Those that have Earth mined and are also buying Lab-created Diamonds...talk to me

[mayaINaU]

I thought I would update..I’m really a mined diamond person..I do wish I was mind clean for all lab diamonds. I purchased a Lightbox 1 carat round pendant in the very beginning..It’s very white and cut well..I now have it in a solitaire bangle with zero mind clean issues..It’s so sparkly..I‘m very happy I purchased it..and wear it almost every day stacked..I recently purchased a pair of 1.5 ctw lab diamonds from Ritani which David Klass made into studs for me. I really love them. I wear them more than I thought I would because I already have a 3.04ctw mined pair. I also have my very first mined 1.90 studs. David Klass made new settings for them. I wear the lab pair over the 1.90 studs. I do have in my mind that they are lab diamonds when I wear them but I do enjoy wearing them very much. I haven’t waivered since my post above so this seems like my comfort zone. I truly wish I didn’t have mind clean issues because I would love a lab diamond tennis bracelet. I don’t want to pay the price of mined. If a lab one popped up for a great price I may be tempted.

Struggling with this, too. For some reason, I only want a mined bracelet now. Why????? Maybe because the lab tennis prices are already pretty high (to me).

 

[MamaBee]

Struggling with this, too. For some reason, I only want a mined bracelet now. Why????? Maybe because the lab tennis prices are already pretty high (to me).

I don’t even want a high carat bracelet. I just want a slim line of well cut white sparkly diamonds to wear every day..I already have a really nice quality, larger bezel set mined one..which is kind of flashy (IMHO) unless I stack it. I have a prong set diamond one that’s probably SI2s or I1s that does sparkle but I want a higher grade one to replace it. I found that one in a hospital thrift store! It’s seven inches and was $600! It was definitely a buy..I’ll sell it as I find the one I’m hoping to find..If you see anything that looks nice let me know!

 

[mayaINaU]

I don’t even want a high carat bracelet. I just want a slim line of well cut white sparkly diamonds to wear every day..I already have a really nice quality, larger bezel set mined one..which is kind of flashy (IMHO) unless I stack it. I have a prong set diamond one that’s probably SI2s or I1s that does sparkle but I want a higher grade one to replace it. I found that one in a hospital thrift store! It’s seven inches and was $600! It was definitely a buy..I’ll sell it as I find the one I’m hoping to find..If you see anything that looks nice let me know!

Will do! The lowest prices I’ve seen for lab are Ivy & Rose and Grown Brilliance.
https://ivyandrose.com/products/3-2...bracelet-14k-white-gold-classic-round-cut-3ct (Excellent cut, 3.23 carats, $1,995)

https://www.grownbrilliance.com/3-c...4xas4ESqY69b3THCrDMdyBrKe39jaZkRoC754QAvD_BwE (excellent to VG, 3 carat, $2,195) but I only want excellent/ideal!
The Costco (sale) prices for mined are close enough that I’d rather try those first. @chere said hers was appraised as excellent cut.

 

[RMOO]

Currently struggling with mind clean issues on both sides of the equation of an E-ring upgrade. It is paralyzing.

 

[MamaBee]

Will do! The lowest prices I’ve seen for lab are Ivy & Rose and Grown Brilliance.
https://ivyandrose.com/products/3-2...bracelet-14k-white-gold-classic-round-cut-3ct (Excellent cut, 3.23 carats, $1,995)

https://www.grownbrilliance.com/3-c...4xas4ESqY69b3THCrDMdyBrKe39jaZkRoC754QAvD_BwE (excellent to VG, 3 carat, $2,195) but I only want excellent/ideal!
The Costco (sale) prices for mined are close enough that I’d rather try those first. @chere said hers was appraised as excellent cut.

I was in Costco yesterday and saw the 3 and 4 carat bracelets. The 4 carat was VS2 I color..The 3 carat was VS2 G color. I think the 3 carat was around $3,500? I wore my lesser clarity bracelet I got from the hospital thrift shop. There was a big difference in sparkle. I didn’t ask to try it on because I didn’t make up my mind yet what I’m going to do.
Thanks for sending the links! The lab diamond bracelet from Ivy & Rose makes me want mined because it’s too close in price for lab…Once something becomes $2,000..we’re talking pricey. The Costco 3 carat G color is something I may try out. I wish it was on sale..lol

 

[mayaINaU]

