Newbie here... and feeling overwhelmed!

[hab818]

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie here but have spent countless hours admiring everyone's treasures. Greatly appreciate the education you've provided me from all your thoughtful answers!

I've now started the journey on finding myself a 2.5-3 carat lab grown diamond. Absolutely overwhelmed with all the choices and really don't know how to go about picking one. We have a budget in mind- but really prefer quality over size.

I think we've settled on using one of 3 places: ADA Diamond, Clean Origin and Ascot Diamonds (they have both earth mined and lab grown and has a brick&mortar store near our home). Does anyone have good/bad comments about any of these places?

Preliminarily I have chosen 2 from CO that looks "good" to me. I'll be visiting Ascot Diamonds in person later this week and will see what kind of inventory they have (seems very low online). CO doesn't provide any ASET images and what you see is what you get on the website... but I would really appreciate if the experts on this forum can chime in and let me know your thoughts.

Affordable Lab Grown Diamonds & Engagement Rings - Clean Origin

Discover ethically sourced stunning engagement rings. Only the cleanest of lab grown diamonds, never mined. Experience the brilliance of affordable luxury....

www.cleanorigin.com

HCA score 1.5

Affordable Lab Grown Diamonds & Engagement Rings - Clean Origin

Discover ethically sourced stunning engagement rings. Only the cleanest of lab grown diamonds, never mined. Experience the brilliance of affordable luxury....

www.cleanorigin.com

HCA score 1

Both of these stones are part of their "rare finds" collection. Not sure what that really means.

Thanks so much in advance for your help and encouragement. Poor old me is getting really overwhelmed as I delve deeper down this rabbit hole!

 

[lanz88]

They’re quite expensive! Here is a 3.01 E VS2 that looks quite nice and it’s $13000 cheaper.

Lab Diamond Engagement Rings & Jewelry | 12FIFTEEN

Discover our extensive collection of ethical lab diamond jewelry and engagement rings in a variety of styles! Multiple payment options. Free U.S. shipping!

www.1215diamonds.com

The table is a little bit bigger than PS recommends but still acceptable. Have a look on 1215diamonds.com and rarecarat.com as prices can vary greatly so it pays to shop around

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I can’t weigh in on these choices because I’m no expert having just bought my first lab diamond. However you might want to look at Distinctive Gem’s inventory. I found mine just doing a general search through their available diamonds and Jonathan did a complete analysis of the diamond when he got it. Extra peace of mind having another pair of eyes on it.

Anyways, just a thought since I’m also easily overwhelmed and I couldn’t speak highly enough of my experience with DG.

 

[Kim N]

Those both look promising. If you're open to other vendors, I like the True Hearts line from James Allen because you can verify light return.

This one would be my pick.

Lab-Created 3.11 Carat round diamond

This True Hearts TM diamond, 3.11 carat Lab-Created D color vs1 clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Alybetter]

I’ve bought from Clean Origin 4 times. Their customer service is abysmal. I won’t ever make another purchase. However, if you never need to contact them for anything, I imagine you could be very happy with your purchase.
FYI - your second purchase is considered a final sale. So if you aren’t happy with the first stone, you are stuck with the second no matter what. They don’t memo stones, they don’t offer ASET or other optical performance tests, and again, talking to them in person is an atrocious experience.

Find out the full list of services a vendor offers before giving them your money, know the return and upgrade policies fully, and get them in writing.

I also recommend Distinctive Gem. For genuine customer service as well as all in-house stones being hand-vetted and his branded stones being cut for superior optics.

