Lab Grown Diamond Questions

[breanne]

I have a couple questions, please feel free to answer whichever you are able to

I began toying with the idea of a lab grown about a year or so ago, I'm comfortable with the thought that it may not hold its value, I'm comfortable with the thought that it is man made. I understand there should not be any difference in beauty when comparing the same specs from a earth mined to a lab grown, but is there anything else that I need to consider?

Was anyone on the fence about a lab grown diamond that later changed their mind and now absolutely love the idea? If so, what changed your mind.
Was there anyone who loved the idea that now changed their mind and dislike lab growns, if so, why?

I have a diamond that I love, I get compliments on it daily because of the specs I chose with the help through pricescope, I just want to ensure I will feel the same way about my potential lab grown... or if there is anything that I am not aware of that could sway/alter that feeling.

I went through a diamond broker when I purchased my earth mined diamond, this time around I may opt out of that, I do really really like the idea of having someone show me things in person regarding the stone, but it seems many on here are very comfortable making the decision without the help of someone else in person. Correct me if I'm wrong, did I pay for that broker in the total price, or is it the retailer that pays them for purchasing through them...

 

[MeowMeow]

So I can't talk about lab diamonds because I don't have one. BUT I did upgrade to a lab grown in general a couple years ago. So I can say I do not regret that at all and would be thrilled to eventually if possible find a blue diamond and upgrade to that in 10 more years. I was someone who maybe as far as 6 to 8 years ago was absolutely AGAINST lab grown. Considered them totally fake and did not understand why anyone would want one. But once someone explained it was kind of similar to growing vegetables in a green house versus wild outside or something it kind of made more sense. ( I can'tremember the exact metaphor or whatever lol) I'm still slightly more iffy with stimulants. Like i would be ok with one specific one that starts with m in a fun band or a fun ring but not as ok with it in my replacement engagement ring for example. But as long as the gem is chemically and optically identical to the gem that occurs in "the wild" I'm good. Plus when more and more of the small artisan cutters are using them and producing beautiful cuts these days. Welp. They became lots more interesting too.

 

[distracts]

Was anyone on the fence about a lab grown diamond that later changed their mind and now absolutely love the idea? If so, what changed your mind.

For me, the point at which lab growns became an option for me was when they dropped down to a price where 1) if I lost that money - if the diamond devalued significantly - I would be fine with that because I'd still have a pretty piece of jewelry, and 2) I wouldn't kick myself for spending the money on a diamond rather than a color gem (which is what has kept me from buying mined diamonds - if I have saved up a chunk of bling money, I'm always going to choose a CS I don't have over a diamond).

Lab diamond prices vary WILDLY. So it's important to figure out your limits for how much you would spend on a lab grown gem, I think. I personally at the moment don't think I'd be comfortable spending more than $2k on one, but if you get a larger one cut by a specialty cutter you could easily spend $15k on one - and for me, if that halved in price, that would be a loss of value that stressed me out.

 

[breanne]

So I can't talk about lab diamonds because I don't have one. BUT I did upgrade to a lab grown in general a couple years ago. So I can say I do not regret that at all and would be thrilled to eventually if possible find a blue diamond and upgrade to that in 10 more years. I was someone who maybe as far as 6 to 8 years ago was absolutely AGAINST lab grown. Considered them totally fake and did not understand why anyone would want one. But once someone explained it was kind of similar to growing vegetables in a green house versus wild outside or something it kind of made more sense. ( I can'tremember the exact metaphor or whatever lol) I'm still slightly more iffy with stimulants. Like i would be ok with one specific one that starts with m in a fun band or a fun ring but not as ok with it in my replacement engagement ring for example. But as long as the gem is chemically and optically identical to the gem that occurs in "the wild" I'm good. Plus when more and more of the small artisan cutters are using them and producing beautiful cuts these days. Welp. They became lots more interesting too.

