shape
carat
color
clarity

To all the dealers trashing Lab Diamonds

@Rockdiamond and @Texas Leaguer Thanks!

I wish I had taken a photo of it upside down before setting. I don’t recall it being near colorless but maybe its internal color blob is really big? It does have a light area near the edges.







It also has a small clear part way down at the tip.



The report doesn’t say anything about a blob but the diamond is SI2 so there has to be something inside.

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It has oodles of graining which IIRC that’s what causes the pink hue. And they seem to be perpendicular. That’s why our hypothesis was that the diamond kind of “polarizes” at certain angles.

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And it shifts color all over the place.
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The stone has some serious personality! It's almost an alexandrite-like effect. (different from camelion)

Based on those photos, I might be tempted to send back to GIA to have it looked at again in case it falls into the gemological category or "phenomenal".

The grade setting inclusion is the feather, so I don't think a "blob" is causing the color!
 
The stone has some serious personality! It's almost an alexandrite-like effect. (different from camelion)

Based on those photos, I might be tempted to send back to GIA to have it looked at again in case it falls into the gemological category or "phenomenal".

The grade setting inclusion is the feather, so I don't think a "blob" is causing the color!

Thanks. I think I might do that, but don’t know when. Maybe I will ask the person who set it.
 
My introduction to diamonds began with my engagement ring. My only other diamond at the time was a 0.33 (maybe?) ct pendant that I inherited from my grandmother. If I had gotten engaged at a time when LGD were easily available and cheap, I probably would have gone for lab, and Grandma’s diamond is probably the only colorless earth diamond I would own, for rock collecting purposes. I would probably have one FCD also for rock collecting purposes. The rest of my diamonds would be lab. I would probably have a couple of earth grown gemstones for the same reason… with cool optical properties like sphene, and a color-change gem, for the “isn’t it cool that this came out of the ground” effect. The rest of my colored gem collection would also probably be lab, like it is now.

The fact that I grew up in a time when there were no chemically identical alternatives to earth diamonds definitely affects my preference for earth grown, even though I also have lab diamonds.…

I own lab and mined diamond and love both because for me it just comes down to how the cut "speaks" to me. However, my story is similar in that my natural diamond purchases (engagement ring in my avatar and my first pair of 1/2ctw diamond studs) predate LGD.

I never cared much for lab-grown colored gemstones — I fault them for looking a little too perfect — so I was surprised that I would enjoy LGD as much as I do. Still, I can imagine the rise of the LGD must create a certain amount of ambivalence or those in the trade. On the one hand, a jeweler can sell more LGD to a wider array of clients. On the other hand, the prices LGD command will continue to fall relative to increased availability, with my prediction that LGD will eventually be nearly as ubiquitous as CZ even as mined diamonds become comparatively exclusive.

Rightly or wrongly LGD also has the public perception of being more sustainable. If all factors are equal, I see LGD edging out a greater percentage of the mined diamond market as the years pass. Mined diamonds may very well see their prices slip relative to LGD as a knock-on effect (attempt by industry to remain competitive). But long term, mined diamonds will probably be mined in such low quantity that they will effectively be pushed out of reach of the average consumer, with the possible exception of the secondary market. But even on the secondary market, the sheer number of average cut/clarity mined diamonds may lag behind the popularity of a high-grade LGD, which could mean plummeting resale value for all but the most outstanding mined specimens. Is this sustainable for independent jewelers who may depend on diamond engagement ring sales to keep the doors open? That is the question!
 
Is this sustainable for independent jewelers who may depend on diamond engagement ring sales to keep the doors open? That is the question!

I'm afraid that horse left the barn a while back. It's gotten exponentially worse over the past few years.
When I started selling diamonds online- way back in 1999....I realized that if this way of selling caught on ( and boy did it) it would squeeze brick-and-mortar retail jewelers- many would go out of business.
In fact, that is exactly what happened.
Now there are oligarchical moves where mammoth companies are swallowing up smaller firms.
I'm not putting a lot of stock into my kids being able to compete in this business.....
 
