Why haven’t lab created gems taken off like lab created diamonds?

[mellowyellowgirl]

I’m seeing so many people embrace lab diamonds and seeing diamond prices fall. So why isn’t the same happening to CS darn it?

Why aren’t we all rocking perfect 8 carat rubies?

I have always felt that the lab stones look a little off to me but I do wonder how much of that is my imagination.

Is it because CS is a little “out there” already and if you’re going to rock lab CS you’re two shakes away from Swarovski crystals?

Is it because it’s worth less than the gold so therefore not worth setting (I kind of have this mentality sometimes).

Interested in everyones thoughts!

 

[Avondale]

From what I've read here, lab created CS did take off, at the start. They used to be quite popular and desirable when they first entered the market. I keep seeing antique pieces that have lovely natural diamonds as centre stones but still sport lab created coloured side stones.

I actually think there's good chance lab created diamonds will follow the same fate lab created CS had.

However, there's also this one other thing. It may be just my personal bias but... natural coloured stones have so much more character than a natural diamond. With natural diamonds everyone always goes for the cleanest, the most colourless... The most variation you get is some slight warm tint, and in the end they're almost indistinguishable from a lab created ones. Whereas with coloured stones you have all the different hues, the different types and patterns of inclusions... A natural stone is often very obviously natural, compared to the perfection of a lab created one. To me, personally, that's big. But I don't know it if was a contributing factor for why natural CS made a comeback and still hold their crown today.

 

[dk168]

I hesitate to get more lab CS as I can't justify spending money on setting them when I have a number of natural CSs in the setting queue.

Besides, I don't really have that many CS itches that need to be scratched - got the lab Sapphire, Emerald, YAG in Paraiba colour, LuAg in neon yellow, all unset.

The only one left on my bling wish list for CS is a Paraiba cabochon and I have yet to see a lab version being available.

DK

 

[Mreader]

It’s psychological but to me lab CS look so clean that they look less “real” than a lab diamonds…most of us can’t afford a natural emerald or ruby as clean as labs are. I even bought some lab emerald with inclusions but they still looked too perfect lol. Again psychology- also as someone noted they used to be popular in antiques.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I think it's marketing for the most part. Diamonds are widely accepted as the stone to have for an e-ring due to marketing and their durability so more consumers purchase them. I also think most people think diamonds of the same size and cut look the basically the same so there is not that unique factor you get with natural colored stones that collectors value.

 

[musicloveranthony]

For me, they feel costume-y (so do lab diamonds). That doesn't have to be a bad thing, or have any negative connotation. I like lab gemstones that aren't created to mimic a naturally occuring stone - so I have and love to appreciate a cerium and neodymium YAG that was made for medical laser usage. But I don't find lab gemstones to be a substitute for natural gemstones (same as I feel for diamonds).

As for the market, I think it's that there's simply more desire for diamonds than there are for other gemstones. Nearly everyone expects diamond(s) for certain instances, or occasions - so lab diamonds fill a social niche that isn't expected of colored gemstones.

 

[Pomelo]

I think it’s a mix of the fact that lab diamonds are so new and the market for diamonds is deeper than for CS.

For me, I’m considering creating lab CS pieces because I just don’t trust myself to buy the “right” CS! Diamonds are so much easier once you understand the basics, whereas CS has more nuance. I’ve wanted an emerald cabochon for years but don’t want to spend $$$ on something that I might regret because I see one with better colour / glow etc…

Also, like you @mellowyellowgirl I think I’m also in the “honker” CS category - I do like it when the CS is big and bold. Angelina Jolie’s Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings have been living rent-free in my head since she wore them in 2009 (15 years hah!). For the number of wears they’ll get (and also the softness of the stone), I’d rather go lab.

However, I haven’t pulled the trigger, partly because of the setting-in-gold reason you identified: I need to mentally get over the fact that the setting will be worth more than the stones themselves.

This is a magical look I’ll never forget…

 

[Dreamer_D]

I suspect with natural gemstone prices entering the stratosphere we very well might see lab colored gems become more popular.

 

[T L]

For me, lab diamonds are popular because:

1) Natural white diamonds are not as rare and their prices are artificially inflated. Both natural and lab stones don’t hold their value well, so why buy a natural stone? The only white diamonds these days that do hold their value are Elizabeth Taylor sized ones.

2) The lab diamond is so natural looking, that you need a special machine at a gem lab to tell the difference. Not even jewelers have these machines.

