I’ve been a long-term reader on this forum and I have been amazed at the breadth of knowledge which is shared. I have also been dazzled by the incredible gems and diamonds owned by the contributors here. I’ve finally plucked up the courage to sign up and add my recent lab diamond experience.
I’m in the UK and there is a tendency on this side of the pond to be quite modest when it comes to jewellery. We can sometimes be judged as flashy if we display what we consider to be a large diamond (that would be anything above 50 points!) and gems larger than that would probably be assumed as fake. I have some long-owned certificated diamonds but nothing over 75 points.
For a number of years I have been wearing some diamond studs which are 38 and 37 points respectively, assessed as SI1 and SI2, H colour, ‘very good’ cut. Whilst I like these earrings, as I’ve grown older (I’m 55 now) I’ve felt the urge for something more substantial - suitable for everyday wear in all situations, but also with a noticeable presence. Mined diamonds of over half a carat each are out of my budget and I haven’t seen what I want on the preowned market.
Thanks to reading this forum I’ve learned about the invention of laboratory grown diamonds and I’ve been fascinated with them for months - especially now that the prices appear to be falling a little and the quality and size has improved. I therefore decided to seek out some 1.5 carat total weight stud earrings.
My first choice had been Lightbox, but then I learnt they (and their retailers such as Bloomingdales) don’t ship to the UK. I then looked at Vrai, and New World Diamonds. But there were several reports of diamonds from these sellers having a brown hint, and if I needed to return them I could run into the issue of a costly return and difficulties trying to claim back the extortionate VAT (and duty) I would be paying along the way. That also ruled out James Allen (too expensive when all UK taxes are applied). Unfortunately being in the UK choices are extremely limited and prices tend to be higher than those sold in the US.
What I’m going to say now will leave some of you clutching your throats in horror - but given the UK market for what I wanted is limited to put it mildly, and rather expensive, I decided to order from the lab diamond range at QVC UK. Please don’t kill me. The convenience of quick delivery and easy returns made this a good option. I was informed that QVC now follow GIA guidelines and hence their diamonds should be conservatively graded. I suspect the grading protocols at some of the independent diamond boutiques may not be quite so strict. The lab diamonds I bought from QVC are graded as minimum H colour and SI2 clarity. They are set in 18 carat white gold.
So here is the verdict: They are noticeably whiter than my mined studs which are graded as H in colour. Both the diamonds are eye clean, inclusions can be seen on magnification as expected (see the photo below). I do not have the expertise to assess the cut quality, but the sparkle is fantastic - in certain lighting conditions I can see a ring of arrows around the edge. There should be an inscription on the girdle, but I can’t find it.
My only gripe is the settings - needlessly high in my opinion, I would have preferred a lower profile setting. This causes them to protrude a little too much from my earlobes with a slight droop. They have screw posts but luckily my jumbo backs fit nicely over the posts and that helps them to sit better.
I am loving the fact they did not have to be dug out of the ground. My husband, on the other hand, cannot be educated on this. He is maintaining they are ‘not real diamonds’!
Thank you to everyone in the forum for helping to educate those of us very new to these lovely stones. If or when Lightbox starts retailing in the UK I’d love to buy a 1 carat pendant to complement the studs.
Pictures below are a size and colour comparison with a white 1 carat equivalent CZ, and s self-made amateurish inclusion plot of my new diamonds (the diamonds are a bit blurred unfortunately).
I’m in the UK and there is a tendency on this side of the pond to be quite modest when it comes to jewellery. We can sometimes be judged as flashy if we display what we consider to be a large diamond (that would be anything above 50 points!) and gems larger than that would probably be assumed as fake. I have some long-owned certificated diamonds but nothing over 75 points.
For a number of years I have been wearing some diamond studs which are 38 and 37 points respectively, assessed as SI1 and SI2, H colour, ‘very good’ cut. Whilst I like these earrings, as I’ve grown older (I’m 55 now) I’ve felt the urge for something more substantial - suitable for everyday wear in all situations, but also with a noticeable presence. Mined diamonds of over half a carat each are out of my budget and I haven’t seen what I want on the preowned market.
Thanks to reading this forum I’ve learned about the invention of laboratory grown diamonds and I’ve been fascinated with them for months - especially now that the prices appear to be falling a little and the quality and size has improved. I therefore decided to seek out some 1.5 carat total weight stud earrings.
My first choice had been Lightbox, but then I learnt they (and their retailers such as Bloomingdales) don’t ship to the UK. I then looked at Vrai, and New World Diamonds. But there were several reports of diamonds from these sellers having a brown hint, and if I needed to return them I could run into the issue of a costly return and difficulties trying to claim back the extortionate VAT (and duty) I would be paying along the way. That also ruled out James Allen (too expensive when all UK taxes are applied). Unfortunately being in the UK choices are extremely limited and prices tend to be higher than those sold in the US.
What I’m going to say now will leave some of you clutching your throats in horror - but given the UK market for what I wanted is limited to put it mildly, and rather expensive, I decided to order from the lab diamond range at QVC UK. Please don’t kill me. The convenience of quick delivery and easy returns made this a good option. I was informed that QVC now follow GIA guidelines and hence their diamonds should be conservatively graded. I suspect the grading protocols at some of the independent diamond boutiques may not be quite so strict. The lab diamonds I bought from QVC are graded as minimum H colour and SI2 clarity. They are set in 18 carat white gold.
So here is the verdict: They are noticeably whiter than my mined studs which are graded as H in colour. Both the diamonds are eye clean, inclusions can be seen on magnification as expected (see the photo below). I do not have the expertise to assess the cut quality, but the sparkle is fantastic - in certain lighting conditions I can see a ring of arrows around the edge. There should be an inscription on the girdle, but I can’t find it.
My only gripe is the settings - needlessly high in my opinion, I would have preferred a lower profile setting. This causes them to protrude a little too much from my earlobes with a slight droop. They have screw posts but luckily my jumbo backs fit nicely over the posts and that helps them to sit better.
I am loving the fact they did not have to be dug out of the ground. My husband, on the other hand, cannot be educated on this. He is maintaining they are ‘not real diamonds’!
Thank you to everyone in the forum for helping to educate those of us very new to these lovely stones. If or when Lightbox starts retailing in the UK I’d love to buy a 1 carat pendant to complement the studs.
Pictures below are a size and colour comparison with a white 1 carat equivalent CZ, and s self-made amateurish inclusion plot of my new diamonds (the diamonds are a bit blurred unfortunately).
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