I just can’t decide between lab and earth..

[bill109]

Hello everybody, this is my first post so please forgive my ignorance. I have been looking at engagement rings for months on end trying to get as much info as I can to make an educated purchase.
I originally decided a lab Diamond was the way to go. It seemed you get “more for your money”... or do you.
I understand the differences, the pros and cons between the two. The resale value being next to nothing for lab Created didn’t concern me but will it bother me in 5 years of lab created sell for even cheaper!?
Can someone who’s purchased a lab diamond please Share their experience?
I can get a “better”diamond obviously as a MMD. My goal is a princess cut as close to 2c in a f/e color
minimum of vs1 clarity.
as a lab created diamond I can absolutely get this. Natural.. not so much.
Is it worth saving the extra money to buy a natural? Financially I can’t stomach anything more than a 1.7c natural diamond seeing as the ones I’ve picked are 11-14k without a setting. Versus a comparable 2c lab for roughly $7K. I’m afraid of buyers remorse with the lab where as saving the extra cash would be best? Help!!

 

[MamaBee]

Hello everybody, this is my first post so please forgive my ignorance. I have been looking at engagement rings for months on end trying to get as much info as I can to make an educated purchase.
I originally decided a lab Diamond was the way to go. It seemed you get “more for your money”... or do you.
I understand the differences, the pros and cons between the two. The resale value being next to nothing for lab Created didn’t concern me but will it bother me in 5 years of lab created sell for even cheaper!?
Can someone who’s purchased a lab diamond please Share their experience?
I can get a “better”diamond obviously as a MMD. My goal is a princess cut as close to 2c in a f/e color
minimum of vs1 clarity.
as a lab created diamond I can absolutely get this. Natural.. not so much.
Is it worth saving the extra money to buy a natural? Financially I can’t stomach anything more than a 1.7c natural diamond seeing as the ones I’ve picked are 11-14k without a setting. Versus a comparable 2c lab for roughly $7K. I’m afraid of buyers remorse with the lab where as saving the extra cash would be best? Help!!

Hello @bill109 It’s a personal decision whether to go lab or mined diamond. Since you already have doubts about whether you will have doubts down the road...I think you need to give it more thought. I do think you have a good point that lab diamond prices may come down. I still think $7k is very close in price to a mined diamond. If I had to make that decision now with the price difference...I would go with mined....Whiteflash has Princess cut diamond ACAs that can be upgraded at a later time for the full price towards a larger, better color or clarity. I would go smaller or lower in color or clarity and upgrade later when you can comfortably do so. Good luck!

 

[123ducklings]

It’s a personal choice. Are you the person who will wear the ring? If not, you should definitely discuss mined vs. lab with your intended.

 

[monipod]

If you already have a lot of mined pieces I’d say lab ALL the way, but if this is for an engagement ring, I can’t help but consider resale value and upgrade options. Without being a killjoy, I have seen so many mined ERs from failed relationships on the secondhand market going for a fraction of the original price. Sadly a lab stone will probably be harder to sell for a reasonable price versus original cost. On the flipside, if a relationship has worked out then the issue of upgrading will come up. Will you be able to sell the lab stone for enough money to put towards a new stone?

If you decide to go lab, I’d look at vendors that have an upgrade policy. You most certainly will get more bang for your buck but it’s worth keeping in mind that you will probably make a bigger loss on the stone at resale or upgrade time, compared to mined. There will be a loss anyway with resale, mined or lab. If that’s not really a consideration then go lab.

 

[MeowMeow]

Many people here know what a huge fan of lab coloured stones i am. It's the only thing I buy these days because we are not independently wealthy lol...

But I agree with the others. Are you the one going to be wearing the ring? If not I would find out the recipient's thoughts on lab stones. There are still many people who do not want lab stones ever. You don't want to buy a lab stone just to find out they feel that way and have to figure out a return and then go buy a mined stone.

