Lab created diamonds & IGI certification?

[Mrsaf]

hi all!

I am comparing diamonds, one is a GIA certified triple excellent cut .40 carat, F color, SI1 clarity natural diamond. The other is an IGI certified .55 carat, triple excellent cut, F color, SI1 clarity lab created diamond (both Brilliant Earth), they are both roughly the same price.

I’ve read different (mostly negative) things regarding IGI, but GIA does not certify lab created stones. Am I safe to purchase the lab created diamond, or am I better off purchasing the natural GIA certified diamond?

As far as size, I wear a size 3.75 so I am not SUPER concerned about a size difference, unless it’s a huge difference and I’m just not realizing it! I’d like it to have some finger coverage of course, but would rather not sacrifice quality.

Thanks! Sorry for the novel!

 

[denverappraiser]

GIA uses different color and clarity scales for synthetics so it's hard to do a direct comparison but they do grade them.
https://www.gia.edu/analysis-grading-sample-report-synthetic-diamond

 

[DoeEyes]

hi all!

I am comparing diamonds, one is a GIA certified triple excellent cut .40 carat, F color, SI1 clarity natural diamond. The other is an IGI certified .55 carat, triple excellent cut, F color, SI1 clarity lab created diamond (both Brilliant Earth), they are both roughly the same price.

I’ve read different (mostly negative) things regarding IGI, but GIA does not certify lab created stones. Am I safe to purchase the lab created diamond, or am I better off purchasing the natural GIA certified diamond?

As far as size, I wear a size 3.75 so I am not SUPER concerned about a size difference, unless it’s a huge difference and I’m just not realizing it! I’d like it to have some finger coverage of course, but would rather not sacrifice quality.

Thanks! Sorry for the novel!

If you're looking at a .55 lab diamond from brilliant earth, I would highly recommend getting Lightbox instead. They are very white and well cut, no inclusions because they're lab grown. The limit with Lightbox is the biggest round white stone you can get right now is .5 carat, so it's not an option for people who want bigger, but if that's the size you're looking at anyway and you're happy with a lab diamond, it should be perfect for you!

I am using a .5 lab diamond from Lightbox for my engagement ring, it's $515 for the diamond including shipping, and then you'll need to find a setting and have it set. I'm spending a total of $300 on my setting and setting fee so my all-in cost will be $800 for my ring. Shockingly inexpensive. (Currently waiting for my setting to arrive, so I don't have a completed ring to show you yet but hopefully will soon!)

My ring size is a little bigger than yours, and the .5 is perfect finger coverage for me, definitely not big but not tiny. I think it looks dainty and classic. I have a collection of screenshots of .5 carat rings in a Google photo album I could share with you if you'd like, I just spent weeks looking at photos here and on WB.

Here's a few pictures of my Lightbox on my hand. The first 3 are before I had it removed from the necklace it comes in (you can't buy loose stones from Lightbox, only necklaces and earrings). The last 2 are the loose stone.

My ring size is about 4.5 so you can get an idea of finger coverage. For more details about the estimated color and quality of Lightbox since they are ungraded, there are a couple threads on the Lab Grown Diamonds forum about Lightbox.



Edit: Just have to add that I'm not at all affiliated with Lightbox even though this post reads like an ad, lol. I'm just a very very happy customer!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would not buy lab grown unless it is less than half the price of natural mined. So Lightbox may be a smarter source for lab grown, although I haven't read the threads yet on the cut.

 

[DoeEyes]

I would not buy lab grown unless it is less than half the price of natural mined. So Lightbox may be a smarter source for lab grown, although I haven't read the threads yet on the cut.

There are some ASET and Idealscope images in another thread. The stone was still in the setting so the images aren't perfect but you can get an idea of general cut quality. I don't know enough about cut quality to give my own opinion, but what other people are saying is there is some light leakage, they are not perfect, but they are very good, better than what people were expecting. To my untrained eye it is very sparkly.

 

[AprilBaby]

I would want the best possible cut for my e-ring so if they are about the same price, cut is king.

 

[sledge]

Agree w/ @AprilBaby, I'm all about the cut.

That said, merely having a GIA natural diamond does not ensure a better cut than an IGI lab diamond. We would need to know the specifics of both stones to make a more educated comment concerning the potential cut quality.

Hey @frogplus, can you link the thread with ASET & IS images on the LB diamond? I'm curious what people are considering "very good, but not great". Thinking about buying a small one for my chocolate lab to put on her collar. Yes, she's spoiled, lol.

 

[DoeEyes]

Agree w/ @AprilBaby, I'm all about the cut.

That said, merely having a GIA natural diamond does not ensure a better cut than an IGI lab diamond. We would need to know the specifics of both stones to make a more educated comment concerning the potential cut quality.

Hey @frogplus, can you link the thread with ASET & IS images on the LB diamond? I'm curious what people are considering "very good, but not great". Thinking about buying a small one for my chocolate lab to put on her collar. Yes, she's spoiled, lol.

Omg please post pics if you put a diamond collar on your dog. Here's the link to the ASET/IS images: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photos-of-lightbox-jewelry.243885/page-4

 

[DoeEyes]

@sledge Let us know what you think of those images, either here or on the other thread. I really want to hear what people think!