3) Lab diamonds have recently crashed in retail price. Why spend ten times more on something that looks identical to the natural thing? Now you can have a celebrity looking ring on a modest budget. These larger sizes (three to eight carats) are seen as a status symbol. .Even D color, VVS clarity is attainable.

4) As a result of lab diamonds being so prevalent in the market, and it’s not easy to tell, unless the stone still has its laser inscription (some unscrupulous sellers can remove it), it’s now a bit scary to buy natural diamonds.

5). Colored gems are more unique per stone, and have more character than a regular white diamond. A fine untreated colored gem that is rare and valuable will hold its value more than a white diamond. I have yet to see a synthetic/simulant that can hold up to its fine natural counterpart from a B&M store.

6) Many people also love lab diamonds because they’re environmentally and socially more acceptable. No one is destroying the environment or abusing labor to obtain them.

5) I don’t think fancy colored lab diamonds have taken off as much, especially because they’re more rare and much much more valuable than their white counterparts. They’re often seen as investment pieces.

6) White diamonds are the best selling gem in the world, and every jewelry store has them. Most women expect a white diamond for their e-ring, and they’re much more easy to source in any of the four C’s, so why go the more difficult colored stone route? Most stores carry synthetic colored stones, but they look very fake IMO.

Despite all of the above, lab created stones (diamonds or otherwise), will always have a stigma to some people, and they will always opt for natural. I love diamonds and some cuts can be very exclusive and rare, but to the general public, who are not wealthy enough to attain the natural diamond of their dreams, now they can attain virtually the same look in a lab diamond.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Actually so far in 2024, lab created stones have been 69% of the total number I have cut. In 2023 they were 41%. Most of them have been for engagement rings.

 

[PrecisionGem]

For me, lab diamonds are popular because:

1) Natural white diamonds are not as rare and their prices are artificially inflated. Both natural and lab stones don’t hold their value well, so why buy a natural stone? The only white diamonds these days that do hold their value are Elizabeth Taylor sized ones.

2) The lab diamond is so natural looking, that you need a special machine at a gem lab to tell the difference. Not even jewelers have these machines.

3) Lab diamonds have recently crashed in retail price. Why spend ten times more on something that looks identical to the natural thing? Now you can have a celebrity looking ring on a modest budget. These larger sizes (three to eight carats) are seen as a status symbol. .Even D color, VVS clarity is attainable.

4) As a result of lab diamonds being so prevalent in the market, and it’s not easy to tell, unless the stone still has its laser inscription (some unscrupulous sellers can remove it), it’s now a bit scary to buy natural diamonds.

5). Colored gems are more unique per stone, and have more character than a regular white diamond. A fine untreated colored gem that is rare and valuable will hold its value more than a white diamond. I have yet to see a synthetic/simulant that can hold up to its fine natural counterpart.

6) Many people also love lab diamonds because they’re environmentally and socially more acceptable. No one is destroying the environment or abusing labor to obtain them.

5) I don’t think fancy colored lab diamonds have taken off as much, especially because they’re more rare and much much more valuable than their white counterparts. They’re often seen as investment pieces.

6) White diamonds are the best selling gem in the world, and every jewelry store has them. Most women expect a white diamond for their e-ring, and they’re much more easy to source in any of the four C’s, so why go the more difficult colored stone route? Most stores carry synthetic colored stones, but they look very fake IMO.

Despite all of the above, lab created stones (diamonds or otherwise), will always have a stigma to some people, and they will always opt for natural. I love diamonds and some cuts can be very exclusive and rare, but to the general public, who are not wealthy enough to attain the natural diamond of their dream, now they can.

A friend the runs a local B&M jewelry store told me that in the past year they have only sold a few natural diamonds, almost everything is lab created.

 

[T L]

Actually so far in 2024, lab created stones have been 69% of the total number I have cut. In 2023 they were 41%. Most of them have been for engagement rings.

I think because you carry more unique synthetic material (like pink sapphires) and/or many of your customers care more about your faceting work than having a natural gem. Most B&M stores carry those plastic looking emerald, ruby and sapphire synthetics that are pretty boring. Most people still probably shop at the mall for a stone. For example, I never see Montana sapphire looking synthetics, but they have their own unique aesthetic than some people love, like the teal or bicolored stones.