I was in Costco yesterday and saw the 3 and 4 carat bracelets. The 4 carat was VS2 I color..The 3 carat was VS2 G color. I think the 3 carat was around $3,500? I wore my lesser clarity bracelet I got from the hospital thrift shop. There was a big difference in sparkle. I didn’t ask to try it on because I didn’t make up my mind yet what I’m going to do.
Thanks for sending the links! The lab diamond bracelet from Ivy & Rose makes me want mined because it’s too close in price for lab…Once something becomes $2,000..we’re talking pricey. The Costco 3 carat G color is something I may try out. I wish it was on sale..lol

I agree, once the price gets close enough, I prefer mined. My mom was at Costco today and she sent these pix. I think the 3 ct is a cluster bracelet based on what they have on the website. They usually have between 500 and 1000 off during sales so I would definitely wait for that.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I don’t even want a high carat bracelet. I just want a slim line of well cut white sparkly diamonds to wear every day..I already have a really nice quality, larger bezel set mined one..which is kind of flashy (IMHO) unless I stack it. I have a prong set diamond one that’s probably SI2s or I1s that does sparkle but I want a higher grade one to replace it. I found that one in a hospital thrift store! It’s seven inches and was $600! It was definitely a buy..I’ll sell it as I find the one I’m hoping to find..If you see anything that looks nice let me know!

Have you considered Whiteflash? I would trust their diamonds to be as sparkly as they come. I am assuming you can still upgrade to ACA diamonds. I toy with this all the time; I don’t want a high carat bracelet either!

 

[MamaBee]

I agree, once the price gets close enough, I prefer mined. My mom was at Costco today and she sent these pix. I think the 3 ct is a cluster bracelet based on what they have on the website. They usually have between 500 and 1000 off during sales so I would definitely wait for that.

The 3 carat I saw were individual stones. I hope they have a good sale near Mother’s Day. I want the G color. I would sacrifice the size for the color. Obviously I want them to be well cut..

 

[MamaBee]

Have you considered Whiteflash? I would trust their diamonds to be as sparkly as they come. I am assuming you can still upgrade to ACA diamonds. I toy with this all the time; I don’t want a high carat bracelet either!

I would be afraid to see how much a Whiteflash tennis bracelet would cost! My Anniversary is coming up practically on Mother’s Day..I’m thinkin’..haha

 

[MissGotRocks]

I would be afraid to see how much a Whiteflash tennis bracelet would cost! My Anniversary is coming up practically on Mother’s Day..I’m thinkin’..haha

I can tell you that five carat is 7760 wire price. Could be more if you opt for ACA. I recently tried on a 6.7 in a jewelry store trying to get a gauge for size - it was 18,300.00!! Unbelievable!

 

[chere]

@mayaINaU @MamaBee My 4ctw tennis bracelet from Costco that was appraised as EFG color, VVS-VS clarity, excellent cut. I got it on sale at the end of May for $2,500.

The pricing isn’t there for me (yet) with melee lab stones. But I’m very happy with my 2ctw Lightbox lab studs and I recently got a smaller 0.33ctw pair. I could afford the mined equivalent but I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them every day. I lose earrings and I constantly feel the back of my ears when I wear my sentimental or mined earrings. I don’t think about my lab studs after I put them on.

I treat my lab studs a lot like my everyday purse. I wear them to work, the gym, the beach or skiing. If I drop them, I give them a quick wipe and glance over. I don’t panic and inspect every facet with the loupe. My mined earrings are like my discontinued, vintage bags. They only come out for light use and on special occasions. I clean them right away and they go back into the safe. I would be devastated if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

I enjoy both for different reasons.

 

[mayaINaU]

@mayaINaU @MamaBee My 4ctw tennis bracelet from Costco that was appraised as EFG color, VVS-VS clarity, excellent cut. I got it on sale at the end of May for $2,500.

The pricing isn’t there for me (yet) with melee lab stones. But I’m very happy with my 2ctw Lightbox lab studs and I recently got a smaller 0.33ctw pair. I could afford the mined equivalent but I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them every day. I lose earrings and I constantly feel the back of my ears when I wear my sentimental or mined earrings. I don’t think about my lab studs after I put them on.

I treat my lab studs a lot like my everyday purse. I wear them to work, the gym, the beach or skiing. If I drop them, I give them a quick wipe and glance over. I don’t panic and inspect every facet with the loupe. My mined earrings are like my discontinued, vintage bags. They only come out for light use and on special occasions. I clean them right away and they go back into the safe. I would be devastated if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

I enjoy both for different reasons.

I agree with your reasoning, and WHOA, that is a good price on the Costco bracelet!

 

[LLJsmom]

@mayaINaU @MamaBee My 4ctw tennis bracelet from Costco that was appraised as EFG color, VVS-VS clarity, excellent cut. I got it on sale at the end of May for $2,500.

