shape
carat
color
clarity

If prices drop drastically...

Decision_Decisions

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
Messages
387
Would it change how you feel about your MMD purchase? As I explore my feelings about MMD vs mined, I've been thinking about how cost may change over time. I'm not buying for an investment (of course) or in hopes of selling in the future. But simply, how would I feel if a MMD I bought today costs significantly less than what I paid several years down the line. Would this change how I felt about it?

Just curious if others have thought about this. If you are thinking of a large MMD purchase, such as E-ring/upgrade, would you consider waiting several years to see if the market stabilizes?
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,521
No worse than knowing how ripped off ive been down the mall jewler
At least thanks to PS ill be going into MM diamonds with my eyes open

i would balance the loss aganist the enjoyment i had already got out of the diamond

I mean its still a diamond

You buy a brand new car that thing devalues megamucks as soon as you drive off the lot, that doesn't stop someone enjoying their driving experience
Nobody buys a new car as an investment
 

Decision_Decisions

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
Messages
387
No worse than knowing how ripped off ive been down the mall jewler
At least thanks to PS ill be going into MM diamonds with my eyes open

i would balance the loss aganist the enjoyment i had already got out of the diamond

I mean its still a diamond

You buy a brand new car that thing devalues megamucks as soon as you drive off the lot, that doesn't stop someone enjoying their driving experience
Nobody buys a new car as an investment

True on both accounts! I've certainly lost plenty of money over the years on a variety of non-PS jewelry purchases. I was also thinking about how much I've spent on cell phones in years past vs the perfectly amazing "budget" phone I recently got for $250. I still enjoyed those other phones for years although in retrospect I spent way too much on them.

Something as indulgent as jewelry can be difficult for me to justify (just to myself) so I like to feel like I got a good compromise of cost and quality. A good value I suppose.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,521
True on both accounts! I've certainly lost plenty of money over the years on a variety of non-PS jewelry purchases. I was also thinking about how much I've spent on cell phones in years past vs the perfectly amazing "budget" phone I recently got for $250. I still enjoyed those other phones for years although in retrospect I spent way too much on them.

Something as indulgent as jewelry can be difficult for me to justify (just to myself) so I like to feel like I got a good compromise of cost and quality. A good value I suppose.

I read once if you buy a dress on special but hardly ever wear it, its not a good buy
but if you buy a really expensive item and wear it heaps of time it was a bargain
So when im being rational i sometimes divide the price by the number of times id used / worn something
i guess one day when i buy a MM diamond i better rock that thing every day !
 

123ducklings

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
914
With MMD I’m starting from the assumption that prices WILL drop dramatically over time, and I evaluate any purchase I’m considering with that in mind. Regardless of price drops, MMD can still be a great option to get something you love, so I wouldn’t want to deter people from going that route.
 

123ducklings

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
914
You buy a brand new car that thing devalues megamucks as soon as you drive off the lot, that doesn't stop someone enjoying their driving experience
Nobody buys a new car as an investment

But how would you feel if you paid full price for a brand new car, and then a month later found out that same brand new car (or a nicer one) was now going for half the price you paid? It’s not so much a question of your individual item losing value as you use it, but rather the feeling you significantly overpaid for the item to begin with.
 

anangel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
838
But how would you feel if you paid full price for a brand new car, and then a month later found out that same brand new car (or a nicer one) was now going for half the price you paid? It’s not so much a question of your individual item losing value as you use it, but rather the feeling you significantly overpaid for the item to begin with.

I don’t think prices will half in such a short time span, regardless of when that is.
Take moissanite- the original stones hold very little value since cutting and quality of the rough has improved drastically. Do you think the woman who bought a moissanite ring a decade ago is upset? Probably not- she got to enjoy her ring for quite sometime before it would be considered over paid for, further, the fact that you can now buy the ring for much cheaper does not make her’s disappear so as long as she still enjoys it for what it is, it still holds value too.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,521
But how would you feel if you paid full price for a brand new car, and then a month later found out that same brand new car (or a nicer one) was now going for half the price you paid? It’s not so much a question of your individual item losing value as you use it, but rather the feeling you significantly overpaid for the item to begin with.

Ive been thinking alot about the whole MM diamond thing from that other thread
I guess I'd have to weigh all this up before i buy

the thing is i very rearly score a bargian, everything is over priced in this country

I think the exchange rate is more of a cornern for me
 

123ducklings

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
914
Take moissanite- the original stones hold very little value since cutting and quality of the rough has improved drastically. Do you think the woman who bought a moissanite ring a decade ago is upset?

I think that’s for the individual woman to decide. And if this hypothetical woman still loves her ring I think that’s great! I hope she still would. But if the hypothetical woman (or the original poster) begins to have ambivalent or negative feelings about her ring in response to falling prices I wouldn’t say her feelings are wrong or invalid.

Jewelry, especially something like an engagement ring, can be a very sentimental or emotional purchase. I think people should go in with open eyes and do what feels right for them.
 

LilAlex

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Messages
3,590
Pretty much everything on this forum is an emotional purchase rather than a rational one -- like buying art. If it made me smile when I looked at it and I had gotten a lot of joy out of it, a price drop would not bother me. Much.