 

[fredflintstone]

When lab created sapphire and ruby came out in the 1880's if I remember right, they were so popular the price of natural stones took a tumble for a while but shot back up.

There are so many lab created ruby, sapphire, spinel, emerald and green yag (lab created garnet) hydrothermal quartz, in premanufactured rings it is staggering, from class rings to classy rings. Huge market.

Like with the lab created ruby and sapphire, natural diamonds have tumbled some in price but also like the natural rubies and sapphires they'll most likely regain lost ground.

I can say one thing though. I belong to the largest jeweler group on FB (probably cannot say the name as other sites, even FB groups are frowned on here) but over 30,000 members from brick and mortar to online retailers to gemstone dealers, designers, bench jewelers and other trade members and one thing is for sure, the jewelers selling diamonds had a fit when the lab created ones came out. To the point the head admin would not allow talk about them for a while. They were SCARED of natural diamond prices falling and created diamonds stealing the market share. Now it is a little bit different there as they've come more to accepting the inevitable arrival of lab created diamonds to stay and many now have embraced them and why not? Sell what people want to buy.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It's the inclusions, silk and color are what is suppressing lab CS from dominating over mined. They haven't quite cracked it, but they're getting better all the time.
The major advantage of lab CS is the precision cutting you can obtain. They do amazing things because they can afford to experiment or take the chance with the material.
Lab diamonds are the exactly the same as the EGD so there's no growing pains with them and specialty cuts will be common as well as improvements to modern cut quality on most diamonds sold. There are a lot of badly cut mined diamonds.

Culturally our priorities are changing at an increased clip right now. This is the nature of people and society.

 

[LightBright]

If they made the synthetic color stones included and one of a kind, plus artisan or at least interesting cutting, I think people will buy them. What I find is that there is SO MUCH variation with each earth grown emerald and ruby, or sapphire. There are really interesting inclusions and colors and I really like interesting antique or native cuts. To me the synthetic colored stones should look less sterile and more earthy. I think the reason why diamonds took off as synthetics is that everyone throughout the 20th Century were told by the industry to covet immaculate clarity and highest colors. The industry also kept geographical origin (mines) under wraps, so people didn’t identify with the natural and unique qualities of the diamonds. So when synthetics came along, the market already wanted fake looking diamonds, it was fine if they were from a generic lab, and large sizes.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

When lab created sapphire and ruby came out in the 1880's if I remember right, they were so popular the price of natural stones took a tumble for a while but shot back up.

There are so many lab created ruby, sapphire, spinel, emerald and green yag (lab created garnet) hydrothermal quartz, in premanufactured rings it is staggering, from class rings to classy rings. Huge market.

Like with the lab created ruby and sapphire, natural diamonds have tumbled some in price but also like the natural rubies and sapphires they'll most likely regain lost ground.

I can say one thing though. I belong to the largest jeweler group on FB (probably cannot say the name as other sites, even FB groups are frowned on here) but over 30,000 members from brick and mortar to online retailers to gemstone dealers, designers, bench jewelers and other trade members and one thing is for sure, the jewelers selling diamonds had a fit when the lab created ones came out. To the point the head admin would not allow talk about them for a while. They were SCARED of natural diamond prices falling and created diamonds stealing the market share. Now it is a little bit different there as they've come more to accepting the inevitable arrival of lab created diamonds to stay and many now have embraced them and why not? Sell what people want to buy.

Hi Fred,
I think we are on the same FB group. Aleah has softened on synthetics but I have stirred the pot a few times pointing out that larger than 1ct stones will soon cost less than 1ct and smaller on a per carat basis.
Except for the fact that almost all retailers are making several times higher ripoff margins. The FTC should step in!

 

[fredflintstone]

Hi Fred,
I think we are on the same FB group. Aleah has softened on synthetics but I have stirred the pot a few times pointing out that larger than 1ct stones will soon cost less than 1ct and smaller on a per carat basis.
Except for the fact that almost all retailers are making several times higher ripoff margins. The FTC should step in!

Yes, we are. Aleah threw a fit! It was quite comical actually, but I guess I can feel her pain...

 

[OreoRosies86]

For me personally I can’t mentally get past the slight differences, mostly having to do with the naturally occurring glow of inclusions. I find this especially with emeralds.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It's the inclusions, silk and color are what is suppressing lab CS from dominating over mined. They haven't quite cracked it, but they're getting better all the time.
The major advantage of lab CS is the precision cutting you can obtain. They do amazing things because they can afford to experiment or take the chance with the material.
Lab diamonds are the exactly the same as the EGD so there's no growing pains with them and specialty cuts will be common as well as improvements to modern cut quality on most diamonds sold. There are a lot of badly cut mined diamonds.