I own lab and mined diamond and love both because for me it just comes down to how the cut "speaks" to me. However, my story is similar in that my natural diamond purchases (engagement ring in my avatar and my first pair of 1/2ctw diamond studs) predate LGD.

I never cared much for lab-grown colored gemstones — I fault them for looking a little too perfect — so I was surprised that I would enjoy LGD as much as I do. Still, I can imagine the rise of the LGD must create a certain amount of ambivalence or those in the trade. On the one hand, a jeweler can sell more LGD to a wider array of clients. On the other hand, the prices LGD command will continue to fall relative to increased availability, with my prediction that LGD will eventually be nearly as ubiquitous as CZ even as mined diamonds become comparatively exclusive.

Rightly or wrongly LGD also has the public perception of being more sustainable. If all factors are equal, I see LGD edging out a greater percentage of the mined diamond market as the years pass. Mined diamonds may very well see their prices slip relative to LGD as a knock-on effect (attempt by industry to remain competitive). But long term, mined diamonds will probably be mined in such low quantity that they will effectively be pushed out of reach of the average consumer, with the possible exception of the secondary market. But even on the secondary market, the sheer number of average cut/clarity mined diamonds may lag behind the popularity of a high-grade LGD, which could mean plummeting resale value for all but the most outstanding mined specimens. Is this sustainable for independent jewelers who may depend on diamond engagement ring sales to keep the doors open? That is the question!

@GemView ,
You make a lot of good points. Not the least of which is what happens to the market for commercial quality diamonds. The natural diamond market is by no means monolithic - there are a variety of quality groupings in different segments of the consumer market based on budget. But consumers primarily like diamonds for their brilliance and fire. Many will may pay more for natural diamonds because they value their natural origins and rarity, but are they willing to sacrifice beauty and light performance?

Lab diamonds are becoming largley monolithic - clean, white, and affordable. Yes, there are seconds and thirds on the market that are deeply discounted but generally the size and quality of the material has improved while prices have come steadily down.

Some consumers will start to think of lab diamonds differently as prices bottom out. But lab diamonds will continue to be a ubiquitous reminder of what diamonds are supposed to look like. Will only high-quality natural diamonds be able to compete for the eye of the consumer going forward? That seems like a logical theory, and a conundrum for the natural diamond industry as a whole.
 
But lab diamonds will continue to be a ubiquitous reminder of what diamonds are supposed to look like.
Marketing shoots in the foot.
There is nothing but marketing that convinced generations that as close as you can get to D/Fl is what the ultimate diamonds are supposed to look like.
sssssshhhhhhh dont tell anyone but I like lmnop range yellows and even some light browns and eyeclean with acceptable transparency maybe even more..
 
Marketing shoots in the foot.
There is nothing but marketing that convinced generations that as close as you can get to D/Fl is what the ultimate diamonds are supposed to look like.
sssssshhhhhhh dont tell anyone but I like lmnop range yellows and even some light browns and eyeclean with acceptable transparency maybe even more..

Point taken Karl. I was speaking generally of course. Again, natural diamonds are not a monolith and many people have strong preferences outside the mainstream.

Although, I must say that a natural, precision cut D IF is pretty sublime!
 
I made a very nice living showing folks what diamonds were NOT supposed to look like...hahah.
People love weird things....well, some people anyway...a small percentage of us, but enough for a lively market.
But the changes in the market make it seem like that time has gone.
Large parcels of weird stones that somehow made sense economically.
I'm afraid such rough won't be worth mining anymore.....
To say nothing of the wide variety of wholesale sales channels which are now a fond memory
 
Thank God this thread did not die. We were all worried there for a second.

Marketing shoots in the foot.
There is nothing but marketing that convinced generations that as close as you can get to D/Fl is what the ultimate diamonds are supposed to look like.
sssssshhhhhhh dont tell anyone but I like lmnop range yellows and even some light browns and eyeclean with acceptable transparency maybe even more..

