To all the dealers trashing Lab Diamonds

[Rockdiamond]

@headlight …. Great questions!
1- in terms of factory , lab, workspace, etc….
I’m sure the places growing crystals aren’t like my living room And likely the term “Lab Grown” was picked for the way it sounds. But in either case, factory or diamond mine…. As a consumer, you’re not focused on the conditions of manufacturing. Kind of like eating steak.
2- people are paying other people for “used” lab diamonds. So there is resale value. Also…..the resale value of natural diamonds ain’t nothin to brag about

3- value of anything is determined by what people will pay. Think of a LV bag made of “Pleather”. Worth more than a no name leather bag

4- from my perspective the softening natural diamond market is directly related to lab diamonds growing popularity

5-covered. People are re-selling lab diamonds. That’s not gonna change

What I found is that it’s very personal. DW will not accept a lab grown diamond. I think she should let me make her a Crazy cool lab ring, but she refuses and she’s indicative of a fair percentage of diamond buyers.

 

[lulu_ma]

I don’t know what this means!

It’s a Dr. Seuss reference.

The Sneetches and Other Stories - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[nala]

If it is true that the diamond industry built itself on the perception that it was selling rarity by controlling its supply , lab grown diamonds have not done so and will continue not to do so, so their prices will plummet further.

 

[Betty Baguette]

They had cultural pressure to push debt, and if you couldn't well that's just too bad you're lower class.

Something tells me a lot of upper class individuals are gladly (quietly) buying lab diamond engagement rings/jewelry, or will be very soon. But the industry is pressuring the middle and lower socioeconomic classes to "prove their love/self worth" by sticking to mined diamonds.

This is what's been happening in the "luxury" designer handbag world. Poorer folks are going into debt to appear wealthy because of pressure from the advertisers. The lower and middle class are targeted by these ads, not the upper class. They're too smart to fall for this advertising, and have nothing to prove anyway.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Look what the industry is doing to people.

Parts of this industry has decided to go full bore on deriding people's feelings about the people they love, more baldly put the price tag on it. They had cultural pressure to push debt, and if you couldn't well that's just too bad you're lower class. Work harder, save longer, take the loan, but remember it's not an investment! Aspirations melding into poison. We turn that inward and then we push it outward to the nearest targets. Each other.
So, this part of the industry decides to say it isn't real or it's not the same caliber because they can't afford or choose a different way to express. All tornadoed around material. Love = material. That is ugly, but somehow culturally acceptable. Echoed in different ways. That made many very resentful and because it's harder to direct that hurt at an industry, a monolith, they wrongly direct it at people. Millions have felt less than because of a technically voluntary, and in the end exclusionary practice that has been driven into our heads and culture. For carbon. The most common material on the planet, the primary building block of life. But we give, collect and wear chunks of it to feel special. For distinction that imparts huge amounts of information in a literal flash. It's only a little over two hundred years old for the hoi polloi, really ramped up in the last hundred+ years or so. If we're being honest this board was built on it. You can't escape it. It's the beauty of the irrational human.
For the first time there's also a bit of seismic sudden equanimity happening. It's threatening on a subconscious level. It's no surprise that there is deep seated resentment and defensiveness that is flowing in both directions.
They are saying the quiet part out loud.

Sneetches. Sneetches all the way down. And the industry knows it.

@ItsMainelyYou,
I may disagree with some of your perspectives, but I love the esoteric way you express them! The way you craft your thoughts forces the reader to grapple with the issues on a deeper level.
Very stimulating!

I think it's important to realize that our the fascination with beautiful natural objects is not a new thing. Humans have decorated themselves with all manner of colorful and shiny things for thousands of years. Yes, a major industry was developed around diamonds and accelerated in recent decades, generating competition and rival messaging, some of which is unseemly, inaccurate or disingenuous. The rough and tumble of capitalism does encourage people to divide into camps, in the diamond business as well as others. It is a challenge to be passionate about your camp while being respectful of other camps, and not treat the competition as a zero sum game. But that is exactly what we must strive for.