 

[anangel]

This would be my pick:

2.91ct F VS2 Distinctive Hearts & Arrows Cut Private Reserve Lab Grown Diamond

Diamond Details Measurements 9.17 - 9.21 x 5.62 mm Cut Id Polish Ex Symmetry Ex Fluorescence None Culet None Report Table 57% Depth 61.1%

www.distinctivegem.com

It will be white, eye clean, it’s been vetted by @Rhino so you know it’s a winner and it’s $10k less than your CO options.
I think being a hair under 3 is helping the price a lot

 

[hab818]

I’ve bought from Clean Origin 4 times. Their customer service is abysmal. I won’t ever make another purchase. However, if you never need to contact them for anything, I imagine you could be very happy with your purchase.
FYI - your second purchase is considered a final sale. So if you aren’t happy with the first stone, you are stuck with the second no matter what. They don’t memo stones, they don’t offer ASET or other optical performance tests, and again, talking to them in person is an atrocious experience.

Find out the full list of services a vendor offers before giving them your money, know the return and upgrade policies fully, and get them in writing.

I also recommend Distinctive Gem. For genuine customer service as well as all in-house stones being hand-vetted and his branded stones being cut for superior optics.

This is really good info. I haven't even thought about second purchases/returns. Read a few reddit posts where people were fine with their product but they might not appreciate the finer details and nuances of diamonds as y'all do. I'll keep this in mind.

Those both look promising. If you're open to other vendors, I like the True Hearts line from James Allen because you can verify light return.

This one would be my pick.

Lab-Created 3.11 Carat round diamond

This True Hearts TM diamond, 3.11 carat Lab-Created D color vs1 clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

I'm absolutely open to other vendors. I found JA and Distinctive Gems super overwhelming because, honestly, with my amateur eyes, everything looked gorgeous! But I really appreciate these recs!

This would be my pick:

2.91ct F VS2 Distinctive Hearts & Arrows Cut Private Reserve Lab Grown Diamond

Diamond Details Measurements 9.17 - 9.21 x 5.62 mm Cut Id Polish Ex Symmetry Ex Fluorescence None Culet None Report Table 57% Depth 61.1%

www.distinctivegem.com

It will be white, eye clean, it’s been vetted by @Rhino so you know it’s a winner and it’s $10k less than your CO options.
I think being a hair under 3 is helping the price a lot

What an amazing find!!! Just shy of 3. I'm a sucker for a good bargain and definitely not attached to being at or above 3. I will be strongly considering this one (and the JA rec from @Kim N

 

[Alybetter]

This is really good info. I haven't even thought about second purchases/returns. Read a few reddit posts where people were fine with their product but they might not appreciate the finer details and nuances of diamonds as y'all do. I'll keep this in mind.



I'm absolutely open to other vendors. I found JA and Distinctive Gems super overwhelming because, honestly, with my amateur eyes, everything looked gorgeous! But I really appreciate these recs!



What an amazing find!!! Just shy of 3. I'm a sucker for a good bargain and definitely not attached to being at or above 3. I will be strongly considering this one (and the JA rec from @Kim N

I recently bought a 1.5 ct cushion from them. Returned it unopened and went elsewhere with my business. I was informed by them that my next purchase, even if it’s months or years down the road, will be a final sale. That is a huge problem for me, that policy. I’d hate for that to happen to anyone else. My fault for skimming, seeing the 100 day return policy, and not looking deeper. That said, the 3 rbs I bought from them were just fine. But they were rbs and it’s easy to play by the numbers with those. For any other cut, I would be very wary… Best of luck to you on your search!!

 

[hab818]

How do people usually do this with online purchases? Buy 1, and if you don't like, return? I feel like the recs from you all look amazing and I really can't decide. Did you feel comfortable purchasing and returning by mail?

 

[Kim N]

This would be my pick:

2.91ct F VS2 Distinctive Hearts & Arrows Cut Private Reserve Lab Grown Diamond

Diamond Details Measurements 9.17 - 9.21 x 5.62 mm Cut Id Polish Ex Symmetry Ex Fluorescence None Culet None Report Table 57% Depth 61.1%

www.distinctivegem.com

It will be white, eye clean, it’s been vetted by @Rhino so you know it’s a winner and it’s $10k less than your CO options.
I think being a hair under 3 is helping the price a lot

This is a great find! I'd pick this one over the JA one I found because it's such a bargain in comparison. JA didn't have any that were 2.90-3.00.