Yeah, everyone remarks how LGD let people buy bigger rocks but theres also a desire for better quality at lower prices. Better quality being defined as white and clear. So that’s what we see for sale.

I made a very nice living showing folks what diamonds were NOT supposed to look like...hahah.
People love weird things....well, some people anyway...a small percentage of us, but enough for a lively market.
But the changes in the market make it seem like that time has gone.
Large parcels of weird stones that somehow made sense economically.
I'm afraid such rough won't be worth mining anymore.....
To say nothing of the wide variety of wholesale sales channels which are now a fond memory

With LGD it seems like every time a new cut or color comes out, it holds its price level for a while, but as time goes on, competition creeps in. OECs are a good example, then OMC and portrait. Anyway this effect might mean we will see more weird LGD.
 
Marketing shoots in the foot.
There is nothing but marketing that convinced generations that as close as you can get to D/Fl is what the ultimate diamonds are supposed to look like.
sssssshhhhhhh dont tell anyone but I like lmnop range yellows and even some light browns and eyeclean with acceptable transparency maybe even more..

Diamonds are not particularly "rare" among gemstones, either, but De Beers and the marketing hype made the case that they are. In the future, I suspect mined diamonds in the <2 carat range will become comparatively rare in retail settings as compared to >2 carat LGD, with what remains of the market for mined >3 carat diamonds to buyers where money is no object.

I have to agree; however, taste is relative. A lot of the Old Mines and OECs are K-P, bordering on a fancy yellow color. I just learned the meaning of "Cape Diamond" reading here on PS the other day. :geek2:

Good insights from the previous comments, also.
 
Diamonds are not particularly "rare" among gemstones, either, but De Beers and the marketing hype made the case that they are. In the future, I suspect mined diamonds in the <2 carat range will become comparatively rare in retail settings as compared to >2 carat LGD, with what remains of the market for mined >3 carat diamonds to buyers where money is no object.

I have to agree; however, taste is relative. A lot of the Old Mines and OECs are K-P, bordering on a fancy yellow color. I just learned the meaning of "Cape Diamond" reading here on PS the other day. :geek2:

Good insights from the previous comments, also.

According to GIA, gemstone quality natural diamonds are quite rare...only about 30% of all mined diamonds are gemstone quality.
That 30% includes every diamond in the D-Z color scale, all the fancy colors, and the whole host of different clarities that they come in. That's not taking into consideration the rarity factors of diamond rough that can yield higher carat finished diamonds.
Colorless and near colorless with great transparency and higher clarity are just a small portion of that 30% hence the rarity factor, buyer desirability, and heightened pricing.
 
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?

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?

Hi Nala, original what, exactly? I don’t think any diamonds are certified as original. If I am mistaken, please do let me know. And I don’t believe lab grading reports refer to earth-mined diamonds as “originals”. My assumption is an original diamond is the very first diamond that was extracted from the Earth.
 
I think you are right in that no one can distinguish between a natural and lgd,but rocking anything over a 3 carat these days, over a 2 if the couple is super young—is an indicator that the ring is a lab. That is why many lgd buyers choose to keep the size at a “credible” size.

I would not bet that the future belongs to lgd based on their affordability and accessibility. A lot of people do not appreciate what comes too easily. Think about moissanite. Yes, on PS, most can spot them a mile away. Even a cubic zirconia. But for the world at large, these 2 stones are indistinguishable from afar. If people really wanted big and cheap, these two stones would be the go-to. I think lgd is a fad. Will die down when they are everywhere—and their price plummets like moisannite.

Except that moissanites.and cubic zirconias are not diamonds.
 
@nala, you post reminded me of something my 18 year old said to me when I asked her which she preferred lab or earth. To my surprise she said earth. When I asked why, she said it had to work harder. It stuck. And it’s exactly what you said.

A lot of people do not appreciate what comes too easily.

Helps me understand my own thinking.

What does your daughter mean by “It had to work harder”? What had to work harder?
 
Not necessarily. I would rather go smaller and buy an natural diamond than go bigger for the same price and buy a lab diamond. But again, that is just me. And please read what I wrote. It's not the billions of years (again for me) but the beauty of what our earth can procuce (which I admire and someone else does't care about and it's absolutely fine).