The worst always tends to come out in times of crisis. And we have been experiencing crisis years in the diamond industry and in society as a whole.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Interesting post. I’ve always appreciated your input and I have some questions… but this is in the spirit of sharing ideas, I am not here to antagonize.
Personally, I am more an earth mined diamond person (don’t find that term offensive, merely an identifier). I don’t know if it has anything to do with being a G.G. and any influence instilled in me through that exposure or it’s just me. While I don’t think a diamond from the earth is the benchmark for true love, I do buy in to the “our love is unique and rare” as should the diamond be accordingly. With that said, the spirit in which any ring is given when one asks the other to spend the rest of their lives together should be the same, whether it be with a diamond from the earth, a diamond not from the earth, any other stone used for the ring (natural or otherwise), a band, something from a Cracker Jack box, etc.
While I had historically been not in favor of lab grown, I now have moved to the view of preferring a natural for engagement and am open to the idea of lab for other jewelry… however I can’t say if I personally would ever buy anything with lab stones. Anything is possible!
There are some things I would like your thoughts on (and from the rest of you, as well)
1. One of my instructors said to me that there is no “lab”… these are being manufactured in factories in China, and that giving the impression of lab coats and a laboratory environment is misleading. As I share this with you, what thoughts immediately come to mind for you?
2. Resale value/value in general - i was not understanding your comment that lab does have resale value… the prices have dropped consecutively each year. I suppose we need to see a stabilization before it is fair to say value or not. Your input?
3. On that note, basic Econ 101 tells us law of supply and demand… anything rare (like something from nature) is more valuable than something that can be produced in mass quantities. I’m trying to wrap my head around the opposing view - please enlighten me so I can have a better understanding of what I’m not understanding!
4. Regarding the part you mentioned about natural going down in price, do you feel some of that is due to a leveling out following the significant inflation of diamond prices as a result of the pandemic?
5. About resale value of a quality piece of jewelry, the resale of any jewelry is not good for the seller so that is altogether it would seem an issue in and of itself where the only exception I have seen would be for a piece that holds a natural diamond - do you see any truth in that?
6. I most certainly agree that lab has taken market share and that is continuing to rise. While I am on team natural I most certainly understand the choice to go lab and honestly I struggle with why I can’t wrap my head around it and jump on board. Is it my age? A romanticism thing? Something akin to that mind clean concept? Ego about what my paperwork says? The G.G. influence? All of the above?!
7. I’m not sure I understand your point about triple diff btwn D/IF and F/VS2… rare = $$$ yes??
As you can see, your post has been very thought-provoking for me - obviously it took me a little while to respond as I’ve been pondering and rereading your thoughts. I appreciate your passion and your candor. Would love to see your reply and from others here, as well. Thanks for the opportunity to share viewpoints.

@headlight ,
So refreshing to see someone asking questions, rather than merely staking out positions. It's stimulating to the discussion and fundamental to the quest for knowledge.

Rather than pretend I have all the answers, I will just make this observation which I think intersects with some of these questions: Lab grown diamonds have been in development a long time, but only recently hit a tipping point in the jewelry industry in terms of availability of commercial quantities of nice material in a range of shapes and sizes. And it did so at precisely the right time as a confluence of events made natural diamonds more expensive and less available. Pandemic related economic anxiety, supply line disruptions, rising inflation, sanctions of Russian diamonds, were all conspiring to create a vacuum in the market that lab grown diamonds were able to fill perfectly.

In a different time, the emergence of labs might have had a smoother and more manageable integration into the market, but as it happened they came gushing forth from so many directions, causing such a buzz, that it made everyone's head spin. Retailers were hurting and latched on to lab grown (some reluctantly) in order to make margin to counter loss of revenue in the slow down in natural. Marketing messaging in favor of labs sprung out from every corner (Martin Rapaport notwithstanding!). Lots of consumers were very happy that there was suddenly a widespread positive acceptance of lab diamonds, allowing them to save money and still get a beautiful diamond. Will the early adopters be just as happy long term as the lab diamond market continues evolve? Maybe.

Where everything will eventually level out is uncertain, though many people have strong opinions. I think it is pretty clear that the industry will never go back to place it was before - we have entered a new normal.

