lab grown diamonds

[sambb]

i have come across lab grown diamonds for 1/5 - 1/10th the cost of natural diamonds. they are chemically indistinguishable (?). thoughts? seems like they are the same product as a mined diamond?

[996marty]

If they are the same product then it’s not reflected in the price

[2001jesper]

Yep! its the same and changing the industry. However, there is a time and place for an lab grown and a natural one.

[enjoythemusic]

Lab grown means less chance for slave labor or environmental situation, with the added benefit of lower price / higher quality for your buck. Win-win

[mannyv11]

I don't mind the lab grown diamonds but all I can say is after talking with a friend of mine who is a jeweler, if you ever want to try to sell one back to a jeweler etc you will get zero dollars for one.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

I don't mind the lab grown diamonds but all I can say is after talking with a friend of mine who is a jeweler, if you ever want to try to sell one back to a jeweler etc you will get zero dollars for one.

Resale on diamonds is bad enough. But zero is a lot of depreciation.

[Easy E]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

I don't mind the lab grown diamonds but all I can say is after talking with a friend of mine who is a jeweler, if you ever want to try to sell one back to a jeweler etc you will get zero dollars for one.

Forgive my ignorance, if they are chemically the same thing how can you tell the difference? I’m genuinely not trying to be a SA, I really don’t know anything about them. How would a buyer know one from the other?

[Sephiroth]

I thought natural diamonds have inclusions, however small. Are you saying lab diamonds are intentionally designed with these inclusions?

[2000-NJDEVILS]

Lab grown diamonds are now GIA certified - they can even be D-F color, and be flawless and cut superb - all at prices of $500-750 per carat……
Only way to distinguish between Mined and Lab grown is with special chemical spray and lighting. Resale is virtually non existent so Caveat Emptor!

[L_S_SHOE]

A friend of mine recently bought an exceptionally expensive engagement ring for his fiancée. The jeweler threw in a lab grown copy that she could wear when they travel. Seems like a good use for a lab grown diamond.


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[77T]

Originally Posted by Easy E

Forgive my ignorance, if they are chemically the same thing how can you tell the difference? I’m genuinely not trying to be a SA, I really don’t know anything about them. How would a buyer know one from the other?

The majority of lab-made diamonds have microscopic inscriptions, less nitrogen, and can only be sussed with microscopes and spectroscopy.

A good resource: https://www.gia.edu/hpht-and-cvd-dia...owth-processes


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[yachty 1]

Originally Posted by Easy E

Forgive my ignorance, if they are chemically the same thing how can you tell the difference? I’m genuinely not trying to be a SA, I really don’t know anything about them. How would a buyer know one from the other?

Lab growns are etched with lg in it. They are worthless as soon as you leave the store. I heard now many places are making people sign a there disclaimer.

[sambb]

Who cares if they have no value? It’s not like I’ve ever sold natural diamonds. I’m very impressed that they are actually diamonds and they are so cheap.

[Carguy87]

My wife opted for lab grown diamonds in her upgraded wedding ring set last year and loves them. She likes the idea of them being better for humanity and the environment and her ring is stellar; she gets compliments frequently on it.

No hate on mined diamonds from me, but my $.02 is they can be quite nice!

[rootbeer7]

To the untrained eye they’re indistinguishable. But, as has been said they have virtually no actual value. The labs growing them have grown exponentially and the numbers released is growing daily. A watch tells time, but they’re not all (name your high end). I’d avoid unless you’re looking for flash!

[Speedbird-1]

Won't this, kill the market, if they're indistinguishable from the 'natural' form.
How ARE DeBeers shares doing?

[Maleg]

If you are just looking for cheap flash and don’t care about value, why not costume jewelry (cubic zirconia and the like)? I would rather take the twenty dollar hit than a $700 hit if all I need is some flash.

[Farleyv1]

There is a youtuber called producer Michael that did a video with a Happy Jewellers in the US, they went into depth on the pros and cons. IIRC the lab that makes the diamonds marks them somehow.

Think the takeaway of it was yes you spend 2000 or whatever on a lab grown 1.5ct diamond, and if you ever sell you basically lose the 2k, but on a 10000 equivalent diamond, you lose 50% or so (so 5k) if you want to sell. So yes you lose on both, but you lose much less overall on the lab.

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Won't this, kill the market, if they're indistinguishable from the 'natural' form.
How ARE DeBeers shares doing?

