Has anyone seen lab diamond prices increase recently?

[Dandi]

Hi all,

I received a quote from Ouros for some lab melee diamonds (3.5mm each) a few months back. I contacted them today to purchase some, and the price has gone up dramatically. Has anyone else experienced a marked increase in the price of lab diamonds of late??

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Cutting is the issue. huge supplies of rough and hige shortages of polished.
But the biggest factor is skilled polishers - 60% are on strike and 20% went back to villages to escape Covid risks.

 

[Dandi]

Cutting is the issue. huge supplies of rough and hige shortages of polished.
But the biggest factor is skilled polishers - 60% are on strike and 20% went back to villages to escape Covid risks.

Interesting and heartbreaking at the same time! Thanks for the insight @Garry H, I shall bide my time.

 

[DejaWiz]

Yes, I noticed a jump in price recently. And now we know why. Makes sense.

 

[Philmc99]

I bought back in April from rare carat but kept monitoring inventory because of the 30 day return policy. I noticed since then that prices for the same specs I purchased have been going up.

 

[Mjay]

Yes! I’ve been watching stones on rarecarat and they keep going up and up. I purchased a stone a few weeks ago and it was still on rare carat up until a few days ago and the price was up to double what I paid for it.

 

[Rockdiamond]

How about the fact that the rap sheet has gone up and Lab Grown diamonds are following suit....
From my "on the ground" perspective, LG melee has not increased.
Larger stones have- again, basedon Rap.....

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

How about the fact that the rap sheet has gone up and Lab Grown diamonds are following suit....
From my "on the ground" perspective, LG melee has not increased.
Larger stones have- again, basedon Rap.....

Good point - trading off natural then - no grounds for that other than avarice

 

[AprilBaby]

My diamond went up quite a bit since last September.

 

[Rockdiamond]

no grounds for that other than avarice

WOuld that be Natural or Lab grown avarice

 

[OdetteOdile]

I have not noticed a difference in pricing, but I have noticed a decrease in supply. For months I have been checking rarecarat for a lab heart shaped diamond about .6 to .8 carat. Months ago there were a bunch and now there are almost none. In my color and clarity range there is only one right now. I think its price is consistent with what it was months ago though. I wish more vendors offered lab heart shaped diamonds under 1 carat.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

WOuld that be Natural or Lab grown avarice

Great point David - BOTH

 

[anangel]

Dude, this is nuts!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I believe GIA object to this terminology?
I think they are meant to state or infer GIA educated, not moonlighters

 

[John Pollard]

I believe GIA object to this terminology?
I think they are meant to state or infer GIA educated, not moonlighters

@Garry H (Cut Nut) , you may be recollecting their campaign against use of "GIA Certified Gemologists." They're okay with companies stating they have GIA Graduate Gemologists or GIA Gemologists on staff as long as it's accurate and verifiable.

They're super opposed to "certified."

<<The Gemological Institute of America does not certify anyone or anything. Neither a student nor a graduate who has been awarded a certificate or diploma, nor a gem that has been graded or identified by GIA has been “certified” by GIA.>>

Copyrights and Trademarks

Copyrights and Trademarks

www.gia.edu

 

[Rockdiamond]

I believe GIA object to this terminology?

With very good reason-
I'll speak in general terms- not referring to any specific seller...
When a diamond site is selling off a list, they're so far out of the loop in terms of actual pricing.
How often have we heard the old story: A stone is priced well below other comparable quality stones being offered by other sellers ( and the lowball sellers as well)
When someone buys the loss leader, it turns out not to be available, but there is another store, all of a sudden, at market price.

They're okay with companies stating they have GIA Graduate Gemologists or GIA Gemologists on staff as long as it's accurate and verifiable.

I honestly think they would object John- there's a tremendous difference between the two phrases.
They'd probably object to the term "GIA Diamonds" in the same way.
I don't know if we could verify how GIA feels.......but I'd bet you'd recommend sellers use the correct terminology- GIA Graduate Gemologist.

"Unbiased GIA Gemologists" - that right there seems to be a deceptive phrase.
GIA graduates though they might be... a gemologist working for the store is not the same as one working for the buyer.
And it's certainly NOT like an unbiased gemologist...for example, someone working at GIA... someone we could rightfully refer to as "a GIA gemologist."

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I was certified by Martin Rapaport when I first met him about 1996. I knocked on his door unannounced in NYC on my first ever visit.
He showed me some stones and quizzed me on their proportions. He certified me as nutty and gave me the AKA Cut Nut

 

[John Pollard]

I don't know if we could verify how GIA feels.......