Culturally our priorities are changing at an increased clip right now. This is the nature of people and society.

Man, I really need to start proofreading- I'm annoying myself

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Why haven’t lab created gems taken off like lab created diamonds?​

Because man made diamonds started "Trading Off" natural diamonds with unbelievable profits leading to billions invested in making them a success.
The language was changed based on the new marketing.
Greenwashing that mining diamonds causes environmental disasters vs ignoring the fact that LGD are grown with 70% fossil fuels most of which is coal and coal mines kill more people in the mines and for tens of miles around them. You could fit all the worlds diamond pipe mines into one big Chinese coal mine.
Child labor and blood diamonds vs a million artisanal diamond miners with pans in rivers who choose to do that because subsistence farming is hard when your poor and don't have land.
And then there is natural diamonds that are now called earth mined diamonds, and synthetic is the real word gemologists use - but thats now pretty much illegal in all the countries that don't have economic diamond mines.
etc etc
Sorry for rant

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Lab grown colored gems are common… they just don’t get a lot of attention these days because they have been around a long time and people have been buying them without thinking about it. I don’t know anyone in real life who cares whether their colored gem is lab. I was more baffled to hear that treatments are not disclosed by default. (Bad pun…)

 

[Redwoods-hiker-girl]

I'm not sure why they haven't taken off, but I love mine, whether they're set in gold, silver, or a little plastic gem box. Right now, I'm wearing a vintage 14K gold ring, its dark pink stone a mystery (ruby? pink sapphire?) but wildly fluorescent and clearly lab-created, and it makes me *almost* as happy as the minor-oil, very glowy Muzo emerald ring in my profile photo. The emerald ring is a forever piece; as for the mystery-stone ring, it's delightful and fun. Might not be forever, but I'm OK with that.

The more obvious lab-created nature of colored stones used to bother me. I'm sure it bothers some people enough to disregard them entirely. Setting them can be prohibitively expensive; I have a large, gorgeous, precision-cut lab spinel that I picked up for $250 during a Black Friday sale, but I can't bring myself to spend the amount I was quoted for setting it—more than 10x what I paid for the stone. So, one of these days I'll have it set in silver rather than gold. That's fine with me, but I recognize the gap between what I'd like (18K gold) and what makes sense given the price of the stone (silver). Not everyone wants or needs to make that compromise. I'm just glad there's an option to do so.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

7 years ago i dropped $3K on a lab saphire bracelet in silver
6 months latter i saw my bracelet for under a grand
it kind of took the shine off it for me

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I'm not sure why they haven't taken off, but I love mine, whether they're set in gold, silver, or a little plastic gem box. Right now, I'm wearing a vintage 14K gold ring, its dark pink stone a mystery (ruby? pink sapphire?) but wildly fluorescent and clearly lab-created, and it makes me *almost* as happy as the minor-oil, very glowy Muzo emerald ring in my profile photo. The emerald ring is a forever piece; as for the mystery-stone ring, it's delightful and fun. Might not be forever, but I'm OK with that.

The more obvious lab-created nature of colored stones used to bother me. I'm sure it bothers some people enough to disregard them entirely. Setting them can be prohibitively expensive; I have a large, gorgeous, precision-cut lab spinel that I picked up for $250 during a Black Friday sale, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the amount I was quoted for setting it. It was more than 10x what I paid for the stone. So, one of these days I'll have it set in silver rather than gold. That's fine with me but I recognize the gap between what I'd like (18K gold) and what makes sense given the price of the stone (silver). Not everyone wants or needs to make that compromise. I'm just glad there's an option to do so.

you know thats kind of why we never see nice settings for amathyst in my country
im talking natural but its a cheap stone and it gets set into really ugly silver settings and is then sold cheaply and it looks it (i have nothing aganist silver)

 

[Grymera]

I think it’s a mix of the fact that lab diamonds are so new and the market for diamonds is deeper than for CS.