But -- some here seem to spend money they don't quite have on gems. For them, I think retention of some residual value is important -- like if they ever need to sell in a hurry. So, ironically, the people most likely to buy MMD are probably those who could be "hurt" the most by them.

Diamonds are almost perfectly commoditized -- but very hard for a retail consumer to sell. Kinda like petrol. MMD are way worse, imo. The only really fungible commodity ever discussed on this forum would be a heavy, high-karat gold chain, imo. That you could sell under duress and do pretty well.
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
12,492
I would love a 1ct+ OEC, however I can't justify the expense for an earth diamond, and may be prepared to go down the MMD route one day.

DK :))
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
But how would you feel if you paid full price for a brand new car, and then a month later found out that same brand new car (or a nicer one) was now going for half the price you paid? It’s not so much a question of your individual item losing value as you use it, but rather the feeling you significantly overpaid for the item to begin with.
Do you go back to the dealership and pay them more money if the car goes up in value? ;))


MMDs are never going to be as cheap as CZ, from what I can see, they simply cost too much to make and use too much energy to fall anywhere near that far, so a purchaser has to make a decision based on 'is this good value *to me* now?' - the same as with any discretionary / luxury purchase.

As @Daisys and Diamonds notes, if you buy something and wear/use it often, the 'price per wear/use' is very low and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it :)

You could get hit by a bus tomorrow! so we can't wait around forever for something to happen - we have to get on the ladder at some point :D lol
 

MelloYello8

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Messages
368
When we purchased my lab 10 year anniversary ring, it was a decision after I was contemplating purchasing a gorgeous and very heavy 18k gold mesh scarf necklace that was priced in the same ballpark as what we spent on the ring. My husband also appreciated the necklace I was eyeing but asked when would I be able to use it. While the necklace is probably worth more today in gold weight than what we would have spent on it, it wasn’t a practical purchase. While that particular piece of jewelry would have been a better monetary investment than the lab diamond ring, the ring is a far better value in terms of price per wear.

We also looked at rings at Tiffany’s that cost 3x as much, but neither of us were that impressed with what was available by tripling the budget.

I have not been able to find a similar color lab diamond since, let alone cut and clarity, so I have no way to tell how much value has gone down. Let’s say at the ten year mark the resale is negligible. If I take the difference between the lab diamond and the tiffany, about 2x the price of the lab ring, and roll it into investments... Even after the market crash, my 12 month return is 5.89%. Stretch that conservative return over 10 years and the earnings are over 1.5x the cost of the lab ring. If I had bought a Tiffany ring I would probably get a third of it at resale, or roughly 1x the cost of the lab ring. Overpriced lab ring wins if I can hang onto it until my next decade of marriage.
 

sd_flp

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
653
Not really. I figure the jewelry I buy depreciates the moment I wear it. I don’t look at jewelry as investment pieces and I haven’t sold any of my personal jewelry. I guess I’d feel differently if I changed my jewelry box regularly, but to me the jewelry is for my own enjoyment. And if lab diamonds continue to go down, well, I’m all for it!
 

Ol-Blue

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
169
If prices dramatically decrease it just means I can buy more! Lol
But seriously, I paid 1900 for my beautiful, perfect for me diamond.
If tomorrow the same diamond was 900, it would it bother me at all. Because I spent less than what my budget allowed,I do not plan on selling it or upgrading it and I get to enjoy this ring NOW vs waiting for prices to drop ( I considered that for a hot second before I started looking)

ie. The amount of enjoyment I get from my lab diamond is worth more than any possible future “loss”
 

vintageloves

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 30, 2013
Messages
473
I refuse to give into FOMO (fear of missing out). The fact that I could possibly get something for less later won't lessen my enjoyment today. I'm still getting a great value over mined. All of my pieces were the frugal option when I bought them, and that's enough to satisfy my inner tightwad.

If prices go down, I would be more likely to purchase from boutique cutters and in larger sizes. I also think it would make lab stones more poplar, which would encourage more cutters to work with them. I look forward to the day I can afford 2 carats of this beauty: https://www.distinctivegem.com/coll...-grown-square-distinctive-cushion-cut-diamond
 

Diamond Girl 21

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
2,206
I've purchased a few fun MMDs, but nothing large. Rather than being concerned that I overpaid, I think I would be more upset that I could have gotten a bigger/better diamond. I'm waiting a bit to see how things play out.
 

VDK1

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Messages
198
Would it change how you feel about your MMD purchase? As I explore my feelings about MMD vs mined, I've been thinking about how cost may change over time. I'm not buying for an investment (of course) or in hopes of selling in the future. But simply, how would I feel if a MMD I bought today costs significantly less than what I paid several years down the line. Would this change how I felt about it?

Just curious if others have thought about this. If you are thinking of a large MMD purchase, such as E-ring/upgrade, would you consider waiting several years to see if the market stabilizes?

