If your super ideal vendor were to offer you...

[Dancing Fire]

From my perspective: If a client of Natural Diamonds wants to trade up to a Lab grown, I see no reason why not ( as long as it meets our trade up policy)
Same for the other way around.

David
You might be ok for now, but what will happen when the MMD market crashes ?

Let say I bought a $10K MMD from you today then 2 yrs down the road the MMD market crashes by 40% will you still give me a $10K trade in credit towards a natural diamond?

 

[Rockdiamond]

David
You might be ok for now, but what will happen when the MMD market crashes ?

Let say I bought a $10K MMD from you today then 2 yrs down the road the MMD market crashes by 40% will you still give me a $10K trade in credit towards a natural diamond?

Hey DF!
None of us has a crystal ball.
But I'm betting the market for DBL LG diamonds won't crash.

Do you think diamond prices went in only one direction over the past 22 years?

Nope.


They have done a few ups and downs.
All through those ups and downs, we've always honored the policy.
Do you think natural diamond prices will only increase in the future? Can you guarantee that?
Of course not. So the risk is not limited to Lab Grown Diamonds.

Speaking personally, for our company....and I'd bet many of the other tradespeople who donate their time here feel the same....
The items we offer will retain value because they are much more than simple carbon and metal.
We are not the lowest priced place to buy- nor do we make that our goal. And there are millions of places to buy jewelry.
Yet 22 years later, we're still here servicing thousands of existing clients- and thankfully still finding new clients. So even now, it's our "brand" that provides the value
During that time, we've always offered our trade up policy.

I see no reason not to do the same for LG diamonds and rings and earrings.
Even if you're correct....
Let's say we sell you a ring for $10k tomorrow. A 3ct with side stones.
Let's say in 2024 when you come back, that ring is worth 40% less ( $6k retail)...but according to the policy, you're spending $20k to get the $10k credit for your existing ring ( if its in good shape)
So let's say, in 2024, you're buying a 7ct for $20k.
We get $10k in cash flow, lose some profit on the trade in item, but it's not the end of the world.
And most important, we keep you, our client Happy ( this is in my little dream world DF)
You win some you lose some.


Buy back is a totally different story.....

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hey DF!

During that time, we've always offered our trade up policy.

I see no reason not to do the same for LG diamonds and rings and earrings.
Even if you're correct....
Let's say we sell you a ring for $10k tomorrow. A 3ct with side stones.
Let's say in 2024 when you come back, that ring is worth 40% less ( $6k retail)...but according to the policy, you're spending $20k to get the $10k credit for your existing ring ( if its in good shape)
So let's say, in 2024, you're buying a 7ct for $20k.
We get $10k in cash flow, lose some profit on the trade in item, but it's not the end of the world.
And most important, we keep you, our client Happy ( this is in my little dream world DF)
You win some you lose some.


Buy back is a totally different story.....

David
You should offer a $100 trade up policy.

 

[Redwoods-hiker-girl]

To answer the original question: No.

 

[jaysonsmom]

David
You might be ok for now, but what will happen when the MMD market crashes ?

Let say I bought a $10K MMD from you today then 2 yrs down the road the MMD market crashes by 40% will you still give me a $10K trade in credit towards a natural diamond?

I predict the opposite will happe

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I can understand the hesitancy to trade in earth-mined to MMD for your main e-ring or center stone, but your post just reminded me that I have a pair of BGD signature diamond studs J/VS 0.85 tcw that I never wore because they were too tinted IMO, and small compared to my e-ring upgrades through the years. Due to the affordability of MMD, I was able to buy 1.66 tcw G/VS JA super ideal MMD for roughly the same price as my BGD signature studs. Not only was I able to keep my BGD signature (which I gave to my daughter), I spent about the same $$$ for studs double the size and better color. I would be absolutely THRILLED if BGD started carrying MMD, so I can upgrade my daughter's earrings!

editing to add pictures of my earth mined and MMD mixed sets. The people who answered NO to this thread have probably never seen quality MMDs in person. I wear these sets with my solitaire pendant (earth mined) and MMD studs, and they are all equally loved and blingtastic.