 

[nala]

I think of natural diamonds as originals. They have a certificate that authenticates them as such. Kind of like first edition books, comic books, etc. The collector will pay thousands to own the original, and there will always be a buyer out there seeking it—until there is a major cultural shift (like for fur coats, ivory, etc). Anyone can read and enjoy a reprint, but the collector wants to own the original for the value it represents and holds. The question is, will there be a cultural shift? I think temporarily, we are seeing that. But when prices keep bottoming out, people will lose interest bc the status symbol has ceased to be such. TJ maxx carries lab growns now; I had speculated they would in another thread a couple of years ago. I think that when the older generations die and leave their naturals as heirlooms to the lab grown wearers, these heiresses might find themselves appreciating naturals again and who knows, maybe a resurgence in the natural diamond market?

 

[dk168]

In June of 2022 a PS member made one of the most ill-advised purchases imaginable: a 10ct G VS2 lab EC for $120k.

She’s lost over $100k on that thing. In 36 months.

I wonder how many others were in the same boat, having lost $$$ on their purchases in less than 2 years.

I can easily spend that kind of money on jewellery, however, it won't be on a single LGD, not even now, as I believe their prices will fall even further.

DK

 

[0515vision]

Anyone have historical perspective from the inception of lab sapphires? That was over 100 yrs ago, but I wonder if there are lessons/insights to be gained from that transition.

 

[seaurchin]

Anyone have historical perspective from the inception of lab sapphires? That was over 100 yrs ago, but I wonder if there are lessons/insights to be gained from that transition.

Good point. I'm not in the business so what do I know, but I've always thought lab diamonds would settle at where lab sapphires are at today. Largely perceived as two different products at very different price points.
-----------------------------

Personally, as someone not in the business, I just get what I want. I have a mined diamond and don't see selling it but expect any I get in the future will be lab diamonds.

As far as what anybody thinks of it, my jewelry in general is one of a couple of things where people's reactions weigh heavily with me on how good of friends we are going to be lol. If they're too judgey etc. it's just a big clue to me to not tell them any more of my business. However, if I really was making wild purchases that I couldn't afford, that would be a good friend to (kindly and privately) call me out about it.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Anyone have historical perspective from the inception of lab sapphires? That was over 100 yrs ago, but I wonder if there are lessons/insights to be gained from that transition.

It's an interesting question. The early synthetic corundum was pretty easy to identify as they grew in a circular pattern around a spinning line forming a cylindrical boule. You could see the telltale curved striae in a faceted stone with a loupe. We know what happened to that market in the long run. Then came synthetics with more "natural" growth methods which were harder to identify such as the Chatham and Kashan brands which sold for considerably more, at least for a while. I'm not sure of market prices these days, or whether they are still being actively marketed.
Maybe someone who frequents the colored stone forums can shed light.

 

[heididdl]

Ugliness isn't good no matter where it crops up.

I'm someone who prefers natural, earth-made diamonds. And as such, I've received tons and tons of abuse from people who are invested in lab diamonds. Been called terrible names, etc, for my own feelings that I view lab diamonds as costume jewelry. These are my own personal feelings, not directed at anyone else, and most of the time kept to myself unless specifically asked. If you love labs, wonderful, buy and wear lab diamonds proudly! I'm happy for you. You do you, I'lll do me. But it doesn't end there. If I don't LOVE someone else's lab diamonds, if I don't think they are equal to mine (which I don't) then I'm labeled a monster. The thought police come after me!!! I am told to "stay silent".

Even though I know that @Rockdiamond dislikes political correctness, or "wokeness", as do I, to me, his initial post reeks of it. So what if some people don't believe lab diamonds are equal to earth-mined? Who cares! Don't be a snowflake. You do you. There's certainly money to be made in lab diamonds, so smile and stick to your convictions and proudly sell your diamonds. You'll be a rich man (or woman for the females in the business).

But don't beat people over the head that they must think like you. And if anyone here truly believes that people with other opinions should stay silent, then perhaps a democracy isn't a good fit for you.

It makes me vey sad and very tired that in America today if someone has a different view, they are denigrated and raked over the coals. People are terrified to speak their minds, say their opinions, and sometimes even merely exist if they are different than what is in vogue at the moment.

Is your profile photo of yourself?

 

[Karl_K]

Anyone have historical perspective from the inception of lab sapphires? That was over 100 yrs ago, but I wonder if there are lessons/insights to be gained from that transition.