For me, the point at which lab growns became an option for me was when they dropped down to a price where 1) if I lost that money - if the diamond devalued significantly - I would be fine with that because I'd still have a pretty piece of jewelry, and 2) I wouldn't kick myself for spending the money on a diamond rather than a color gem (which is what has kept me from buying mined diamonds - if I have saved up a chunk of bling money, I'm always going to choose a CS I don't have over a diamond).

Lab diamond prices vary WILDLY. So it's important to figure out your limits for how much you would spend on a lab grown gem, I think. I personally at the moment don't think I'd be comfortable spending more than $2k on one, but if you get a larger one cut by a specialty cutter you could easily spend $15k on one - and for me, if that halved in price, that would be a loss of value that stressed me out.

I'm Canadian so the dollar amount is higher in general for either lab grown vs man made, so I highly doubt I'd get either for 2k because of the exchange rate, unfortunately lol.

At this time, I feel I'm looking for a 3-3.5 carat round. This is my current specs of my man made diamond, and I would like to keep it as beautiful or better...

GIA XXX
Carat 1.43
Color: J
SI-1 - Eye Clean
No fluorescence
Measurement 7.17-7.23 x 4.42mm
HCA 1.2

Depth 61.4
Table 58
Crown Angle 34
Crown Height 14.5
Pav Angle 40.8
Pav Depth 43
Star Length 50
Lower Half 80
Girdle med to slightly thick, faceted, 4.0
Culet none

I may go up in color slightly as I feel it might be more noticeable with a larger stone, otherwise I'm not very color sensitive. Perhaps G, H, or I. As long as it is eye clean, I don't care for inclusions either, so VS2 - SI2.

I used to be more familiar with the details listed above, but it has escaped me over the years. I would be open to any suggestions of improving these details if anyone has any, and what other factors to note.

 

[breanne]

So I can't talk about lab diamonds because I don't have one. BUT I did upgrade to a lab grown in general a couple years ago. So I can say I do not regret that at all and would be thrilled to eventually if possible find a blue diamond and upgrade to that in 10 more years. I was someone who maybe as far as 6 to 8 years ago was absolutely AGAINST lab grown. Considered them totally fake and did not understand why anyone would want one. But once someone explained it was kind of similar to growing vegetables in a green house versus wild outside or something it kind of made more sense. ( I can'tremember the exact metaphor or whatever lol) I'm still slightly more iffy with stimulants. Like i would be ok with one specific one that starts with m in a fun band or a fun ring but not as ok with it in my replacement engagement ring for example. But as long as the gem is chemically and optically identical to the gem that occurs in "the wild" I'm good. Plus when more and more of the small artisan cutters are using them and producing beautiful cuts these days. Welp. They became lots more interesting too.

I agree with this metaphor, I guess I keep thinking it is too good to be true so as I venture back into my upgrade plans, I wonder if more details have emerged to change my mind of the lab grown haha.

 

[AdaBeta27]

If you've done any reading here, you probably already saw where lab diamonds certed GCAL 8x are the best cut. I haven't bought any lab diamond yet, but have done a lot of looking at certs and videos. I think in the size of diamond you want, SI2 will never be eye-clean. I could never find an eye-clean-enough SI2 even around the 2ct mark. I think you'll have to look at SI1 at lowest and I'd wager you'll have to get VS1 or VS2 unless you luck into an SI1 with a perfectly prongable inclusion. 3-3.5ct will magnify any issues like blue or brown tint. Or stria or other imperfections in the rough. The economics of growing lab rough and cutting stones favors larger diamonds, and articles I've read speculated that the prices of larger lab diamonds over 2ct will be dropping.

 

[Petalouda]

I was on the fence regarding lab grown and am totally on board now. I don’t see a difference visually and I just love the savings. I’m leaving the final decision up to my husband but I would be 100% on board with a gorgeous lab when the time is right for a second ring. I’m not sure when I overcame the hump. It just happened gradually and now I have no qualms about owning one. I have lab studs from DG that I adore.