The pricing isn’t there for me (yet) with melee lab stones. But I’m very happy with my 2ctw Lightbox lab studs and I recently got a smaller 0.33ctw pair. I could afford the mined equivalent but I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them every day. I lose earrings and I constantly feel the back of my ears when I wear my sentimental or mined earrings. I don’t think about my lab studs after I put them on.

I treat my lab studs a lot like my everyday purse. I wear them to work, the gym, the beach or skiing. If I drop them, I give them a quick wipe and glance over. I don’t panic and inspect every facet with the loupe. My mined earrings are like my discontinued, vintage bags. They only come out for light use and on special occasions. I clean them right away and they go back into the safe. I would be devastated if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

I enjoy both for different reasons.

THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME PARALLEL I DREW WITH MY LAB STUDS.

I’ve had my 4ctw studs for about 4 months now, from Ritani and set by WF in their 6 prong crown settings. They are beautiful and sparkly. I wear them way more than I thought I would. If I lost them I would be SUPER bummed. They are very easy to wear, make a statement, cause me very little anxiety when wearing, go with everything. They are exactly as @chere described. They’re the equivalent of my beater LV. Before LV became such a thing on social media I used to beat mine to hell, put it on the floor, shove my clothes in them, wear them in the rain. I used them. But if I lost my lab studs, I would not repurchase. I’d buy a pair of VCA studs on my wish list and go, ok, done with that experiment. I just don’t value them that much. And I don’t see myself buying another lab diamond ever again. I’m already bored with them. And I know it’s in my head but they bore me. Yes, super practical and useful but there are other earrings that serve that purpose. And I don’t really want any EGD diamonds that isn’t VCA. Unless maybe a CER. That I would be open to.

 

[MamaBee]

@mayaINaU @MamaBee My 4ctw tennis bracelet from Costco that was appraised as EFG color, VVS-VS clarity, excellent cut. I got it on sale at the end of May for $2,500.

The pricing isn’t there for me (yet) with melee lab stones. But I’m very happy with my 2ctw Lightbox lab studs and I recently got a smaller 0.33ctw pair. I could afford the mined equivalent but I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them every day. I lose earrings and I constantly feel the back of my ears when I wear my sentimental or mined earrings. I don’t think about my lab studs after I put them on.

I treat my lab studs a lot like my everyday purse. I wear them to work, the gym, the beach or skiing. If I drop them, I give them a quick wipe and glance over. I don’t panic and inspect every facet with the loupe. My mined earrings are like my discontinued, vintage bags. They only come out for light use and on special occasions. I clean them right away and they go back into the safe. I would be devastated if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

I enjoy both for different reasons.

That’s it! I’m waiting until the end of May to see if they go on sale at Costco..

 

[SandraLynn]

I love commenting on post like this. I don’t knock anyone who prefers or might be settling for lab diamonds. You can get more carat weight for the price. It’s about what’s more important to that individual. I for one, just can’t do it for my wedding set or right hand rings. I’d consider them for earrings or a bracelet but not for rings or a pendant. maybe it is an old school way of thinking but for me, lab diamonds take out that special and unique aspect. Especially for the fancy colors I have converted to loving. The colors don’t come out the same to me and when new stones are posted I can almost always tell without reading that it’s a Fancy lab.

 

[chere]

@MamaBee @mayaINaU I hope it will be worth the wait and you get a comparable sale. I searched my emails for old Costco coupon books. The 4ctw bracelet was $2,750 earlier in February and the 3ctw G color bracelet was $2,300 over the holidays after the sale and spend and get offers. The sales have been very good.

 

[MamaBee]

@MamaBee @mayaINaU I hope it will be worth the wait and you get a comparable sale. I searched my emails for old Costco coupon books. The 4ctw bracelet was $2,750 earlier in February and the 3ctw G color bracelet was $2,300 over the holidays after the sale and spend and get offers. The sales have been very good.

Thank you for checking @chere..I will wait for a sale. I’m not in a rush..I would rather get the discount..
What I will do is try on the bracelet at Costco to see how it looks next to my other bracelet.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thank you for checking @chere..I will wait for a sale. I’m not in a rush..I would rather get the discount..
What I will do is try on the bracelet at Costco to see how it looks next to my other bracelet.

So Whiteflash has a three carat for 4123 and four carat for 5820. They are F/G color and VS clarity. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples cause I know you want that big sparkle factor!

 

[MamaBee]

So Whiteflash has a three carat for 4123 and four carat for 5820. They are F/G color and VS clarity. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples cause I know you want that big sparkle factor!

