Almost 6 months after Lightbox launched, has there been a change in lab diamond pricing?

[DoeEyes]

I'm patiently waiting for Lightbox to release the 1 carat round white diamonds (if they ever do) and decided to check pricing at Brilliant Earth just to see what it would be.

I filtered for an equivalent stone, ~1 carat, G color, VVS, VG-EX. The prices at BE range from $3400-4000, compared to LB's $900 ($800 plus $100 minimum for setting).

I'm curious about the price history of the BE stones and if they've gone down at all. I assume not since LB isn't currently offering that size, so maybe a better comparison would be the .5 carat round that you can actually get from LB right now.

Doing the same filter but for .5 carat stones gives 3 results between $930-$1030. Twice the price of LB's .5 carat which is $500 ($400 plus $100 setting).

Interested to hear thoughts about current pricing, predictions about future pricing, and if there's any price history data out there to get concrete numbers to see if pricing has changed at all in 6 months.

 

[Marriedbuteloped]

I have thought about the same thing. Maybe our MMDs will be worth nothing in a few years, as some have predicted. It all depends how many are produced and at which quality and what customers want.
Also the producers will have to find a way to make their MMDs "special". For me the deciding factor was actually the brand. I knew that DeBeers would deliver what they advertised. I felt I could trust the brand, especially over the internet. And yet, I would not have paid more for my 1ct. stone than the Lightbox price. So it looks like DeBeers did their homework, just like before with their mined diamonds.
The BE diamonds are too expensive to my mind. But as long as LB does not produce more of the bigger diamonds and makes them easily available there is no real pressure for the others to come down with their price.

 

[denverappraiser]

BE is not a particularly low cost provider, but in their defense, I can quote attractive prices on things I don’t have too. LB won’t sell you a five carat or even a one carat so what difference does it make what they theoretically might charge?

 

[DoeEyes]

BE is not a particularly low cost provider, but in their defense, I can quote attractive prices on things I don’t have too. LB won’t sell you a five carat or even a one carat so what difference does it make what they theoretically might charge?

Right, that seems to be the most obvious answer except that the .5 carats from BE are still twice the price of the same .5 carats currently readily available from LB. I'm curious if it's been affected at all. I guess BE doesn't need to worry about their .5 and under pricing if most of their sales are above that anyway.

 

[kmoro]

I know it’s been six months, but I get the feeling that LightBox is just barely getting started. I think it’s way way too soon for any effect on the rest of mmd prices and no way are vendors going to reduce their prices unless/until they have to. It’s seems clear that DeBeers is just playing around with LB right now. Who knows, in two years maybe they’ll flood the market and other vendors really won’t have a lot of choice when it comes to lowering prices.

 

[bludiva]

i saw this email today..... i'm guessing they've done a ton of market research already before rolling these out but interesting that they are experimenting with color...

 

[kgizo]

I hate that setting. Interesting that they are experimenting with “special edition” pieces. Wonder if they picked that as a strategy or are trying to market new pieces that way to deal with the complaints about lack of adequate inventory.

 

[bludiva]

Maybe a way to try and maintain interest as they ramp up production. The setting is funky, perhaps to underscore the fun, fashion jewelry feel. But 800+$ is real jewelry territory to me anyway so I wonder who they think their target audience is.

 

[elizat]

The longer these are out the, the more interested I am in the colored options. Colored diamonds in blue and pink are so expensive, so a lower cost non-gemstone alternative is attractive to me. I don't think that the intent is to bring down the cost of MMD at all though. It's such a tight selection, that I don't think it has an overall impact on the market. Plus, they are rounds or princess cut. I would be more interested in fancy shapes in colored diamonds.

Plus, if you were wanting a MMD round brilliant or princess, but wanted more data on the angles, etc., you can't get it from them. I think that's on purpose- most people want that in an engagement ring. It's fun jewelry that is not above $1k and I am betting it is mostly people buying a piece or two for themselves like studs, or a gift for someone.

 

[bludiva]

The longer these are out the, the more interested I am in the colored options. Colored diamonds in blue and pink are so expensive, so a lower cost non-gemstone alternative is attractive to me. I don't think that the intent is to bring down the cost of MMD at all though. It's such a tight selection, that I don't think it has an overall impact on the market. Plus, they are rounds or princess cut. I would be more interested in fancy shapes in colored diamonds.

Plus, if you were wanting a MMD round brilliant or princess, but wanted more data on the angles, etc., you can't get it from them. I think that's on purpose- most people want that in an engagement ring. It's fun jewelry that is not above $1k and I am betting it is mostly people buying a piece or two for themselves like studs, or a gift for someone.

i like the blues a lot too....both the pale blue and the deeper color. it'll be interesting to see what else they come up with!

 

[Tekate]

I received an email from GOG today about their services etc and I was looking through their MMD prices and I was shocked at how expensive they were, I have seen ACA stones that are cheaper. I don't get it. MM sapphires are cheaper, not tons and tons but cheaper.. I did not run any of the MMD from GOG into the HCA to see what kind of numbers one would get. These stones have to be a lot cheaper for me to buy one.

 

[mrsthirdcharms]

i saw this email today..... i'm guessing they've done a ton of market research already before rolling these out but interesting that they are experimenting with color...

I love this color! I’ve been watching for the deeper blues, and would buy a round in this shade of blue and re-mount it into something else. I agree that the setting is terrible, but they’re either temporary placeholders or sunk costs into buying the raw materials to make jewelry with these stones.

 

[OoohShiny]

I received an email from GOG today about their services etc and I was looking through their MMD prices and I was shocked at how expensive they were, I have seen ACA stones that are cheaper. I don't get it. MM sapphires are cheaper, not tons and tons but cheaper.. I did not run any of the MMD from GOG into the HCA to see what kind of numbers one would get. These stones have to be a lot cheaper for me to buy one.

GOG is accessing a database that others also use - I think I made a comment in the list of MMD sellers thread next to the other site I found that had the same inventory (but more expensive than GOG!).

With reference to other discussions recently, the sooner PS has a MMD stones list, the easier it will be to achieve price transparency and some proper competition in the market, IMVHO.

 

[kgizo]

I would love some light to medium lavender/purple 0.33-0.66ctw studs - are you listening LB?