As far as resale, I had a gorgeous 2.15 H VS1 AGS000 Canera H&A stone that I sold after diamond prices shot up….at a loss. I bought the stone for just under 25k and the same stone retailed for around 40k when I sold. Nobody wanted to buy it for even the original price because it was second hand and I ended up selling at a loss. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-lovely-victor-canera-solitaire.259854/#post-4820681

 

[Kim N]

Just to give you an idea of pricing for your size range, I found two beautiful stones on Ritani.

3.58 Carat Round Lab Grown Diamond G Color VS1 Clarity Ideal Cut | Ritani

3.58 Carat Round Lab Diamond ID Cut G Color VS1 Clarity with diamond report number IGI #LG517295271

www.ritani.com

3.16 Carat Round Lab Grown Diamond G Color VS2 Clarity Ideal Cut | Ritani

3.16 Carat Round Lab Diamond ID Cut G Color VS2 Clarity with diamond report number IGI #LG542231941

www.ritani.com

 

[breanne]

If you've done any reading here, you probably already saw where lab diamonds certed GCAL 8x are the best cut. I haven't bought any lab diamond yet, but have done a lot of looking at certs and videos. I think in the size of diamond you want, SI2 will never be eye-clean. I could never find an eye-clean-enough SI2 even around the 2ct mark. I think you'll have to look at SI1 at lowest and I'd wager you'll have to get VS1 or VS2 unless you luck into an SI1 with a perfectly prongable inclusion. 3-3.5ct will magnify any issues like blue or brown tint. Or stria or other imperfections in the rough. The economics of growing lab rough and cutting stones favors larger diamonds, and articles I've read speculated that the prices of larger lab diamonds over 2ct will be dropping.

Funny you mention this, I actually just saw the GCAL 8x today. I'm in graduate school so I go in blips of time where I can spend sometime outside of anything school related. Piece by piece I have been building my lab-grown-diamond repertoire of knowledge and this is the new info I acquired! Thank you for sharing.

My last venture down this path was about CVD and the H something processing... so how does GCAL 8x and these two details go together?

 

[breanne]

I was on the fence regarding lab grown and am totally on board now. I don’t see a difference visually and I just love the savings. I’m leaving the final decision up to my husband but I would be 100% on board with a gorgeous lab when the time is right for a second ring. I’m not sure when I overcame the hump. It just happened gradually and now I have no qualms about owning one. I have lab studs from DG that I adore.

As far as resale, I had a gorgeous 2.15 H VS1 AGS000 Canera H&A stone that I sold after diamond prices shot up….at a loss. I bought the stone for just under 25k and the same stone retailed for around 40k when I sold. Nobody wanted to buy it for even the original price because it was second hand and I ended up selling at a loss. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-lovely-victor-canera-solitaire.259854/#post-4820681

See, I'm with you on this. Part of me just wonders if I should get a lab grown to pair with my man made diamond and make earrings instead of trying to sell it. I by no means have money just floating around to randomly buy stones haha, but eventually that is.

 

[breanne]

Just to give you an idea of pricing for your size range, I found two beautiful stones on Ritani.

3.58 Carat Round Lab Grown Diamond G Color VS1 Clarity Ideal Cut | Ritani

3.58 Carat Round Lab Diamond ID Cut G Color VS1 Clarity with diamond report number IGI #LG517295271

www.ritani.com

3.16 Carat Round Lab Grown Diamond G Color VS2 Clarity Ideal Cut | Ritani

3.16 Carat Round Lab Diamond ID Cut G Color VS2 Clarity with diamond report number IGI #LG542231941

www.ritani.com

Ooo this is definitely within the range I would hope for. I think the details I need to visit now is the CVD, HPHT and the laboratories. What did you think of the specs of my original stone, is there anything than can be improved upon?

**Edit, improved upon as in, details to consider spec wise in an upgrade.

 

[Kim N]

Ooo this is definitely within the range I would hope for. I think the details I need to visit now is the CVD, HPHT and the laboratories. What did you think of the specs of my original stone, is there anything than can be improved upon?