How do people usually do this with online purchases? Buy 1, and if you don't like, return? I feel like the recs from you all look amazing and I really can't decide. Did you feel comfortable purchasing and returning by mail?

Buy your first choice and return if you don't like it! If you're really interested in the 2.91, I'd put a hold on it before someone else grabs it. I have returned diamonds by mail many times. As long as you use a vendor's insured label and package it according to their instructions, you should be fine.

 

[DejaWiz]

For the prices that CO is charging, here is a giant 3.57 E VVS2 (HPHT growth method, which I consider superior to CVD) with a GCAL 8X cert:

3.57 Carat E VVS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 312790097 Affinity Cut - D48480663

3.57 carat, Round, E Color, VVS2 clarity, GCAL Certified Diamond, Affinity Cut Lab Grown Diamond, D48480663

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

 

[lanz88]

This would be my pick:

2.91ct F VS2 Distinctive Hearts & Arrows Cut Private Reserve Lab Grown Diamond

Diamond Details Measurements 9.17 - 9.21 x 5.62 mm Cut Id Polish Ex Symmetry Ex Fluorescence None Culet None Report Table 57% Depth 61.1%

www.distinctivegem.com

It will be white, eye clean, it’s been vetted by @Rhino so you know it’s a winner and it’s $10k less than your CO options.
I think being a hair under 3 is helping the price a lot

The IGI certificate doesn’t match the diamond. Think there’s been an error made somewhere..

 

[anangel]

The IGI certificate doesn’t match the diamond. Think there’s been an error made somewhere..

That’s frustrating. I’d recommend using the chat to see if they can get you the right info for that diamond. All the pictures look really promising and the price is quite good as well. Maybe even ask if they’ll extend the Cyber Monday price to you since the cert wasn’t available

 

[hab818]

The IGI certificate doesn’t match the diamond. Think there’s been an error made somewhere..

Wow what a good catch! I'm going to message DG and see if we can get the new one uploaded.

 

[hab818]

For the prices that CO is charging, here is a giant 3.57 E VVS2 (HPHT growth method, which I consider superior to CVD) with a GCAL 8X cert:

3.57 Carat E VVS2 Round Brilliant Lab Grown Diamond GCAL Certified 312790097 Affinity Cut - D48480663

3.57 carat, Round, E Color, VVS2 clarity, GCAL Certified Diamond, Affinity Cut Lab Grown Diamond, D48480663

www.adiamor.com

Gem Certification & Assurance Lab

www.gcalusa.com

I've seen Adiamor's name around. Are they generally easy to work with? Their prices seem more reasonable than CO.

I've also been delving into HPHT vs. CVD. From what I can tell, both have their problems but CVD has the dreaded stria...? Is that your primary reason for not loving CVD?

 

[DejaWiz]

I've seen Adiamor's name around. Are they generally easy to work with? Their prices seem more reasonable than CO.

I've also been delving into HPHT vs. CVD. From what I can tell, both have their problems but CVD has the dreaded stria...? Is that your primary reason for not loving CVD?

Adiamor is a PS vetted vendor, so I would certainly feel comfortable recommending them.

Stria and PGT are my primary concerns with CVD.
I look at LGDs with PGT the same as I do natural diamonds that have undergone some kind of enhancement treatment: the consensus is to stay away from them.
Is it a fair concern and comparison?
Probably not, but I like to err on the side of caution and I'd rather my money go to the LGD growers that put time, effort, and care in their products instead of rewarding the rapid grow cheaters out there.

 

[anangel]

They updated cert- stats look great and it’s GCAL so there are a lot of performance measurements you typically don’t get with IGI.

Wow what a good catch! I'm going to message DG and see if we can get the new one uploaded.

 

[DejaWiz]

They updated cert- stats look great and it’s GCAL so there are a lot of performance measurements you typically don’t get with IGI.

And GCAL 8X, to boot!