We can. And I did. I linked to their page in the post above but you may have whizzed past. Here you go.

<< Employment Citations​

Companies may state that they have GIA Graduate Gemologists, Accredited Jewelry Professionals, Gemologists, Graduate Jewelers, or Jewelry Design & Technology graduates on staff, provided that such statements are accurate and companies agree to cooperate with any verification that may be requested by GIA or others. >>

I'd bet you'd recommend sellers use the correct terminology- GIA Graduate Gemologist.

That has always been my recommendation.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I did see it John- but I thought you had another source because it proves my point. The phrase "GIA Gemologist" is not on the approved list.

 

[DejaWiz]

I did see it John- but I thought you had another source because it proves my point. The phrase "GIA Gemologist" is not on the approved list.

I interpret this...

GIA Graduate Gemologists, Accredited Jewelry Professionals, Gemologists, Graduate Jewelers, or Jewelry Design & Technology graduates

...as this: the leading "GIA" being encompassing of everything that follows and can be notated as such:

GIA Graduate Gemologists
GIA Accredited Jewelry Professionals
GIA Gemologists
GIA Graduate Jewelers
GIA Jewelry Design & Technology Graduate

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Sorry for the thread jack

 

[Rockdiamond]

Now that you put it that way I see the ambiguity @DejaWiz.
Can we agree that the phrase “Our unbiased GIA gemelogists” would likely cause GIA to refine their standards And clear up the ambiguity?
I was involved in GIA’s initial foray into internet policing ….way back in 1999
I used to use the terms I ”GIA certified” and ”GIA Certificate” when we first opened the site.
I got a lawyers letter cease and desist sort of thing. Specifically those phrase. They encourage the use of their name and even the logo…..but not that way. I called GIA up and promised to properly use the terminology in the future ( and emailed them pics of neon “GIA Certified” signs plastered on 47th street…….
I’m sure they still take it seriously ….I think this is an oversight

 

[John Pollard]

I did see it John- but I thought you had another source because it proves my point. The phrase "GIA Gemologist" is not on the approved list.

See @DejaWiz ’ post.

 

[John Pollard]

Now that you put it that way I see the ambiguity @DejaWiz.
Can we agree that the phrase “Our unbiased GIA gemelogists” would likely cause GIA to refine their standards And clear up the ambiguity?

@Rockdiamond I don't think it's ambiguous.

Respectfully, neither do any of the other companies I've pointed there, year after year, when helping them follow policy. The content has not changed since @DejaWiz broke it down, piece by piece, for you. What changed was all in your head.

While not ambiguous, I do believe it's written in a way that permits confirmation-bias misinterpretations. There, we can agree

 

[Rockdiamond]

John- nothing changed “in my head”
Someone posted a picture of a phrase used on a website. The phrase is deceptive.
Full stop.
Do you disagree??
Do you advise companies to use that specific term?
Again- it’s
“Our unbiased GIA gemologists”
To my point above- what do you call gemologists who actually work at GIA?
How would consumers know the difference?

 

[Rockdiamond]

I interpret this...

Especially considering how strict they are about the use of the term “certified” I honestly believe you’re misinterpreting. They list specific phrases. One is “GIA graduate gemologist”
The other is “gemologist “
I think we can all agree the goal is to clarify terms for consumers.
Can we all agree the term “unbiased GIA gemologist” is deceptive????

 

[DejaWiz]

Can we all agree the term “unbiased GIA gemologist” is deceptive????

I agree with that!

 

[DejaWiz]

I did see it John- but I thought you had another source because it proves my point. The phrase "GIA Gemologist" is not on the approved list.

"GIA Gemologist" appears to be on the approved list, while using the term "certified" along with "GIA" is prohibited.

Diplomas:

Copyrights and Trademarks

Copyrights and Trademarks

www.gia.edu

Unauthorized:

Copyrights and Trademarks

Copyrights and Trademarks

www.gia.edu

 

[Rockdiamond]

That does answer the specific @DejaWiz - thanks for finding that.
It’s a bad choice IMO- bit there it is in black and white

 

[Wink]

I proudly earned my GIA Graduate Gemologist degree in residence in late 1975. I also earned my Accredited Gemologist title from the American Gem Society in 1976 when I worked for an AGS affiliated store in 1976. I used to be regularly dinged in my annual exams for being too tight on clarity grading.

As much as I like to think of myself as pretty transparent in all of my business dealings, I do not think I would ever call myself an unbiased GIA Gemologist. I fully admit to being very biased as to liking to sell well cut diamonds and gems and strongly biased against some of the crap I see in today's marketplace.

Wink