I love all of your diamonds! They are beautiful! I think it has been relatively recent to find beautifully cut MMDs or else many people might have jewelry with them by now. I think you could eventually sell the BG diamond studs and get your daughter a larger pair of MMDs if you wanted to upgrade them for her. That was such a great idea to get a larger pair while keeping the first pair for your daughter!

 

[Jsand]

I absolutely would do this with my CBI, if the upgrade policy guaranteed that at a later date I could to put the entire cost of the MMD back into another Earth-mined stone. It could be a way to go bigger quicker. And then upgrade again to the same size but for a natural diamond.
It wouldn’t have the mind-clean factor and might feel a bit like cheating, but it would be a temporary stepping stone. No pun intended.

 

[BrownGinger]

If I had no sentimental attachment to the natural diamond then, yes, definitely.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hey DF!
None of us has a crystal ball.
But I'm betting the market for DBL LG diamonds won't crash.

Do you think diamond prices went in only one direction over the past 22 years?

No, I'd remember a 1 ct D/ IF diamond was going for $60K in 1980? before the crash.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

No, I'd remember a 1 ct D/ IF diamond was going for $60K in 1980? before the crash.

The D IF run-up in the 80's was a unique situation that was not an indication of a general market crash. It was an aberration driven by speculation that created a massive bubble in one specific diamond quality. It was inevitable that it would burst and it did. A lot of money was made AND lost on that game!

 

[yssie]

A tulip by any other name

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Re upgrade from earth-made to human-made: yes, for some of my diamonds.

Re upgrade policy from human-made to earth-made: agree that this policy would be risky, especially to the people offering +$1 policies. But super ideal or other specialty cut vendors might attract more customers. Specifically, ones that would not have bought from the vendor otherwise because the customers would not have paid the premium for the cut in an expensive earth-made diamond. In that scenario the profit outcome improves from no-sale-in-the-first-place to at-least-a-little.

Re upgrade policy from human-made to human-made… less of a risk and there are a few vendors out there that do this. In the case of super ideal or other specialty cuts, the move is less risky because part of the value of the human-made diamond is in the cut. So presumably the vendor would not lose as much profit even if the price of human-made diamonds decreases because the value of the cut remains in the original diamond even if the value of the raw material decreases.

Re markets… they are all different. There might be some customers who like rare expensive items who would not buy from a vendor who also offered human-made diamonds because the customers want people who look at their jewelry to know they got it at Such and Such Brand. Inc. and SASBI only sells earth-made diamonds.

There definitely are customers who know quality when they see it, and buy rare and expensive things from a vendor who can deliver that quality in a branded cut. Some of those customers would be interested in human-made diamonds and then turn to their trusted vendor with the branded cut who would guarantee good light return and negligible blue nuance or stria.

You can imagine a lot of intermediate upgrades — earth-made 1ct to human-made 2 cts to earth-made 2.5 cts. Possibly as a result there could be an extra setting in there to boot.

 

[redtonks]

I would absolutely do this, assuming the price/cost transfer was sufficient and in line with a good deal. They're chemically exactly the same, and at the end of the day I'm getting a nice diamond.

My engagement ring is a stunning lab diamond, and I love it. I doubt I'll ever upgrade it, because I got what I wanted straight out, but I never would have been able to afford it without it being MMD. I made this one an heirloom piece I hope to pass on someday no matter what happens, and resale is generally a bit of a joke here in Australia.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

After trading this rather entertsining thread ...and i only have a tiny diamond to upgrade
if it were possible
Yes

Oh and studs definatly
If only i could

 

[autumngems]

No. I’ve a preference for earth mined diamonds.

Same

 

[misscamels]

Would I trade in my Tiffany solitaire for a larger MMD? Heck yeah I would!
(It’s my engagement ring from my Wasband- it’s too small and I’ve got no attachment to it.)

Would I trade in my heirloom solitaire that was my mother’s? No thanks, I’ll keep it.

 

[Yimmers]

Interesting discussion. At this point, no, because I have 2+ carat earth mined AVR which is pretty difficult to find these days. So, I guess it's more me having something a little unique.
If I ever found my original wedding set, that is also a no for sentimental reasons.

However, I have tossed about the possibility of getting a 3+ carat MMD AVC. That is a bucket list item. I probably won't be able to get one of those without it being man made.