Does the Earth really produce the beautiful diamond though? Isn’t the diamond from the Earth a rough diamond? Doesn’t it take work to make it beautiful? I don’t think they come out of the Earth looking the way they do in the jewelry stores.
 
I think when people say they don’t consider lab grown diamonds to be diamonds, what they mean is not denying that it is the same carbon form as a natural diamond out of the earth; everyone understands that chemically they are the same (or almost exactly the same enough that most are indistinguishable to the naked eye; odd tints or striations notwithstanding).

But what they mean is, the magic, the je nai se quoi that makes diamonds so special to them; exists in natural diamonds but does not exist in lab grown diamonds. For them. I feel that way, so I get it. For me the natural/provenance aspect is most of the allure. If you gave me an identical lab diamond to my natural and paid me exactly what I paid for my natural diamond to boot I still wouldn’t take it. Or I’d take it if I wanted to offload my natural, but I likely wouldn’t wear the lab. That is just ME. I just wouldn’t buy a lab diamond. I don’t see the point. Yes it’s shiny and sparkly and pretty but it doesn’t evoke rhe same feeling for me. I don’t know how else to explain it. Maybe for you the natural diamond doesn’t evoke any emotion and labs fascinate you and make you feel a certain way. Perhaps because it’s a reminder of mankind’s ingenuity. So you would never go for a natural. That’s fine - totally your perspective.


I was engaged 25 years ago. My diamond was a lovely 1.5 carat G VS2 round diamond. Labs were not even a thing back then. And,no, the stone itself did not evoke any emotion. It was extracted from the Earth and then gone through whatever processes diamonds go through to become engagement rings. That did not evoke emotion for me. The process of becoming engaged to my husband certainly evoked emotion. And I certainly am not fascinated with lab diamonds. I wanted a 2 carat diamond, but I wanted it to be damn near
perfect. And that’s how I ended up with a 1.5 carat G VS2 diamond instead. I would’ve rather gone a bit smaller and had a beautiful stone, then go bigger and had a dull stone. So that’s what I did.
 
I want a heart cut diamond, G/H/I, VS even SI as long as it is eye clean, sub 1.19ct so that it cannot be bigger than my 1.19ct E VS1 that I bought for myself for my 40th birthday over 20 years ago, to be set as a right hand ring.

I could pick a lab one up for less than 350 USD for a 1.13ct from Alex Parks right away. Or I could wait, work harder/more so that I could save up and spend 3x+ more for a natural sub-1ct stone from James Allen. The natural stone would mean more to me sentimentally than a lab stone as I have to work harder for it.

Some people want the look for less, clothes and accessories etc., so why not jewellery? Not everyone can afford to spend big money on designer clothes and accessories; however, that does not stop them for wanting the latest looks.

Each person has he/her own mind-clean and priorities when choosing a diamond or coloured stone or pearls. There is no right and wrong. Just because I value cut about all else does not mean other people have to be the same. Some might want the biggest size stone and sacrifice on colour and clarity. Or even go down the LGD route.

I buy my own jewellery, and everything else, and do not expect to be provided for. Hence if I want anything, I have to work for them. The bigger the ticket, the harder I have to work for it. That's what working harder means to me personally.

DK :))
 
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I love my natural diamonds and they always make me warm and fuzzy inside. When I think about what their previous life was like, who they belonged to, what piece of jewellery they were in and how fortunate am I to be a caretaker for them. This kind of emotion I don't get from lab diamonds.

For me, the "work harder" part is that natural diamonds take billions of years to form vs lab diamonds that can be grown in weeks. The same principle goes into "working harder" to attain something so I treasure it a whole lot more. I'm not into fashion and care about having the latest IT thing. I like being more disciplined in curating items. That to me is working harder. I also don't care if people think what I'm wearing is fake because the enjoyment is all mine.
 