For me, I’m considering creating lab CS pieces because I just don’t trust myself to buy the “right” CS! Diamonds are so much easier once you understand the basics, whereas CS has more nuance. I’ve wanted an emerald cabochon for years but don’t want to spend $$$ on something that I might regret because I see one with better colour / glow etc…

Also, like you @mellowyellowgirl I think I’m also in the “honker” CS category - I do like it when the CS is big and bold. Angelina Jolie’s Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings have been living rent-free in my head since she wore them in 2009 (15 years hah!). For the number of wears they’ll get (and also the softness of the stone), I’d rather go lab.

However, I haven’t pulled the trigger, partly because of the setting-in-gold reason you identified: I need to mentally get over the fact that the setting will be worth more than the stones themselves.

This is a magical look I’ll never forget…

I have a whole thread about my search for Angie's amazing emerald earrings in a lab version -- the long and short of it is that it's actually not very cost effective to try and do that set of honkers in lab emerald. Prices for lab emerald at high carat weights are actually quite eye-popping; and the pears don't even go that big if you try. The largest I ever found for pears was 16x12mm (and those were priced at $5k for gold and moissanite). Which is short of Angie's look.

All in, it's actually cheaper to do them as low quality emerald studs. JRR Colombian was offering 14 carats for about 4k, I ended up starting with the top studs for about $2k. I'll come back to the project when I have the funds to do the bottoms properly (and honestly, I'll probably do smaller studs than what I have now and save for giant pear bottoms).

 

[Pomelo]

I have a whole thread about my search for Angie's amazing emerald earrings in a lab version -- the long and short of it is that it's actually not very cost effective to try and do that set of honkers in lab emerald. Prices for lab emerald at high carat weights are actually quite eye-popping; and the pears don't even go that big if you try. The largest I ever found for pears was 16x12mm (and those were priced at $5k for gold and moissanite). Which is short of Angie's look.

All in, it's actually cheaper to do them as low quality emerald studs. JRR Colombian was offering 14 carats for about 4k, I ended up starting with the top studs for about $2k. I'll come back to the project when I have the funds to do the bottoms properly (and honestly, I'll probably do smaller studs than what I have now and save for giant pear bottoms).

Wow thanks for linking your thread, fascinating read and your emerald studs are lovely!

Ahh I guess I’ll just have to look at more emeralds in real life first and build up my confidence before pulling the trigger… what a hard life

 

[fredflintstone]

People on Pricecope, me included, are colored gemstone geeks and must remember we are in the far minority of buyers for lab created gemstones. So, as many of us do not care about or for lab created colored gemstones one must consider most of us have no real grasp of how big or small the market demand is for them. Why would we? We do not actively pursue them or buy them, not like the real thing. Nor sale them.

The title of this thread should be - Why haven’t lab created gems taken off like lab created diamonds with active Pricescopers? Not - Why haven’t lab created gems taken off like lab created diamonds?

 

[PrecisionGem]

I think lab created colored stones have taken off. As I stated above, now they are almost 70% of what I cut.

As far as inclusions go, it sounds like people want inclusions in their lab created stones? But often I find that unless I cut a near flawless natural stone people don't want it if it has inclusions? So clean natural stones, but included lab stones?

For me, cutting a natural stone is more interesting than a lab, as with the lab stones, I pretty much know exactly how they will look after cut, and they are certainly less challenging to cut.

 

[fredflintstone]

Also, there is a talk about how expensive lab created gemstones are. Truth of the matter you can get lab created sapphire and ruby and spinel for a few dollars a carat. Lab created emerald and alexandrite pulled czochralski (real lab alex not cc corundum) for $10 to $20 a carat. These might not be precision cut, but many are cut nicely. Nice enough for the general public. The corundum and spinel are flame fusion and not pulled czochralski which if you want czochralski you pay just a little more for but in the end they are all chemically identical. All are true synthetic corundum and spinel.

 

[fredflintstone]

I think lab created colored stones have taken off. As I stated above, now they are almost 70% of what I cut.

As far as inclusions go, it sounds like people want inclusions in their lab created stones? But often I find that unless I cut a near flawless natural stone people don't want it if it has inclusions? So clean natural stones, but included lab stones?

For me, cutting a natural stone is more interesting than a lab, as with the lab stones, I pretty much know exactly how they will look after cut, and they are certainly less challenging to cut.

I agree, I sure would not want inclusions in a lab created stone. Why would anyone? And most here that buy true gemstones want them clean as possible in most cases eye clean. So, wanting inclusions in a lab created gemstone is really an oxymoron. I don’t get it.