Sheer curiosity: What's the biggest decent lab diamond for around $1K or less?

[glitterata]

I'm not in the market, but I'm curious about how big a diamond it's possible to get these days on a $1K budget--or, conversely, how much you'd have to spend for a clean, white, decently cut diamond big enough that it would have been considered jaw-droopingly huge a decade ago.

I chose a somewhat arbitrary price cutoff of $1k and looked at F-D, VVS2 and above. I found (rounding the carat sizes):
1. 4 carat E VVS2, HTTP, for a little bit more than $900

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Here are its proportion--a touch steep/deep, putting it out of the PS preferences:


2. 4.3 carat F VVS2, CVD, for a tiny bit less than $900. I saw a bit of graining, but not bad:

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Here are its proportions, very similar to the previous one:



Bumping the budget up to just over $1K, I found:
3. 5.2 carat E VVS2, CVD.
Here are its proportions, also not in the PS preferences--this time too shallow:

This one has too much graining--I wouldn't buy it myself.

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Still, it's over 5 carats, technically ideal cut, for $1K.

I know none of these are in the PS recommended proportions, and the 5+ carater has graining issues. But how would they look to most people? Ugly, good, great?

And has anyone found better choices in the $1K range?

 

[Karl_K]

For a ring or a pendant?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Emerald or Asscher should get bogged for your $1k?
B2C are usually very low prices but they have not updated their prices here for a long time.
They may not be a sponsor in the future as they are not getting enough business from PS.

 

[glitterata]

For a ring or a pendant?

Either? (Is one of these good for a ring and one for a pendant?)

 

[Karl_K]

Either? (Is one of these good for a ring and one for a pendant?)

Without the right lowers 40.4pa is better in a pendant.
With the right lowers it can be ok in a ring with the right crown.

 

[Karl_K]

A @joe2 special is what your looking for *grin*

 

[glitterata]

Without the right lowers 40.4pa is better in a pendant.
With the right lowers it can be ok in a ring with the right crown.

I'm not actually planning to spend $900+ on a 4 or 5+ carat ring OR pendant. But I'm absolutely fascinated by how far the prices have fallen.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I'm not actually planning to spend $900+ on a 4 or 5+ carat ring OR pendant. But I'm absolutely fascinated by how far the prices have fallen.

The retail margin on those stones is still higher than for natural diamonds. So while the wholesale cost is continuing a 3-5% fall per month, the retail prices still have a long way to fall once real competition and oversupply strike.

 

[Karl_K]

The retail margin on those stones is still higher than for natural diamonds.

Yes, margins on a $1000 item have to be a higher percentage than a $10000.00 item just to cover fixed costs much less any profit.
They can not be sold at natural diamond margins for comparable specs, no one could stay in business.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Yes, margins on a $1000 item have to be a higher percentage than a $10000.00 item just to cover fixed costs much less any profit.
They can not be sold at natural diamond margins for comparable specs, no one could stay in business.

Yet we get the same affiliate commission for PS so we get a falling fraction

 

[Jax172]

As someone that works in the wedding industry - most diamonds are lab diamonds these days. And they are bigger than when I got engaged over 20 years ago BUT they are not this big. Most rings I see are between 1.5 and 3 carats (tops) in size. VERY white and not round. Lots of ovals and cushions. Usually the ring is also more than a basic solitaire. Unique designs or at the very least with stones on the band. Lots of colored stones instead of diamonds too. But also synthetic - not natural.

So while the rings are definitely bigger and generally just “more” than what was popular when I got engaged (1 carat was like the magic number for a “big” ring) they are not as outrageous as you might expect given lab prices.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

As someone that works in the wedding industry - most diamonds are lab diamonds these days. And they are bigger than when I got engaged over 20 years ago BUT they are not this big. Most rings I see are between 1.5 and 3 carats (tops) in size. VERY white and not round. Lots of ovals and cushions. Usually the ring is also more than a basic solitaire. Unique designs or at the very least with stones on the band. Lots of colored stones instead of diamonds too. But also synthetic - not natural.

So while the rings are definitely bigger and generally just “more” than what was popular when I got engaged (1 carat was like the magic number for a “big” ring) they are not as outrageous as you might expect given lab prices.

With your experiance Jax, would you be interested in helping promote our wedding related forum?
We are re-looking at them and how best to organize it all.

 

[joe2]

Two-minute check. May be ok. VS1. I'm sure there is a better option out there.
https://www.adiamor.com/Lab-Diamond...Nmks26-T8AwSUY5bfVQbpvzWqC1XmeQO-JMv9xJTjhHs2

$1060.00 @ calavera

Lab Diamonds

Discover exquisite natural and lab-grown diamonds at Calavera Diamonds. Shop directly from manufacturers and cutters for wholesale prices with minimal markup. Browse our collection, including rare fancy colored diamonds.

calaveranewyork.com

 

[0515vision]

Alex Park routinely has stones in this range
Oval 2.54 E VS2 $930

From what I’ve seen in LA, a 2.5 oval is standard, and that price isn’t asking anyone to shell out 1-3 months of their salary as proof of their love.

Granted there are plenty of ppl shy about being too cheap on a e-ring, and most ppl aren’t savvy enough to shop through Alex or Loosegrowndiamond. But again, I’m all for the democratization of diamonds.

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[Karl_K]

Two-minute check. May be ok. VS1. I'm sure there is a better option out there.
https://www.adiamor.com/Lab-Diamond...Nmks26-T8AwSUY5bfVQbpvzWqC1XmeQO-JMv9xJTjhHs2

$1060.00 @ calavera

Lab Diamonds

Discover exquisite natural and lab-grown diamonds at Calavera Diamonds. Shop directly from manufacturers and cutters for wholesale prices with minimal markup. Browse our collection, including rare fancy colored diamonds.

calaveranewyork.com

You did it again.
That is a sweet diamond for someone looking for a 5ct.
The crystal is not perfect but should be eye fine.
I dont know how you keep finding these.
You rock!

 

[joe2]

Me and baby chicks.......cheap cheap.