Mind clean

[waffle]

Has anyone who purchased a lab diamond for an engagement ring second guessing themselves? Feeling like it’s not authentic? I saw the most gorgeous 3 stone lab ring for 4500 and earth mined it would probably be around 30,000

 

[Kim N]

Not at all! I wear mine proudly every day. However, from your various threads it doesn't sound like it would be mind-clean for you.

 

[waffle]

Agreed. I wish I could change that.

 

[lovedogs]

I think we like what we like. Don't beat yourself up about your own preferences.

 

[MamaBee]

@waffle I feel the same way. I get mad at myself because logically I would love to get lab earrings..but I know I would be second guessing myself all the time.

 

[musicloveranthony]

I feel that way about lab gemstones, but not lab diamonds. go figure

 

[Alybird]

I used to feel this way but not so much anymore and especially not since I lost a WF ACA stud.

I wear diamonds casually and don't feel quite dressed without a bit of sparkle. Mind clean for me now means having the most well cut and well-vetted/certified stone and not having to worry so much about losing it.

There seems to be a lot of politics surrounding the authenticity of lab diamonds but it doesn't matter much to me anymore.

Diamonds are a horrid investment and are more for adornment and personal enjoyment in my opinion. I don't regret my mined diamond purchases but I think moving forward, I'll be choosing lab for certain pieces.

I'd be hard pressed to find someone turn their nose up at a beautiful colorless/clean/ideal cut diamond just because of its origins whether mined or lab created.

 

[dk168]

Each to their own...

My jewellery collection is made up of a mixture of CZ, Moissy, LGD, and earth-mined diamonds.

If I were to get another RHR (I have 3, all earth-mined diamonds), it will be a heart cut stone about 1ct and I would like it to be an earth-mined stone.

I would not consider getting a single LGD that can trump the earth-mined 1.19ct E VS1 EC that I bought myself some time ago as it has huge sentimental values.

However, I am quite happy to use LGDs in smaller sizes for items such as earrings, bracelets and pendants.

For setting lab CSs and lesser not too expensive CSs, I use Moissy with Rhodium plated Silver, as I don't want to spend too much money on the settings.

DK

 

[Jax172]

Zero people would know where my diamonds are sourced from so I personally don’t care. I just love the sparkle that no other stone can quite mimic. Moissanite I have tried and I can tell it’s not a diamond. It’s pretty but not quite the same look. Lab diamonds are diamonds and they behave as such and since I don’t have the bank account to buy all the things I want in natural diamonds I am so happy lab diamonds exist.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I think over time as the societal pressure of arbitrary perceived 'value' wanes this uncertainty will become less acute and relevant for many. It will be just buying the best sparkly you can. This is a good thing.
There was a time when amethyst was considered precious, there was a time when silver was valuable than gold. It's fluid. It's all conceptual as perception.
Buy what you can afford and what makes you happy and you'll never go wrong.

 

[AprilBaby]

I don’t wear my mined diamond any more and I don’t think twice about it. A diamond is a diamond. I never really thought about where my mined diamond came from to begin with.

 

[DejaWiz]

It's all a matter of personal preference as well as what we deem as acceptable.

Anecdotal example...
My preference is LGD due to the insane value factor, but my personal acceptance (for buying to give to my wife) has some steep stipulations:

Colorless (D-E)
HPHT
Type IIa
Eye-clean, but must be at least SI1
40.5-40.8° CA
34-35° PA
54-58% table
Ideal-Scope and/or ASET verified optics
Must have a certain performance personality "that look" that appeases my eyes

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It's all a matter of personal preference as well as what we deem as acceptable.

