend talking to Justin and finding something that YOU want. He was super helpful, put up with all my questions, and most importantly did a phenomenal job on the ring.

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    Quote Originally Posted by realazy View Post
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    When I did the research 4 years ago, the most reputable gem grading labs like GIA and AGS did not grade lab grown and that was a deterrent at the time. Has this changed?

    The reason I didn't go with lab grown at the time was purely due to trying to pick the best cut diamond by first picking from GIA and AGS graded ones.

    (I picked a round, so it's easier to get idealscope and hearts & arrows scope images of diamonds to compare too).
    They do grade them now and come with the certificates. And honestly, other than the "four 'C's" most of them have the cut specs that I want (proper table & depth%, no culet, no fluorescence etc.).
    At least on the sites I looked at.

    Quote Originally Posted by pheoxs View Post
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    Fuck supporting diamond mining companies, go synthetic 100%. Also if resale value is a concern of the purchase perhaps it's not the time to buy a ring.

    The whole diamond market is BS. Look at Spence diamond's marketing for example. 5-10 years ago they were constantly running ads talking down about synthetic diamonds not being real or a true sign of love and blah blah blah. But now that they are in on it they are constantly pushing ads for 'Artisan crafted' diamonds. It's all just a marketing game to convince you to spend more.
    Resale value was never a concern to me, it was just one of the main differences between the two kinds that I wanted to point out for any other diamond shoppers in here. Lab or earthed. at the end of the day, if she is happy, I am happy and she honestly isn't the type to have any qualms about stuff like that. I just wanted to make sure that if I were to go that route, I wouldn't be throwing my money away.

    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    If this is for an engagement ring, what about a band without a gemstone and use that money for a kickass honeymoon? If your gal is the type that would approve of that then I approve of her.

    Fuck the entire concept of gawdy gemstones.
    This exactly what I was thinking when considering going lab-grown. The money that I save can be put towards something really worth it.
    Last edited by JordanEG6; 10-15-2020 at 09:37 AM.
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    I looked about a year ago and went through the Spence painful dark room sales pitch, which is brutal and insulting. They weren't much cheaper, if at all despite their ads saying "same price but about a 20% bigger diamond".
    Bought mined ones online from Adiamour.

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    I should add, after not buying something from Spence, they called me no less than 6 times to harass me about a sale. It's like going to a shady used car dealership, but for diamonds that are the exact same price (if not more) as elsewhere.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JordanEG6 View Post
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    They do grade them now and come with the certificates. And honestly, other than the "four 'C's" most of them have the cut specs that I want (proper table & depth%, no culet, no fluorescence etc.).
    At least on the sites I looked at.



    Resale value was never a concern to me, it was just one of the main differences between the two kinds that I wanted to point out for any other diamond shoppers in here. Lab or earthed. at the end of the day, if she is happy, I am happy and she honestly isn't the type to have any qualms about stuff like that. I just wanted to make sure that if I were to go that route, I wouldn't be throwing my money away.
    My thoughts are this:

    5,000$ diamond ring -> Sell it used for what, 3,000$ maybe after months of trying? (Probably less) 2,000$ loss in the end.

    2,000$ Moissanite ring -> Sell it used for 500$. Much worse resell value but you're losses are still smaller in the end.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pheoxs View Post
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    My thoughts are this:

    5,000$ diamond ring -> Sell it used for what, 3,000$ maybe after months of trying? (Probably less) 2,000$ loss in the end.

    2,000$ Moissanite ring -> Sell it used for 500$. Much worse resell value but you're losses are still smaller in the end.
    Disagree.

    Your Moissanite ring will be closer to $1500, you still have the value of the band, which is usually the most expensive part of a Moissanite ring.

    Therefore your downside is reduced.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt View Post
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    I should add, after not buying something from Spence, they called me no less than 6 times to harass me about a sale. It's like going to a shady used car dealership, but for diamonds that are the exact same price (if not more) as elsewhere.
    x2.
    I have no idea why that place is so successful. They literally have about 2 diamonds in each store that are >1 carat and then starts the "for a totes refundable deposit, I can have this one from Markham flown in for you to look at"...

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    I’ll try to answer most questions without quoting a bunch of posts.
    I’ve stated we avoided them in the past and that’s purely because they were too expensive at the time. For a while they were 30% less than natural which made no sense, they were selling at a discount of its natural equivalent when they are entirely different products.
    The prices have come down a lot in the last two years and have stabilized, so now I’m happy to offer them.
    Expect to pay 50-70% less than a natural equivalent.
    IGI is the main grading lab for created diamonds. GIA recently announced they will be grading lab created starting this quarter, it’s a major shift for the industry.
    As far as grading, IGI has been reliable and from what I’ve seen, tightened their grading to become THE certificate for labs.

    The lab created space is by my estimation, more complicated than the mined space. There’s a lot of product out there that has the typical greyish, greenish tint from lab stones. You need to be picky with them and make sure you choose one without the weird off colour. Pricing should indicate as always but you have to see the thing to be sure.

    As far as value proposition, lab created cannot hold value. And let’s be clear here, I sell them and will be selling them in a significant way (big news coming soon)! However we’re very clear that lab created simply cannot hold value. It’s a technology like anything else. As the process gets cheaper and the product more available prices will come down. Anyone telling you they won’t come down eventually, is lying. For people who are debating the two, it comes down to your own values. If you view a diamond as something you want to pass down to the next generation and the next, I believe that mined will always hold a certain value. If that’s isn’t important to you, then lab created could be the way to go.

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    Fake bitches get fake diamonds
    A real woman is worth the investment

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    Quote Originally Posted by vengie View Post
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    Disagree.

    Your Moissanite ring will be closer to $1500, you still have the value of the band, which is usually the most expensive part of a Moissanite ring.

    Therefore your downside is reduced.
    Even better I was mostly trying to illustrate that a lower % resale value can still be worth is because your up front costs are so much lower. There's a good chance someone shopping used rings is looking for value and more likely to buy a bigger Moissanite than a diamon.

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