If they are open to lab stones then awesome! You can definitely get more bang for your buck with them. Unfortunately I don't think we can predict if the prices will fall a ton over the next 5 years or not. I've only noticed them becoming more of a thing over the last few and prices did drop but not so much I felt comfortable buying. Not even a 1 carat lightbox because 1k for a set diamond was still too much for us for so long. I do know several ladies here who have been thrilled with their reset 1 carat stones though. You can probably see some of the results of resetting them in the lightbox photo thread somewhere. I know you said you wanted to get larger though. Lightbox doesn't sell that big so you would need to go to another vendor should you decide to go lab. It's just a nice way to have a look at lab stones and see generally how some have come out.

 

[missy]

It's still so early for lab diamonds that I personally am hesitant about them.

For a non ER ring/piece of jewelry I would be more likely to purchase but for an engagement ring at this time I would say carefully consider.

It is a personal choice and there is no right or wrong but for my personal engagement ring diamond I would not choose a lab diamond.

Things to think about:

Would the wearer want to upgrade in the future? Much harder to do I would think with lab diamonds.
How does the wearer feel about lab diamonds and the mind clean factor?
How would you feel if lab diamonds become significantly cheaper in the future?

It comes down to if this is the forever ring and how the wearer feels about lab diamonds in general and for the ER specifically.

 

[Estrella185]

When getting my new ER I had a similar dilemma. The prices for lab stones are still significantly high in my opinion. I chose to go lower on color for my mined stone and paid about the same amount I would for a colorless lab stone of the same carat weight. With that being said all other specs on my mined stone are excellent. If you don’t mind going up in color that may be an option for you.
Don’t rush any decision and take your time. I don’t mind lab stones for studs or necklaces however something about it being for my engagement ring makes me uncomfortable. That’s just my experience. I hope you find what you’re looking for !

 

[AprilBaby]

I have both and I say go with a mined diamond from WHiteflash and upgrade size later. If it were not an engagement ring I would say go lab. Ask her what she prefers.

 

[ringo865]

Ask the recipient if s/he would be okay with a lab grown diamond. Also whether s/he prefers a Princess cut diamond. That should give you a starting point.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hello everybody, this is my first post so please forgive my ignorance. I have been looking at engagement rings for months on end trying to get as much info as I can to make an educated purchase.
I originally decided a lab Diamond was the way to go. It seemed you get “more for your money”... or do you.
I understand the differences, the pros and cons between the two. The resale value being next to nothing for lab Created didn’t concern me but will it bother me in 5 years of lab created sell for even cheaper!?
Can someone who’s purchased a lab diamond please Share their experience?
I can get a “better”diamond obviously as a MMD. My goal is a princess cut as close to 2c in a f/e color
minimum of vs1 clarity.
as a lab created diamond I can absolutely get this. Natural.. not so much.
Is it worth saving the extra money to buy a natural? Financially I can’t stomach anything more than a 1.7c natural diamond seeing as the ones I’ve picked are 11-14k without a setting. Versus a comparable 2c lab for roughly $7K. I’m afraid of buyers remorse with the lab where as saving the extra cash would be best? Help!!

How about in 5 years or when ever if you desire to upgrade you keep the MMD and put it into a pendant or a braclete

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I think people buying man made now will get lots of fun and wear that will make up for the inevitable fall in value.
I feel sad that so much of the LGD marketing is environmental and anti mining as there are more lies than truths.
But not knowing re an engagement ring could blow up in your face.
That said - there are heaps of people come to my store years later "we were poor students and we want to add 2 more diamonds and make a bigger better 3 diamond ring now we have money".