Anecdotal example...
My preference is LGD due to the insane value factor, but my personal acceptance (for buying to give to my wife) has some steep stipulations:

Colorless (D-E)
HPHT
Type IIa
Eye-clean, but must be at least SI1
40.5-40.8° CA
34-35° PA
54-58% table
Ideal-Scope and/or ASET verified optics
Must have a certain performance personality "that look" that appeases my eyes

That's...that's why I call you Diamowiz

 

[Alybird]

I think over time as the societal pressure of arbitrary perceived 'value' wanes this uncertainty will become less acute and relevant for many. It will be just buying the best sparkly you can. This is a good thing.
There was a time when amethyst was considered precious, there was a time when silver was valuable than gold. It's fluid. It's all conceptual as perception.
Buy what you can afford and what makes you happy and you'll never go wrong.

Agree!! I was thinking about this and drew a weird analogy with what I do professionally;

I'll never look at a technically and artistically well-executed painting and think that it's a shame it was painted with synthetic Kolinsky sable or acrylic instead of oils. What matters is that it is archival (made with quality pigments and technically sound) and tasteful and most importantly, sparks delight. The most loved contemporary pigments today are chemically engineered for stability and brilliance.

I guess my point is, I am much more open minded about lab grown diamonds these days. The stylish (and well off) wiser ladies in my life all have a mix of costume, fine and heirloom pieces and wear them together for fun, not because they have something to prove.

 

[MeowMeow]

I agree with Lovedogs. We like what we like! I'm not going to diss what someone else prefers generally because I wouldn't want someone to do that to me. So if man made diamonds aren't something you can find mind clean just yet. That's ok! You like what you like!

I don't personally have any lab diamonds (yet). But I DO wear synthetic coloured stones and not my mined diamond anymore. So I kind of feel like I can still answer the question generally. Most of the time I prefer the synthetic coloured stone ring.

I like the analogy I read somewhere comparing it to something like wild flowers vs ones grown in a greenhouse. I love greenhouse roses just as much as I love the ones my aunt grows outside in her yard. They're all beautiful roses. Just grown differently. It took me over a decade to change my mind though admittedly. But eventually I did. I think people accepting them more and finding beautiful precision cuts really helped me with that.

 

[LLJsmom]

I am so happy to have found this thread because I've been pondering this question for a while now. I struggled with how I personally viewed LGDs because I wonder about how the LGD market impacts the value and perceived value of diamonds in general. And I will admit that the general perceived value does impact how open I am to LGDs. I knew that I could change my mind once I held a well cut lab in my hands so I had avoided them. Recently, the prices have dropped to the point where I was willing to take a risk and try them out. I purchased two stones, one from a drop shipper and one from a super ideal vendor though not a super ideal stone. Both were very well cut but I preferred the one from the drop shipper, due to cut and price. I returned the one from the super ideal vendor. When I am done with my project I will post a thread. I think I have reconciled it in my mind by putting LGD and mined diamonds in different categories due to the huge price difference. For example, I insure certain mined pieces but I won't be insuring my LGD pieces. As a lover of very well cut diamonds, I can appreciate the inherent value of a reasonably priced well cut diamond. I look at it and think, wow, well cut LDGs have democratized the owning of beautiful well cut diamonds. This could significantly change what the rest of my jewelry collection will look like. Who knows...

 

[jewels2]

I did struggle with it at first but after purchasing a few (that had great return policies) I got over it pretty quickly lol. I have plenty of EM jewelry and now wear Labs mixed with them. There is no way to distinguish one from the other and I love bling so I am happy. I even got complemented by two SA at Tiffany

 

[FL_runner]

I have mined (mostly vintage/antique) diamonds and lab diamonds. For me, it’s chemically a diamond, so it’s mind clean. I find with lab diamonds the value factor is just so great that it’s allowed me to add items to my collection that would have been out of reach, like my new solitaire, because I have a definite cap on how much I’ll spend on bling. I also feel more comfortable wearing items around town if they aren’t super expensive even though I have my jewelry insured. I also feel like I can be more discerning with lab diamonds with the price/inventory being good and I tend to be a little less particular with a cool vintage item. I have a killer antique cluster ring where the diamond cuts are pretty but not ideal, for example.