Diamond prices have fallen substantially, except for the very high end.

[MILGAUSS88]

My local jeweler has an app on his phone and a small box with a light that shines at a certain wavelength.

He takes a photo of the diamond or lab diamond and if it is lab grown the diamond will be colored in on the photo. The natural diamond will appear normal.

[MILGAUSS88]

Oh, and DeBeers is selling lab grown diamonds as well.

[codecow]

They have been around for a while. Popularity has been increasing due to greater awareness of mining practices and such.

I’d never buy them, they’re fake copies.

[SDGT3]

Originally Posted by L_S_SHOE

A friend of mine recently bought an exceptionally expensive engagement ring for his fiancée. The jeweler threw in a lab grown copy that she could wear when they travel. Seems like a good use for a lab grown diamond.


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As an aside, I've never understood the wearing of a fake diamond, or fake Rolex for that matter, when traveling. It still makes you a target. I wear a $50 Timex and the wife wears a wedding band when traveling abroad to not get a second look.

[77T]

Originally Posted by MILGAUSS88

My local jeweler has an app on his phone and a small box with a light that shines at a certain wavelength.

He takes a photo of the diamond or lab diamond and if it is lab grown the diamond will be colored in on the photo. The natural diamond will appear normal.

That guy is talking about CZ methinks.
CZs give off rainbow light dispersions, while diamonds give off white light.

Lab-grown diamonds reflect light in the same way as natural diamonds because they have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties. Both types of diamonds are made of carbon atoms that are arranged in a crystal structure and are pressurized and heated over time.


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[AzPaul]

If currently there is no secondary market for the lab grown diamonds, just give it time, one will emerge. That's one thing about the marketplace, voids get filled.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by SDGT3

As an aside, I've never understood the wearing of a fake diamond, or fake Rolex for that matter, when traveling. It still makes you a target. I wear a $50 Timex and the wife wears a wedding band when traveling abroad to not get a second look.

I agree with you about the fake Rolex or even a fake handbag

Not sure the Rolex is a fair comparison.
The labgrown will have less imperfections.


A fake Rolex will have inferior finishing, use inferior metals and parts. The gear wheels won’t mesh the same way.
reduced longevity and reduced accuracy can be expected

Originally Posted by Farleyv1

There is a youtuber called producer Michael that did a video with a Happy Jewellers in the US, they went into depth on the pros and cons. IIRC the lab that makes the diamonds marks them somehow.

Think the takeaway of it was yes you spend 2000 or whatever on a lab grown 1.5ct diamond, and if you ever sell you basically lose the 2k, but on a 10000 equivalent diamond, you lose 50% or so (so 5k) if you want to sell. So yes you lose on both, but you lose much less overall on the lab.

This!

Curious how cheaply the lab grown can actually be produced? Likely something that could be sold much less and still see huge profits.

Something that holds true for conventional tied mattresses vs. an injection molded foam type mattress. All the labor that once was needed has been eliminated yet the prices still mirror the original.

[MILGAUSS88]

Originally Posted by 77T

That guy is talking about CZ methinks.
CZs give off rainbow light dispersions, while diamonds give off white light.

Lab-grown diamonds reflect light in the same way as natural diamonds because they have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties. Both types of diamonds are made of carbon atoms that are arranged in a crystal structure and are pressurized and heated over time.

No, you are incorrect.
I'm not a jeweler but even I can tell a CZ from a diamond with the naked eye.
The jeweler sells both lab diamonds and natural diamonds and he showed me the tester.

[MILGAUSS88]

I have talked to a couple of Jewelers about lab grown diamonds and they both agree that they are just going to get cheaper and cheaper, until we get down to a moissanite or CZ type of price.

However they differed in opinion on the future of the diamond market.

One thinks that eventually the entire Diamond Market will be destroyed.
The other thinks that once the lab grown diamonds start reaching Moissanite prices that it will be considered inferior and the natural grown diamonds will become more valuable again.

[ltmgeller]

You will know, and it may weigh on you, depending on the reason why you purchased it. I bought my fiancé a real mined diamond because it was a representation of my love for her. I didn't want and a fabricated stone to represent our relationship. Just my .02 cents.

[enjoythemusic]

Question: Have any of you taken your less than 3-carat diamonds to sell and see what prices are? Natural 6+ carat with the best clarity and no inclusions is one thing, BUT a typical natural diamond of less than 3 carats with flaws has relatively little value at resale. Better off going lab imho.