Talk to me about lab grown diamonds and prices

[GrumpyOldGran]

I'm looking at replacing my very small original engagement ring with a new one and maybe a lab grown diamond.

I bought a replacement wedding ring some time ago from Samara James (online) and was impressed with their service (they send mock-ups in silver first before you go ahead.)

The rings I'm looking at are fairly traditional solitaires and priced around £1300 for a 1carat in 18c gold.

I quite like a rubbed-over 'halo' modern setting but they don't do one for lab grown diamonds.

Any other sites I should look at?

This is from a commercial diamond business, so no wonder they are denigrating their rivals.

My engagement ring is from 77 diamonds, you choose the stone, the setting, the 3 C's as you want them, DH did an amazing job and their customer service is excellent. They have a shop in London too. They also do mined diamonds.

moissanite would be a better choice than a CZ. Much more sparkle.

Personally I dislike the synthetic (lab made) diamonds due to the environmental costs. I also dislike the mining of natural diamonds though. Natural diamonds are not particularly rare and the value is grossly inflated.

I also smile at the current fashion for salt and pepper diamonds. These are really low quality stones with lots of impurities and flaws but have become popular through very clever marketing.

The real problem with the synthetics is that they have destroyed the image of exclusiveness of diamonds. Many people can afford a large synthetic. I’m now making far more rings in a much more interesting range of stones as clients are afraid that if they buy a large natural diamonds, people will just assume it’s synthetic!

For best value, buy a secondhand stone and have it reset. However as you don’t want a used stone, I would buy new from pretty much any of the reputable suppliers of synthetic diamonds. There won’t be much difference in the product. You could even just buy a stone and have it set to your own design.

I have a lab grown diamond. I think it’s beautiful and of course it’s a real diamond. It cost just over £1k and the equivalent mined diamond would be be well over £10k. Resale value for mined diamond isn’t great either so I don’t really care about that. I wouldn’t sell it anyway, it’ll be passed down to DD.

I found a local independent jeweller that has traded for donkeys years and designs and makes their own. Mine is the middle one. It’s D clarity (the best), just over 1ct in platinum.

Hi, I am a jeweller

Lab growns are like marmite - you either seem to love them or hate them. Many people view lab growns to be 'fake' diamonds, which they are not. You may compare a lab grown and natural diamonds difference to a BMW made in the UK vs Germany. They'd be the same, just made in a different place and way. They are chemically the same composition and usually lab growns are flawless D grade diamonds, whereas naturals can differ hugely. You get much more value for money with the same size stone costing £4000 compared to say, £20,000.

What we don't know is how lab growns will resell later on as they haven't really been around long enough to know their value. However, in the case of an engagement ring for example or a sentimental piece, this isn't so much an issue as it is destined to stay with you forever.

Ethics wise, mined diamonds have had issues and I am not naive to the fact there will still be unethical practice, however all diamonds sold in the UK SHOULD be ethically sourced - but of course we cannot be sure.

On the other hand, lab diamonds produced in factories are not good for the environment as the heat used to make the diamond is beyond what most people think, therefore making these not the most ethical either.

My personal preference are lab growns as you can get a high quality diamond for a much better price, however everybody is different and that is respectable

Thanks Coconut bubbles, that's a really informative explanation. I've been looking at eternity rings and saw a few lab diamonds. I had never heard of them previously. Glad I found this post! 😊

I know what you mean. I love jewellery especially rings, but I would not be impressed if my DH bought me a lab grown diamond, to me they are just posh fakes. I'd be happy with an antique diamond ring though if in good condition.

I have a beautiful engagement ring with a lab grown diamond from the diamond store. So much cheaper, and much more ethical. Sensible choice! I don’t care if some expert could tell the difference. I couldn’t walk around knowing some kid probably died to get my real diamond out the earth,

Only a specialist piece of equipment can tell the difference between mined and lab grown.

I like my diamond rings to come with a GIA certificate and a diamond number.

My lab diamond has GIA cert and a unique identification number.

@arinya D refers to the colour not the clarity.

Sorry yes just checked the paperwork it’s VVS2 clarity, D colour.

My engagement ring is a lab grown diamond, with smaller ones around the band. It's beautiful and set in platinum. 7 years on and it's as beautiful as the day I got it. What I love most is the sparkle I get in artificial light, it's a proper princess ring.

I couldn't be happier with it. I didn't want a conflict diamond so it was a great option for me.

No one wants a conflict diamond ! Some people are happy with a lab diamond and others like the " real thing". It's a matter of choice often fuelled by cost.

Thanks for a great post, @CoconutBubbles

You get much more value for money with the same size stone costing £4000 compared to say, £20,000.

Which is why large flashy diamonds are becoming less popular. They are no longer an indicator of wealth. I’m seeing much more demand now for other stones with maybe a diamond accent and I expect that trend to continue.

Jewellery is a luxury purchase and the prices are wildly inflated ( which is why secondhand values are so low). Take away the air of exclusivity and it becomes harder for retailers to justify the pricing. There will always be a market for exclusivity.

Unless you are an expert it's difficult to tell a real/mined diamond from a lab grown diamond the minerology is the same. The con is probably that many people are buying what they think are real/mined diamonds that are actually lab grown. Lab grown are cheaper but also more ethical if you dislike the conditions the miners work in.

This is such an interesting thread.
I have 3 handmade diamond rings with certified conflict free real diamonds made by an ethical master jeweller. I adore them & they were very expensive.

Recently dh & I were browsing the windows of a v reputable jeweller when we visited another city & they had one window full of lab diamonds which wee SO much cheaper. The other window had real diamonds.

We had a chat about a hypothetical selection & we both ended up preferring the real diamonds.

I would not want lab diamonds for my engagement, wedding or eternity ring but as a dress / cocktail ring for my right hand I might consider one.

Though I would still far rather an antique old world diamond for that if I had a choice.

Like a pp in my head they're posh costume jewellery

I would never want a replica luxury bag either even if they were made in the same factory using the same materials & were indistinguishable except by experts.

I'd know.

An I ask to you buy your stones when you are in India or via the internet? Would be really interested in doing this too

That is a poorly written rant.

And I'm saying that as someone who has never bought a lab grown diamond, and has no intention of doing so (I also don't have a "real" diamond either - my engagement ring is sapphire).

I suppose it all comes down to your priorities in your personal circumstances. For me, I love a big and flashy diamond and that's why I opt for lab grown. The idea of a natural diamond which has formed through magma and volcanoes is amazing, but for many of us we can't afford those which is why lab grown is a great alternative. I will agree that it has taken away the value of natural diamonds in current day. When I see antique diamond rings however, I can appreciate the value of them but as we move forward in life and the lab growns, I fear people will become desensitised to the value of the piece and the history of diamonds.

A popular stone at the moment seems to be sapphires, and for clients interested in displaying wealth or having the best piece, they are looking for a deep shade of blue. These are almost always accented by diamonds.

Hi @GrumpyOldGran to answer your question here is a link to a jeweller I've been following for years.

https://aardvarkjewellery.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZGTsqJtcHuwjAeHDeoFs6gAC0SWou2K8d-pLxLWK6SMhaXLkR0viF0E00aemEN5XcrlDFyyu8HZ3Q-WIZg

Hope you like!

I’m giggling at the ‘real diamonds’ description! It’s so got up.

Since there’s nothing more or less ‘real’ about a lab grown diamond compared with a mined diamond, could the latter just be called ‘mined diamonds’ instead?

@Andywarholswig

Nihal gems over instagram. Username @nihalgems680

Excellent quality stone - he used FedEx delivery so they come quick.

They are beautiful. Especially in the sun!