 

[Mjay]

Has anyone who purchased a lab diamond for an engagement ring second guessing themselves? Feeling like it’s not authentic? I saw the most gorgeous 3 stone lab ring for 4500 and earth mined it would probably be around 30,000

Yes! I bought a gorgeous almost 4ct lab grown diamond and had it set in a stunning setting by DK. It was so beautiful but unfortunately I couldn’t get past the fact that it was lab grown. It may seem ridiculous but every time I would get a compliment on it I would feel awkward. I almost felt like it was a CZ. Totally stupid but it’s just that way I felt. I couldn’t get over it and I sold the ring. It was gorgeous and honestly I kind of miss it. I really hope that I can get over my lab grown issues some day (hence why I’m still checking this forum). I think a big part of it was the plummeting prices. I think once prices stabilize a bit I’ll feel better about it.

 

[whitewave]

I used to feel this way but not so much anymore and especially not since I lost a WF ACA stud.

I wear diamonds casually and don't feel quite dressed without a bit of sparkle. Mind clean for me now means having the most well cut and well-vetted/certified stone and not having to worry so much about losing it.

There seems to be a lot of politics surrounding the authenticity of lab diamonds but it doesn't matter much to me anymore.

Diamonds are a horrid investment and are more for adornment and personal enjoyment in my opinion. I don't regret my mined diamond purchases but I think moving forward, I'll be choosing lab for certain pieces.

I'd be hard pressed to find someone turn their nose up at a beautiful colorless/clean/ideal cut diamond just because of its origins whether mined or lab created.

I agree. Because I lost my rings, I think I’m going lab. The feeling of losing a diamond is awful.

 

[Alybird]

I agree. Because I lost my rings, I think I’m going lab. The feeling of losing a diamond is awful.

I'm so sorry!! I can relate. It's one of those things that even when you realize it's missing, you still turn over every stone and exhaust every possibility with that sinking, gnawing feeling.

Because a "diamond is forever", the hope of maybe coming across it again someday lingers. It's hard to explain but there's definitely a strange emotional element of losing something like that especially since diamonds mark special events or milestones. I know this sounds silly and kind of self-indulgent but I think there was a valuable lesson to be had in it.

Are the girdles on your stones inscribed? I wonder if there is a way to look up in a database if it ever turns up somewhere.

 

[whitewave]

@Alybird I did wonder myself about the inscription…. And yes, I had this ring made after my young BIl died. It was a bad birthday week for me (worse for my BIL I kniow) and DH bought me a bunch of things and added in getting the sapphire made into a ring. It was gorgeous and I absolute loved this ring. It was pretty all the time. Mesmerizing. I hope I can recreate the qualities of it.

 

[Alybird]

@Alybird I did wonder myself about the inscription…. And yes, I had this ring made after my young BIl died. It was a bad birthday week for me (worse for my BIL I kniow) and DH bought me a bunch of things and added in getting the sapphire made into a ring. It was gorgeous and I absolute loved this ring. It was pretty all the time. Mesmerizing. I hope I can recreate the qualities of it.

I hope so too! I am sincerely sorry for your loss. Your ring sounds beautiful and had kind intentions poured into it and I can tell it was very cherished and special.

Next time I speak to my local jeweler, I'm going to ask him about the inscription and whether it can be traced.

There's a part of me that feels like if someone found it, I hope they needed it or that they appreciate it. But who am I kidding? Most people find a diamond or precious jewelry and immediately see the monetary value and not the moments, the thoughts and experiences that went into it.

I've asked myself if getting a pair of lab diamond studs is reactionary to what happened since it was recent, and maybe it is, but I did a gut check with myself and imagined I had all the funds in the world to be throwing around figuring this out. I would still get a pair of lab studs (well made, well cut, well crafted ofc), not because it's less special but somehow it feels more responsible and weighs less on my mind.

 

[LLJsmom]

I hope so too! I am sincerely sorry for your loss. Your ring sounds beautiful and had kind intentions poured into it and I can tell it was very cherished and special.