On the other hand you have Pearls where cultured took over the market.
Long term environmental and geo/political policies will put an end to the mined diamond market as we know it in my opinion.
That will leave a void in the market for LGD long term.

 

[Bonfire]

Is your profile photo of yourself?

I’m not @RunningwithScissors. Her avatar is a photo of a young Jessica Lange, however, @RunningwithScissors is just as beautiful if not more so. Just a slight thread jack LOL!

 

[lovedogs]

It's an interesting question. The early synthetic corundum was pretty easy to identify as they grew in a circular pattern around a spinning line forming a cylindrical boule. You could see the telltale curved striae in a faceted stone with a loupe. We know what happened to that market in the long run. Then came synthetics with more "natural" growth methods which were harder to identify such as the Chatham and Kashan brands which sold for considerably more, at least for a while. I'm not sure of market prices these days, or whether they are still being actively marketed.
Maybe someone who frequents the colored stone forums can shed light.

Synthetics are still definitely marketed and if they're precision cut are amazing. Not pennies by any means, but nowhere near the 1k/carat or more that you'd pay for a cornflower blue unheated mined sapphire or more for ruby

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Sneetches. Sneetches all the way down. And the industry knows it.

Let’s show the industry that we are not Sneetches. Let’s buy both.

What I found is that it’s very personal. DW will not accept a lab grown diamond. I think she should let me make her a Crazy cool lab ring, but she refuses and she’s indicative of a fair percentage of diamond buyers.

Make me a crazy cool lab ring. My husband is not the jealous type. If your wife is, you still win because then she will want one for herself.

I think of natural diamonds as originals. They have a certificate that authenticates them as such. Kind of like first edition books, comic books, etc.

Thank you! I was having a hard time expressing why I still like EGD a little bit more notwithstanding I wear LGD too.

—-

Vendors who shame people for liking LGD: “Only natural diamonds signify real love! A big, strong, manly, woman-loving man should only get a natural diamond for his precious future bride!”

Women: “OK! We will take our increase in spending power and social independence and buy lab grown diamonds for ourselves!”

Men who prefer women for sweethearts: “Gosh it sure is nice to be wanted and not just needed. Let’s get our ladies what they want. Since LGD let us spend more, we can spend our extra cash on… HIGHER QUALITY!”

 

[yssie]

I wonder how many others were in the same boat, having lost $$$ on their purchases in less than 2 years.

I can easily spend that kind of money on jewellery, however, it won't be on a single LGD, not even now, as I believe their prices will fall even further.

DK

Even worse, I also said 36 months instead of 18 because #Typos.

- - - - - - - - - -

Folks here might find this thread from January 2020 an interesting read:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-help-big-purchase.253996/#post-4664836
The perspective that one tradeperson chose to take at this time, in this thread - that buyers should pursue instant gratification and d*mn all else including resale potential - absurd and insulting. This vendor was clearly prioritizing an immediate sale over his client’s long-term best interests.

Buy whatever you like, buy with eyes wide open to the benefits and compromises that you're making with your choices, and then enjoy the heck out of it. That's what this forum is all about right?

Edit: I’ll be buying a lab diamond band next year. I want something big and bold, and I’ll pay extra for phenomenal workmanship on the mount, but the diamonds themselves… If I can save even a few hundred by going lab over mined - it’s worth it to me. For other pieces I’ll make different choices. That’s okay.

 

[elle_chris]

My 2¢ -
I think for an important piece of jewelry, something that you want to become and heirloom and be passed down for generations, natural is the way to go (IMO). I know that I want to pass something down that has monetary value as well as sentimental value so to me natural is a no-brainer.

For fun pieces of jewelry, or in other words pieces that are not as important to me, I see nothing wrong with lab. In fact, I recently purchased a 7 stone oval lab band and am perfectly happy with it. However, I will never view it the same as my natural diamond pieces and that's OK, I don't have to.

There's a market for both and that's great, just more options for all of us. But what I don't understand is this push towards lab that includes calling those of us who prefer naturals supports of conflict diamond, child slave labor etc.
The lab diamond industry is really pushing how unethical it is to buy mined, without ever mentioning the ethics and human rights violations that come from countries like China- the largest manufacturer of labs, and the biggest contributor to carbon emissions.

