Lab diamonds, does it really matter?

amother

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 9:09 am

I am pretty newly married so lab diamonds are a huge thing. I told my husband I don’t mind lab diamonds bc they’re so much less expensive and still a real diamond. I got a 1.27 carat stone with a halo certified so it weighs around 2.2 total and the price was insane. My husband wants to get me a diamond from the earth when we can afford it. But I know people are so against lab diamonds. In the lab they are generated from a piece of earth diamond and that’s how they are made so to me I don’t see why it’s a problem. What do you think?

I don’t like too large stones and I like the sentimental value of an earth mined stone, but considering our budget I preferred the larger ring.

amother

Brass

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 9:55 am

If you don’t mind it then it’s not a problem. Enjoy

It’s not for me. But I’m a lot older than you (I assume) and have a different point of view

amother

Topaz

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 11:39 am

Yes, it matters. Lab diamonds are better. Cheaper, no ethical issues, and you're not perpetuating the century long DeBeers scam. And they're the exact same thing as a natural diamond.

amother

Dimgray

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 11:52 am

Lab grown has zero resale value and it's not that much cheaper than regular diamond. If it would be 50% cheaper I would buy lab grown even though it's an expensive cz. On average lab grown in 30% cheaper.
In addition, when lab grown diamonds become a little dirty, it looses the sparkle. When diamond jewelry become a little dirty it still sparkles.
And once the jewelry piece is more than a half year old, you see that it looks fake.

amother

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 12:04 pm

amother Dimgray wrote:

My lab diamond sparkles fantastic and it’s more than six months old. The stone was less than half of what an earth grown would cost

amother

Cadetblue

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 12:12 pm

There is no difference between lab grown and earth diamond except their resale value. So you have to decide, are you buying it because it's pretty, or because it's valuable?

nicole81

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 1:37 pm

amother Dimgray wrote:

Your second paragraph is entirely incorrect. It's the exact molecular makeup of a mined diamonds and had the same features. They may even sparkle more because they are made with zero occlusions. What you write is true of CZ, not LGDs.

I agree that they're overpriced.

DrMom

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 1:47 pm

amother Dimgray wrote:

Nonsense.

Lab diamonds are the same chemical composition and molecular structure as mined diamonds. They don't "lose sparkle" when dirty any more than mined diamonds do.

They are not CZ, which is a different mineral with a different chemical composition and different crystal structure.

amother

Antiquewhite

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 1:59 pm

amother Cadetblue wrote:

There is no difference between lab grown and earth diamond except their resale value. So you have to decide, are you buying it because it's pretty, or because it's valuable?

Resale value of even earth diamonds is pathetic.

amother

Tanzanite

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 2:02 pm

As long as there's agreement, it's fine.

If gifting, honesty is the best policy: you can have this sort of thing in natural vs this (bigger option) in lab.

Lab is chemically identical, so there's no issue with it behaving worse. Other qualities like inclusions and how well it's cut vary, but for the same level of diamond, the lab will be cheaper.

I personally wouldn't go for natural: there's just so many things I'd rather do with the money. Currently, my mind is on how I'd really like to get my husband a megillah.

DrMom

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 2:08 pm

Retail stores always sell items for more than cost. That's how they make a profit.

And I'm sure lab diamonds have some resell value. Most things do. And who buys an engagement ring with the intention to sell it anyway?

saralem

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 2:11 pm

Dd is planning on lab grown and is 100% thrilled with this decision. No blood diamonds, in her words. Less expensive means a bigger stone. Maybe that’s the new philosophy.

amother

Crystal

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 2:14 pm

As someone w a 3.5 carat engagement ring n .50 eternity band, I would get lab grown over natural if I were to be asked

amother

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 3:00 pm

amother Cadetblue wrote:

There is no difference between lab grown and earth diamond except their resale value. So you have to decide, are you buying it because it's pretty, or because it's valuable?

For me pretty, it’s a reminder of my husband’s love for me and me for him and I wouldn’t think to sell it anyway

amother

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 3:02 pm

DrMom wrote:

Yup I have a cubic zirconia also and you can tell the difference

Bnei Berak 10

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 3:54 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Resale value of even earth diamonds is pathetic.

Interesting
Would be smart to buy a 2nd hand diamond and have it reset to the kallah's taste. Kind of a unique piece and hopefully cheaper Smile

JasmineDragon

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 3:59 pm

If you like it there's absolutely no problem with it. Personally, I didn't want a diamond at all, but if I was buying one I'd definitely go for lab grown. There's nothing inherently more valuable about a mined diamond and they're so much more expensive than I want to be walking around with.

amother

Buttercup

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 4:25 pm

I wouldn’t care. When I got married I just wanted my husband to be generous. So if he would buy a lab grown diamond that looks nice that would be fine. But if he was doing it to be cheap then I would care. There are so many ways to figure the generosity thing out though, not just through the ring.

amother

Cornsilk

Sun, Mar 24 2024, 4:35 pm

I was just having this debate about diamond studs. I couldn’t bring myself to get lab. It’s still thousands of dollars for a not natural earth diamond and that seems like to much for me. I looked at cz ones and honestly couldn’t tell the different btwn cz and diamond/ lab so I wouldn’t spend 2k when I can spend $40 but I anyway decided I only want natural. Who knows what’s gonna happen w lab. It’s getting so common that the prices are coming down already. It could be in a few years it’s gonna be the same as other fakes while diamonds will still be diamonds no matter what. It feels fake to me. I understand how it’s made and all that I looked deeply into it.