Next time I speak to my local jeweler, I'm going to ask him about the inscription and whether it can be traced.

There's a part of me that feels like if someone found it, I hope they needed it or that they appreciate it. But who am I kidding? Most people find a diamond or precious jewelry and immediately see the monetary value and not the moments, the thoughts and experiences that went into it.

I've asked myself if getting a pair of lab diamond studs is reactionary to what happened since it was recent, and maybe it is, but I did a gut check with myself and imagined I had all the funds in the world to be throwing around figuring this out. I would still get a pair of lab studs (well made, well cut, well crafted ofc), not because it's less special but somehow it feels more responsible and weighs less on my mind.

I struggle with this very thing. I am quite happy with my lab diamond. Knowing what I know about labs, it would be hard for me to pay THAT much more for mined for certain pieces, given that I have a budget. If money were no object, I would probably stick with mined. One thing that labs do allow for is variety. I may feel less inclined to reset given I can just get another stone for another kind of setting when I get bored of my three stone.

 

[Calliecake]

I’m looking forward to seeing your thread @LLJsmom.

 

[Calliecake]

I don’t wear my mined diamond any more and I don’t think twice about it. A diamond is a diamond. I never really thought about where my mined diamond came from to begin with.

Thank you for this comment @AprilBaby. It really puts things in perspective.

 

[Lpsl]

I am mind-clean with lab-grown.

My OG engagement ring is 1.5 ct natural mined I VVS2 GIA 3x, which we thought was the best of the best, like so many buyers who haven’t been exposed to the prosumer insights shared so generously here in Pricescope. It was a consequential upper five-figure purchase. We didn’t know what an ideally-cut diamond should/could look like.

We still have that ring. It is insured and safely stored away. I will forever treasure what it represents in our relationship. When my husband said he wanted to upgrade for our anniversary, I suggested lab grown: there is so much stunning diamond beauty and phenomenal light performance to be found far more economically with lab grown stones.

Our new ring (in my avatar) is 2.08 ct I-color VVS2 Ideal, Ex, Ex with ideal proportions, HCA 1.4. Is it a super-ideal? No. I’ve learned even more here since we chose the anniversary stone (would have selected either Whiteflash or Decagon had i known).

Yet it is beautiful and represents the year we‘ve had (strength and beauty forged quickly through intense pressure). It is also insured - with enough value that should something ever happen to it, we could consider upgrading the natural mined stone with original vendor, knowing how how to work with the experts here to help us select the most spectacular stone within our budget.

Or we could purchase one heck of a lab grown Whiteflash or Decagon stone and ring, and take ourselves on vacation with the savings.

Ultimately, both have their place. I might well choose lab grown even if money were no object - there’s so much beautiful possibility out there!

 

[e2the3rd]

Has anyone who purchased a lab diamond for an engagement ring second guessing themselves? Feeling like it’s not authentic?

Not me! I love both of mine. They’re real and they’re spectacular

I saw the most gorgeous 3 stone lab ring for 4500 and earth mined it would probably be around 30,000

Personally I enjoy saving tens of thousands of dollars

 

[SandraLynn]

I am still among the group of people who can’t get past the concept of lab diamonds. I know they are chemically the same. I know I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference on the street but online, they almost look too perfect to me.

Fancy colored LGD give me even more of the NO feeling because the colors that come out are always somewhat off to what it’s natural counterpart would.

The beauty of knowing that the stone was created by Mother Nature over billions of years, that our planet created these gems that vary so much depending on elements is part of the foundation that created the industry, allure, I believe.


At the end of the day, to each their own. If it doesn’t bother someone and they want a lab diamond, go for it. It’s whatever makes the person wearing the ring happy.

 

[Runningmama]

No. Carbon is carbon. Also, while this is morbid it’s also reality. If your spouse dies, you will be out a lot more money with an earth-mined diamond. A 2.5 carat ex/ex/ex cost me $2700. An EMD with the same stats would be $20-40k.