All the arguments for labs just feel very disingenuous to me. I don't care why someone buys a lab, but don't pretend they're morally superior for it, they are not.

 

[Betty Baguette]

The lab diamond industry is really pushing how unethical it is to buy mined, without ever mentioning the ethics and human rights violations that come from countries like China- the largest manufacturer of labs, and the biggest contributor to carbon emissions.

Are there specific ethical issues and documented human rights violations in the Chinese laboratories that create diamonds? And how significant are the carbon emissions from this particular industry in China?

On the whole, I believe lab diamonds are a much better choice when it comes to these issues. Unless you know something I don't.

 

[Betty Baguette]

As an aside, to get the best of both worlds (mined diamonds without guilt) I prefer vintage and antique jewelry. You'll get amazing craftsmanship if you pick the right pieces. And also no concerns about newly mined gold, which brings its own set of problems.

Check out the Antique & Vintage Jewelry forum on this site. You might get hooked.

Antique & Vintage Jewelry

There’s something magical about jewelry with a past: this is the place to discuss historical trends, identify old marks, and share your favorite pieces.

www.pricescope.com

 

[yssie]

@Betty Baguette That’s exactly the issue - any stances one might take on the ethics of lab vs. mined are based entirely on belief, not fact. Because noone has facts on labs (yet).

And the recent and ubiquitous concoction of a moral high-ground that’s leveraged on belief - without any current possibility of substantiation - is ripe for emotional division. And noone’s buying anything sparkly for any reason besides emotion. I can’t speak for @elle_chris but I share her parting sentiment. Botswana. That’s not to suggest the mined diamond industry has spotless hands but at least there’s global visibility, accountability, and action. Zimbabwe.

That said, I think we can all agree that it’s an infinitesimally small market segment who’ll choose labs without factoring pricing into their considerations. The interesting thing is how it’s apparently kind of gauche to say that out loud!

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

The perspective that one tradeperson chose to take at this time, in this thread - that buyers should pursue instant gratification and d*mn all else including resale potential - absurd and insulting. This vendor was clearly prioritizing an immediate sale over his client’s long-term best interests.


Edit: I’ll be buying a lab diamond band next year. I want something big and bold, and I’ll pay extra for phenomenal workmanship on the mount, but the diamonds themselves… If I can save even a few hundred by going lab over mined - it’s worth it to me. For other pieces I’ll make different choices. That’s okay.

‘To be fair, a lot of the early warnings that LGD would drop in price sounded more like EGD-market-protectors stating the obvious than like kindly old small business people protecting their customers. I look back at certain vendors who were like, “Don’t drop $25k right now” and some of those vendors are now saying, “Only EGD symbolize real love” and some of those vendors are saying, “Meh, get a LGD if you must, I still don’t like them.” The second category of vendors is more worth listening to. But we all have to remember that selling diamonds is a business and even the kindly vendors still aim to be persuasive.

I know that I want to pass something down that has monetary value as well as sentimental value so to me natural is a no-brainer.

.

All the arguments for labs just feel very disingenuous to me. I don't care why someone buys a lab, but don't pretend they're morally superior for it, they are not.

‘I hear what you’re saying about wanting to pass down wealth; not everyone can afford to pass down expensive jewelry but their pieces are still heirlooms to their loved ones. I think most of the arguments on all of the sides are disingenuous because they all play on emotions — heirloom, real, natural, mined, ethical, responsible, fake, love, monopoly, luxury, clean, mind clean, forever — and there is so much AI-generated content on the internet that we might question whether there are really a lot of arguments among consumers versus arguments aimed at consumers.

 

[Betty Baguette]

@Betty Baguette That’s exactly the issue - any stances one might take on the ethics of lab vs. mined are based entirely on belief, not fact. Because noone has facts on labs (yet).

And the recent and ubiquitous concoction of a moral high-ground that’s leveraged on belief - without any current possibility of substantiation - is ripe for emotional division. And noone’s buying anything sparkly for any reason besides emotion.

That said, I think we can all agree that it’s an infinitesimally small market segment who’ll choose labs without factoring pricing into their considerations. The interesting thing is how it’s apparently kind of gauche to say that out loud!