**Edit, improved upon as in, details to consider spec wise in an upgrade.

For an LGD, I would recommend sticking with G color and above. A CVD below G will often have a brown tint, and HPHT below G may have blue nuance. I agree with AdaBeta27 that it's safest to go with VS1 or VS2 in your size range.

A GCAL 8x diamond will be all but guaranteed to have amazing light performance, so if you have the budget for it, I highly recommend one.

 

[breanne]

For an LGD, I would recommend sticking with G color and above. A CVD below G will often have a brown tint, and HPHT below G may have blue nuance. I agree with AdaBeta27 that it's safest to go with VS1 or VS2 in your size range.

A GCAL 8x diamond will be all but guaranteed to have amazing light performance, so if you have the budget for it, I highly recommend one.

Is it possible that a stone not graded GCAL 8x still qualifies? I have been doing a bit of searching and I could only find 1 GCAL.

 

[Kim N]

Is it possible that a stone not graded GCAL 8x still qualifies? I have been doing a bit of searching and I could only find 1 GCAL.

There are definitely beautiful diamonds graded by IGI and GIA. It's just that GCAL has taken the guesswork out of the equation, and you know you'll be getting a top cut stone.

3.18 Carat G VS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 320961648 Affinity Cut - D51006674

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

3.02 Carat G VS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 321373197 Affinity Cut - D51168949

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

Not all of the search results will be GCAL 8x, but most of them are.

Diamond Search Results | Real-time Information on 1,000,000+ Diamonds | PriceScope

PriceScope's Diamond Search is the best place to find the best diamond prices. Search and compare over a million natural, lab and fancy color diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

 

[breanne]

There are definitely beautiful diamonds graded by IGI and GIA. It's just that GCAL has taken the guesswork out of the equation, and you know you'll be getting a top cut stone.

3.18 Carat G VS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 320961648 Affinity Cut - D51006674

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

3.02 Carat G VS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 321373197 Affinity Cut - D51168949

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

Not all of the search results will be GCAL 8x, but most of them are.

Diamond Search Results | Real-time Information on 1,000,000+ Diamonds | PriceScope

PriceScope's Diamond Search is the best place to find the best diamond prices. Search and compare over a million natural, lab and fancy color diamonds.

www.pricescope.com

Another question, I hope you don't mind. I will likely choose a 7 stone with 10 points each for my wedding band. How do people go about this detail if the ring is going to be custom made. Nothing special about this ring, but I want to ensure it matches in height and width to my ER, so it will be created together.

Would I buy each stone individually? Thanks!

 

[Kim N]

Another question, I hope you don't mind. I will likely choose a 7 stone with 10 points each for my wedding band. How do people go about this detail if the ring is going to be custom made. Nothing special about this ring, but I want to ensure it matches in height and width to my ER, so it will be created together.

Would I buy each stone individually? Thanks!

If you get the rings made at the same time by CAD, you can let your jeweler know your height and width preferences and ask the jeweler to make sure everything matches. The jeweler should be the one to buy the melee diamonds.

 

[DejaWiz]

If you get the rings made at the same time by CAD, you can let your jeweler know your height and width preferences and ask the jeweler to make sure everything matches. The jeweler should be the one to buy the melee diamonds.

...and you can even specify and request that your jeweler get colorless high clarity HPHT LGD melee with ideal cut quality, since there are quite a lot of melee producers for LGD.

 

[breanne]

If you get the rings made at the same time by CAD, you can let your jeweler know your height and width preferences and ask the jeweler to make sure everything matches. The jeweler should be the one to buy the melee diamonds.

...and you can even specify and request that your jeweler get colorless high clarity HPHT LGD melee with ideal cut quality, since there are quite a lot of melee producers for LGD.

Thank you! I did wonder about this detail.

 

[AprilBaby]

I have plenty of mined diamonds so I don’t want to spend anymore at this point in my life on them. I can get BIG lab diamonds on Ritani for a great price and they are identical. I have 3 granddaughters who will be very happy later in life!