I love my natural diamonds and they always make me warm and fuzzy inside. When I think about what their previous life was like, who they belonged to, what piece of jewellery they were in and how fortunate am I to be a caretaker for them. This kind of emotion I don't get from lab diamonds.

For me, the "work harder" part is that natural diamonds take billions of years to form vs lab diamonds that can be grown in weeks. The same principle goes into "working harder" to attain something so I treasure it a whole lot more. I'm not into fashion and care about having the latest IT thing. I like being more disciplined in curating items. That to me is working harder. I also don't care if people think what I'm wearing is fake because the enjoyment is all mine.

This, 100% ❤️
 
I want a heart cut diamond, G/H/I, VS even SI as long as it is eye clean, sub 1.19ct so that it cannot be bigger than my 1.19ct E VS1 that I bought for myself for my 40th birthday over 20 years ago, to be set as a right hand ring.

I could pick a lab one up for less than 350 USD for a 1.13ct from Alex Parks right away. Or I could wait, work harder/more so that I could save up and spend 3x+ more for a natural sub-1ct stone from James Allen. The natural stone would mean more to me sentimentally than a lab stone as I have to work harder for it.

Some people want the look for less, clothes and accessories etc., so why not jewellery? Not everyone can afford to spend big money on designer clothes and accessories; however, that does not stop them for wanting the latest looks.

Each person has he/her own mind-clean and priorities when choosing a diamond or coloured stone or pearls. There is no right and wrong. Just because I value cut about all else does not mean other people have to be the same. Some might want the biggest size stone and sacrifice on colour and clarity. Or even go down the LGD route.

I buy my own jewellery, and everything else, and do not expect to be provided for. Hence if I want anything, I have to work for them. The bigger the ticket, the harder I have to work for it. That's what working harder means to me personally.

DK :))
I want a heart cut diamond, G/H/I, VS even SI as long as it is eye clean, sub 1.19ct so that it cannot be bigger than my 1.19ct E VS1 that I bought for myself for my 40th birthday over 20 years ago, to be set as a right hand ring.

I could pick a lab one up for less than 350 USD for a 1.13ct from Alex Parks right away. Or I could wait, work harder/more so that I could save up and spend 3x+ more for a natural sub-1ct stone from James Allen. The natural stone would mean more to me sentimentally than a lab stone as I have to work harder for it.

Some people want the look for less, clothes and accessories etc., so why not jewellery? Not everyone can afford to spend big money on designer clothes and accessories; however, that does not stop them for wanting the latest looks.

Each person has he/her own mind-clean and priorities when choosing a diamond or coloured stone or pearls. There is no right and wrong. Just because I value cut about all else does not mean other people have to be the same. Some might want the biggest size stone and sacrifice on colour and clarity. Or even go down the LGD route.

I buy my own jewellery, and everything else, and do not expect to be provided for. Hence if I want anything, I have to work for them. The bigger the ticket, the harder I have to work for it. That's what working harder means to me personally.

DK :))

I think you summed up your position in the second paragraph: “work harder”, meaning YOU have to work harder to make more money to buy the more expensive diamond.
 
I hope this is a rhetorical question.

My apologies if it was not phrased clearly. That was not a question, either rhetorical or otherwise.
 
This, 100% ❤️
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I love my natural diamonds and they always make me warm and fuzzy inside. When I think about what their previous life was like, who they belonged to, what piece of jewellery they were in and how fortunate am I to be a caretaker for them. This kind of emotion I don't get from lab diamonds.

For me, the "work harder" part is that natural diamonds take billions of years to form vs lab diamonds that can be grown in weeks. The same principle goes into "working harder" to attain something so I treasure it a whole lot more. I'm not into fashion and care about having the latest IT thing. I like being more disciplined in curating items. That to me is working harder. I also don't care if people think what I'm wearing is fake because the enjoyment is all mine.

So in this instance “work harder” refers to the diamond working hard for billions of years in the Earth. Understood.
 
Me not posting on this absolute derail of the thread starters original post/questions is proof that I am tolerant of others intolerance.
Oh.
Jeez.
Ooops.
 
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