A study from GIA:
Laboratory-Grown Diamonds: Demand Rises, Prices Fall

A new report says demand for lab-grown diamonds has experienced “significant growth” from attractive marketing, but that prices for such goods have declined 70% in the past two years
 

123ducklings

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
914
A study from GIA:
Laboratory-Grown Diamonds: Demand Rises, Prices Fall

A new report says demand for lab-grown diamonds has experienced “significant growth” from attractive marketing, but that prices for such goods have declined 70% in the past two years

This is a year and a half old. I’d love to see some updated info.
 

VDK1

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Messages
198
This is a year and a half old. I’d love to see some updated info.

Is it so easy to predict? You guess?

An example of the price of synthetic rubby ( aka lab grown ruby) now:

Some "updated " info:

 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
Is it so easy to predict? You guess?

An example of the price of synthetic rubby ( aka lab grown ruby) now:

Some "updated " info:


So how does this answer the question in the OP, about how you would feel about price drops?
 

VDK1

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Messages
198
So how does this answer the question in the OP, about how you would feel about price drops?

What would I feel?
Prices will drop in both short term and long term !

For the time being, Light Box price ( usd 800/ carat, usd400/ half carat ... ) may be the most "reasonable" price? Who knows!

There will be a stabilizable market for lab grown diamonds. It would be fashion, or costume jewelry, which is similar to the market of lab grown ruby now a day!
 

VDK1

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Messages
198
My jewelry pieces have been purchased for my pleasure. It doesn't matter to me if the prices drop down the line. I'd probably just purchase more. ‍♀

Yes, it is great that one purchases MMD jewelry for his or her own pleasure. And he/she maybe even more happy to buy more if the prices continue droping in the future.
Or people simply will lose intrest in MMD and will have no desire for such jewelry, who knows?
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
Yes, it is great that one purchases MMD jewelry for his or her own pleasure. And he/she maybe even more happy to buy more if the prices continue droping in the future.
Or people simply will lose intrest in MMD and will have no desire for such jewelry, who knows?

If history tells us anything, it is that humans will always be attracted to shiny things :tongue: lol
 

anangel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
838
I’m going to admit; this thread does not seem to be going anywhere.
I think collectively, most of us agree, lab diamond prices will go down in the future. As to how much and when, there is much debate because even with some research, none of us can predict the future, as the article said, demand is up over previous year, but prices have dropped (I recall at one point, mmds were almost as expensive as their mined counter parts.
I still stand by my thoughts that value is somewhat relative, and just because MMDs become cheaper in the future does not mean they’ll be worthless by next year. My personal example; I recently purchased a two carat MMDs, and while not cheap, it was significantly less than it’s mined counter part- so much cheaper that the difference in price between the MMD and mined counter part covered my husband’s student loans for his Master’s Degree. In September, his student loans would have started charging interest at roughly 6%, by paying off his loan right when the program ended, we minimized the interest to almost nil. Even if my MMD is worth zero dollars in 5 years, the money put towards student loans and interest would have been smarter, and more valuable to us, than walking out of Kay’s with a mined diamond literally just so we could stay “oh, it’s a MINED diamond.”
I am all for using my money wisely- I contribute aggressively to my retirement fund, we bought a house in a good area (assuming real-estate doesn’t crash), we invested in my husband’s education so he’s much more marketable as an employee- in my mind, those a great investments!!! Jewelry, broadly speaking, is not. It is something pretty that sparks joy, makes us smile, but if someone buys mined diamond jewelry with the intention of selling it for a fat profit a decade later, especially after banging it around in an engagement ring, I think they will for the most part be disappointed.
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
I’m going to admit; this thread does not seem to be going anywhere.
I think collectively, most of us agree, lab diamond prices will go down in the future. As to how much and when, there is much debate because even with some research, none of us can predict the future, as the article said, demand is up over previous year, but prices have dropped (I recall at one point, mmds were almost as expensive as their mined counter parts.
I still stand by my thoughts that value is somewhat relative, and just because MMDs become cheaper in the future does not mean they’ll be worthless by next year. My personal example; I recently purchased a two carat MMDs, and while not cheap, it was significantly less than it’s mined counter part- so much cheaper that the difference in price between the MMD and mined counter part covered my husband’s student loans for his Master’s Degree. In September, his student loans would have started charging interest at roughly 6%, by paying off his loan right when the program ended, we minimized the interest to almost nil. Even if my MMD is worth zero dollars in 5 years, the money put towards student loans and interest would have been smarter, and more valuable to us, than walking out of Kay’s with a mined diamond literally just so we could stay “oh, it’s a MINED diamond.”
I am all for using my money wisely- I contribute aggressively to my retirement fund, we bought a house in a good area (assuming real-estate doesn’t crash), we invested in my husband’s education so he’s much more marketable as an employee- in my mind, those a great investments!!! Jewelry, broadly speaking, is not. It is something pretty that sparks joy, makes us smile, but if someone buys mined diamond jewelry with the intention of selling it for a fat profit a decade later, especially after banging it around in an engagement ring, I think they will for the most part be disappointed.
Congratulations on paying off a substantial chunk of debt! :))

Life is a lot more relaxing when the bills coming in each month are smaller and not stretching off into the distance for years to come :)
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top