I hear your point, @yssie. But we KNOW the problems caused by diamond mining.

 

[lulu_ma]

This article brings up from interesting points.

P.S. I don't have a lot of skin this discussion as my interest lies almost exclusively in antique/ vintage diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds are marketed as the ethical choice. Are they really?

They’re marketed as “sustainable”, “eco-friendly” and the “ethical alternative” to mined diamonds. But few really know how their lab-grown diamond was made.

www.smh.com.au

 

[yssie]

‘To be fair, a lot of the early warnings that LGD would drop in price sounded more like EGD-market-protectors stating the obvious than like kindly old small business people protecting their customers. I look back at certain vendors who were like, “Don’t drop $25k right now” and some of those vendors are now saying, “Only EGD symbolize real love” and some of those vendors are saying, “Meh, get a LGD if you must, I still don’t like them.” The second category of vendors is more worth listening to. But we all have to remember that selling diamonds is a business and even the kindly vendors still aim to be persuasive.



‘I hear what you’re saying about wanting to pass down wealth; not everyone can afford to pass down expensive jewelry but their pieces are still heirlooms to their loved ones. I think most of the arguments on all of the sides are disingenuous because they all play on emotions — heirloom, real, natural, mined, ethical, responsible, fake, love, monopoly, luxury, clean, mind clean, forever — and there is so much AI-generated content on the internet that we might question whether there are really a lot of arguments among consumers versus arguments aimed at consumers.

Oh, I freely acknowledge I quickly lost patience with vendors who were staunchly We Will Sell Mined Diamonds Only Because Mined Means Love. Most have now changed their tunes - that was almost as regrettable an emotional ploy as Just Buy Now And Be Happy And Don’t Worry About Those Other Pesky Concerns.

We consumers all know that vendors will sell whatever they need to sell to profit. Presuming anything else is naive. (I’m not calling you naive by any means - just stated as a general armchair observation, in agreement with your post). And I’m perfectly okay with that - in fact I respect vendors who just come out and state it, and I’ll buy more from them. The honesty is refreshing.

Veering off topic but - I’m buying mostly branded now. My house of choice is going to open two new workshops. They could have followed most of the the industry to the bottom of the cheap labour barrel, shareholders probably would have preferred it, but the new workshops will be in France - a geography with significance to the house, and more importantly (to me) where labour laws and human rights are #Things. That legitimately moves the purchase choice needle for me.

I wish I could do vintage. To @Betty Baguette’s point. Sadly I’ve learnt that I love the idea of vintage but not the reality: My eyes crave the precision of modern manufacture.

 

[yssie]

Here’s a short film about where our unused and discarded clothing ends up.

What’s the relevance? Well - it’s not just Walmart cast-offs that end up here. It’s also designer merch that didn’t sell, or that’s being deliberately destroyed to prevent unauthorized resale or preserve artificial scarcity. Stuff that’s worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

It’s as disconcerting as it is short. Like the one bit where workers posit that water for laundry must be very expensive in these foreign worlds - and that must be why everyone’s chucking so much perfectly good stuff.

Lab diamonds: Commodities that are gaining popularity by the heartbeat - more than any other synthetic gemstone. Minimal intrinsic worth beyond the time and cost of manufacture. More can be made - indefinitely. Already entering the world of fast fashion. Yes, they cost hundreds or thousands of dollars… So do designer clothes. What will the Panipat of lab diamonds look like? And at least these clothes are made back into thread. How does one reuse gemstones?

 

[Betty Baguette]

This article brings up from interesting points.

P.S. I don't have a lot of skin this discussion as my interest lies almost exclusively in antique/ vintage diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds are marketed as the ethical choice. Are they really?

They’re marketed as “sustainable”, “eco-friendly” and the “ethical alternative” to mined diamonds. But few really know how their lab-grown diamond was made.

www.smh.com.au

Thanks for posting this article @lulu_ma. It's very informative.

Based on the article, if I were to buy a lab (or mined) diamond in the future, I'd buy one certified by SCS-007. Here's how to find them:

Diamond

sustainabilityrateddiamonds.com

 

[0-0-0]

How does one reuse gemstones?