 

[nkc]

Hello everybody, this is my first post so please forgive my ignorance. I have been looking at engagement rings for months on end trying to get as much info as I can to make an educated purchase.
I originally decided a lab Diamond was the way to go. It seemed you get “more for your money”... or do you.
I understand the differences, the pros and cons between the two. The resale value being next to nothing for lab Created didn’t concern me but will it bother me in 5 years of lab created sell for even cheaper!?
Can someone who’s purchased a lab diamond please Share their experience?
I can get a “better”diamond obviously as a MMD. My goal is a princess cut as close to 2c in a f/e color
minimum of vs1 clarity.
as a lab created diamond I can absolutely get this. Natural.. not so much.
Is it worth saving the extra money to buy a natural? Financially I can’t stomach anything more than a 1.7c natural diamond seeing as the ones I’ve picked are 11-14k without a setting. Versus a comparable 2c lab for roughly $7K. I’m afraid of buyers remorse with the lab where as saving the extra cash would be best? Help!!

I don't own a lab diamond yet but according to this guy they're indistinguishable from earth mined diamonds.

I think prices will drop as technology evolves. In a few years, I might buy my perfect pink diamond for a fraction of the price being offered today.

 

[nojs]

I personally would not spend more than 1000 USD on lab diamond, although I understand why some people might. I feel the prices for larger stone are way too high and prices will go down over time, since it is a manufactured product where technological advances will drive the price down.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

Honestly, I would invest in mined that has an upgrade policy, or go the moissanite route instead of lab. You can get an absolutely beautiful moissy for a fraction of a lab diamond, and save up for the dream mined diamond as well. If I were young and broke again like I was when I first was engaged, this is exactly what I would do today. (Not calling you broke, saying I was and we got ripped off on a crappy mall diamond because we didn't know any better. Moissy didn't exist then and certainly not LGD.)

 

[xxxxxx]

I find moissanite to look very different to diamonds.

 

[Eeveepenny]

Is the diamond for yourself or your partner? If it’s not for you then I would ask what your partner prefers firstly.
This is my story
I got engaged with a 1ct mined diamond (beautiful diamond H&A’s HCA 1.4). After time though I found it wasn’t quite big enough and I wasn’t able to upgrade it without a significant cost. Upon researching i found the world of lab diamonds and I’m so happy I did. I snagged up a beautiful 1.6 H VS2 Diamond for $2100 and I haven’t looked back since.
Here are some pics of her

Whatever you decide whether it be mined or lab PS is a great community and will be able to help find you a beautiful diamond

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The recipient needs to have the choice between 2+ct high color lab diamond, or smaller natural diamond that could later be upgraded. Is this the shape stone requested? What is your budget?

(I'd at least consider VS2 in a natural diamond.) A few examples:

Diamond | 1.663 ct F VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Princess Super Ideal Cut Diamond AGS Certified | 4054983

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.663 carat F color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4054983

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.713 ct F VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Princess Super Ideal Cut Diamond AGS Certified | 4133754

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.713 carat F color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4133754

www.whiteflash.com

or lab grown :

Gorgeous and very good price if you decide on lgd:

https://www.rarecarat.com/product/87112710?online=35,23,32,17,27,55,54,30,24,107,39,53,38,15,103,52,105,12&local=&searchId=5a9a4bec-72b2-4c99-aa88-0d82d352b8ae&postalCode=

 

[nkc]

Maybe I misunderstood your question and thought that you were asking a general question about the two options (mined vs MMD). Is this a proposal diamond?
If so, it will all depend on what she thinks and her future goals (upgrade, etc.). Is it possible to ask her?
If this is not for a proposal or any other occasion, I would personally wait and see what happens to diamond prices (in general) and the impact of MMD on the market assuming that the purchase can wait.
I have a feeling that technology advancement will make higher quality MMD available for relatively low prices. If MMDs are "indistinguishable" from mined diamonds, this will definitely impact the prices of mined diamonds.

 

[sprinklesparkles]

I've owned both, and prefer lab to mined unless it happens to be an antique cut. Just make sure you know the preference of your partner before you purchase.

 

[sparklyshrink]

I have a very beautiful mined engagement ring. I also have lots and lots of lab diamonds. They are equally beautiful IMO. In fact part of me wishes that my fiancé have known about lab diamonds for my engagement ring, because it would be a lot larger that way ha ha. Diamond shrinkage syndrome is real. I did go ahead and buy myself a lab diamond for my travel engagement ring.