Thank you @MissGotRocks..I already have a 4.20 ctw VS F/G bezel bracelet which David is going to milgrain for me. It’s so sparkly that it draws a lot of attention. This one would be an every day bracelet. I want to go with a slimmer one..so three carats..prong set would be perfect. I was even thinking two carats but that may be too slim..I’ll head over to Whiteflash to see what a 3 carat would cost.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thank you @MissGotRocks..I already have a 4.20 ctw VS F/G bezel bracelet which David is going to milgrain for me. It’s so sparkly that it draws a lot of attention. This one would be an every day bracelet. I want to go with a slimmer one..so three carats..prong set would be perfect. I was even thinking two carats but that may be too slim..I’ll head over to Whiteflash to see what a 3 carat would cost.

I just know that you are color sensitive so thought I would throw those out there! It is so hard to decide on size when you can't try them on!

 

[Calliecake]

@MamaBee, If I’m remembering correctly @AprilBaby has a bracelet that I believe she purchased from Whiteflash that is exactly what you are describing you want. Her bracelet was the prettiest tennis bracelet I‘ve seen and definitely had the bright white and sparkle factor you are looking for. You could see that band of sparkle from across the room.

You also have had wonderful luck with Costco. I hope you are able to find exactly what you want for a price that makes you happy.

 

[mayaINaU]

Thank you @MissGotRocks..I already have a 4.20 ctw VS F/G bezel bracelet which David is going to milgrain for me. It’s so sparkly that it draws a lot of attention. This one would be an every day bracelet. I want to go with a slimmer one..so three carats..prong set would be perfect. I was even thinking two carats but that may be too slim..I’ll head over to Whiteflash to see what a 3 carat would cost.

Just note that Whiteflash isn’t doing ACAs in their bracelets anymore unless you request it, and then it’s an upgrade charge. If you read the listing, they no longer say they are made with ACAs.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Just note that Whiteflash isn’t doing ACAs in their bracelets anymore unless you request it, and then it’s an upgrade charge. If you read the listing, they no longer say they are made with ACAs.

Yes, I said upthread that the prices would be more if you opt for ACA diamonds. All depends on what you want out of a bracelet but I have to imagine the ones with ACA’s would really get your attention. I just wish they had more visuals about the different carat weight sizes!

 

[MamaBee]

I just know that you are color sensitive so thought I would throw those out there! It is so hard to decide on size when you can't try them on!

I really want a really slim one. I’m going to try on the 3 carat at Costco so I can see if it’s the right size. If I like it I’ll wait for a sale or keep looking.

 

[MamaBee]

I just know that you are color sensitive so thought I would throw those out there! It is so hard to decide on size when you can't try them on!

I would be happy with a G..Costco has VS2s. That combo as long as they are cut well would be fine for what I want. I purchased I color princess cut studs a while back. David Klass said they were both a definitely solid H color.

 

[mayaINaU]

Why are these Grown Brilliance ones so cheap for excellent cut lab? Maybe the settings are flimsy? $899 for 3 ct.

3 ctw Round Lab Grown Diamond Petite Tennis Bracelet - 7 Inches - Grownbrilliance

Shine bright from all angles with this dazzling, petite tennis bracelet. Adorned with a continuous row of timeless white, lab-grown diamonds, this chi

www.grownbrilliance.com

 

[chere]

Why are these Grown Brilliance ones so cheap for excellent cut lab? Maybe the settings are flimsy? $899 for 3 ct.

3 ctw Round Lab Grown Diamond Petite Tennis Bracelet - 7 Inches - Grownbrilliance

Shine bright from all angles with this dazzling, petite tennis bracelet. Adorned with a continuous row of timeless white, lab-grown diamonds, this chi

www.grownbrilliance.com

That is a good price. It might be a pricing error since the 2ctw YG version that much. I would order it. Free shipping and returns. Good luck!

 

[MamaBee]

Why are these Grown Brilliance ones so cheap for excellent cut lab? Maybe the settings are flimsy? $899 for 3 ct.

3 ctw Round Lab Grown Diamond Petite Tennis Bracelet - 7 Inches - Grownbrilliance

Shine bright from all angles with this dazzling, petite tennis bracelet. Adorned with a continuous row of timeless white, lab-grown diamonds, this chi

www.grownbrilliance.com

They are SI2+ clarity which probably means I1s or more.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I used to be “natural is the only way to achieve mind clean!” but moissanite really changed my mind about that, and now with lab diamond prices being as AMAZING as they are, I feel like I absolutely get the best of both worlds.

 

[mayaINaU]

They are SI2+ clarity which probably means I1s or more.

Ahh, I was optimistically reading that as SI2 “or better”!!