The possibilities are endless in tech with lab diamonds as prices drop.

Diamond data storage breakthrough writes and rewrites down to single atom

Diamond is a promising material for data storage, and now scientists have demonstrated a new way to cram even more data onto it, down to a single atom. The technique bypasses a physical limit by writing data to the same spots in different-colored light.

newatlas.com

 

[Karl_K]

The possibilities are endless in tech with lab diamonds as prices drop.

Diamond data storage breakthrough writes and rewrites down to single atom

Diamond is a promising material for data storage, and now scientists have demonstrated a new way to cram even more data onto it, down to a single atom. The technique bypasses a physical limit by writing data to the same spots in different-colored light.

newatlas.com

There are more than one line of research and growth fields for lab diamonds that are totally different from each other.
Probably the smallest potential total value wise is the jewellery market.
The next one that overlaps is diamond lenses for cameras on everything from cars to cell phones. This market will dwarf the jewellery market with trillion dollar potential
Many of the players are using jewellery diamond as a r&d stepping stone to move up the chain to lenses.


Another tract is semiconductor platters. Perfect material 300mm to 400mm round but only a few microns thick.
In this tract are also storage uses.
These are a total different research process than gem grade material with trillions of dollars of potential.

Diamond coatings and paint replacement.
How would you like your car coated in diamond? (for real not marketing fluff)
Trillions of dollars of potential.

Diamond tools. The capability to make tools out of diamond either fully or partially.
Unknown potential, but I would say Billions.

 

[Eli22]

I love reading everyone's responses on this issue. Definitely makes one wonder how this will all pan out. My preference is still EGD, but I have purchased two LGD items (a replacement stone for my original ER setting, which is platinum with 3-sided pave, and a pair of 3ctw earrings). The choice to do this was easy - I didn't grapple with the "meaning" of it, as one was a way to reuse the setting my husband chose for me when I was resetting my engagement diamond (the thought of melting or selling it was sad) and the other was a less painful replacement for a lost pair of 2ctw EGD earrings (I am a klutz and lose things fairly often). With these two pieces, I did not experience the “mind clean” issue. I believe the pragmatic side of me won over the emotional side of me.

In my mind...more and better quality sparkles for everyone = WIN.

There will always be a place in my heart for EGD - especially vintage/antique pieces, but I would not hesitate to purchase certain jewelry pieces with LGD. My primary home is filled with antiques - I appreciate the history of the pieces, marvel at the fact that they've survived generations, and often wonder about their "past lives." My husband likes to say things like: "No baby that was born when that was made lives today" or "Imagine living until 80 years old, imagine how much happened in those years, then multiply that by 3..that's how old that is.” We have items from the 16th c, and items that can be considered ultra-modern/futuristic. I can appreciate our antiques while also appreciating our modern pieces. I view EGD as marvels of the earth and LGD as marvels of man/technology. Preferring one or the other is a personal choice, and I truly believe there is space for both. I can also understand people who cannot accept LGD - I feel the same way about lab colored gemstones...for some reason, I just can't appreciate them as much. Those are my own foibles, which may (or may not) change with time. TLDR: There is no "competition" here - someone wearing a 5 ct LG emerald cut should not lessen your joy with your own 5 ct EG emerald cut. Everyone's pieces signify something different to them - and that's OK! Whether it's purchased to commemorate the next step in a relationship, or to celebrate a job well done, or simply as a pick-me-up...jewelry is such a personal choice - let's not quibble about or judge how people choose to mark the occasion.

Full disclosure: I do tend to commission/purchase more sentimental pieces with EGD/natural colored gemstones, but to each their own!

I wonder how many others were in the same boat, having lost $$$ on their purchases in less than 2 years.

I can easily spend that kind of money on jewellery, however, it won't be on a single LGD, not even now, as I believe their prices will fall even further.

DK

Nowhere near the same $$$, but my LGD earrings (3ctw, HPHT) were $3200 just last December. I see 4ctw CVD pairs (from the same vendor) for less than $2k now. It is what it is...technology gets better/more widely available, goods become more affordable. I don't mind because it's not an investment, it's for my personal use and will likely never be sold with the expectation of preserving value.