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What is the most you would spend on a lab diamond?

waffle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 6, 2021
Messages
324
Maybe I would do 3,000. Get something bigger for the money
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,510
Initially US$1K
i want a lightbox princess cut in the silver setting to get the diamond for my modest 3 stone ring that is currently set with a blue topaz as the centre stone

but then id like some earings....
 

kindred

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
958
I think prices will come down a lot and I might get a 2 ct. round lab diamond when that happens or finally indulge my yearing for an oval.
 

Lisa Loves Shiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
4,686
My limit after much consideration is 2k. I almost pulled the trigger on a $3800 lab diamond, but I thought that I could get a very similar pre-loved mined diamond for about twice that amount. I keep thinking "that's halfway to what you really want, and maybe a pre-loved lab diamond ring will show up." Unfortunately I haven't come across many pre-loved lab diamonds that are the size I want unless they are close to retail in price. I have heard they are hard to sell, yet I don't find many actual lab diamonds on the resale market. I see plenty of moissy's and simulants though. I am going to wait and hope something comes up.
 

maryjane04

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
1,530
This is such a great question.. My love is for antique diamonds so not really considered lab diamonds before.. I would only consider lab diamonds for modern cuts.. I too would love a 4ct asscher but not sure I would be comfortable spending that money on a lab diamond yet.

Maybe 1-2k is a more reasonable amount for me, if I was ever to buy a lab diamond.
 

monipod

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 25, 2019
Messages
1,041
Interesting question. I think if money was no object then I wouldn't have an upper limit for lab stones, but then I'd also buy a Hermes Birkin LOL

Back in the real world... I think I could do 3/3.5K? But only for an OEC or EC as I *think* I've reached my level of satisfaction with diamonds, regardless of origin.

Side note - A Birkin will have a better resale value than a lab or earth mined stone in 10+ years :lol-2:
 

vintageinjune

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
1,089
It would not worry you that it will cost 1/4 in 5 years time?

No, because that's an extra 5 years of time I would be able to wear and enjoy it. If prices fall to be 1/4 of what they are now in that time frame, just means I'll be able to buy four times as many for the same budget. =)

No jewelry purchase I make is intended as an investment - this might be different if say I was purchasing ACA/CBI/BG quality super ideals, but I'm not.

Luxury purchases are only done with cash that I won't miss if I don't ever see it again. My earrings becoming worth 25% of their current "value" doesn't bother me, because it would not make me love them any less. If anything, that will be ridiculously exciting because that'll mean I can buy soooooo many more diamonds!
 

CaprineSun

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
579
Are lab diamond prices really going to plummet that much?
Is this based on what was seen with synthetic colored stones vs natural?

And, I know cost of production of LGD's have been going down, so the prices in the past few years have also gone down, with many more players also coming into the market. But, does that mean they will continue to go down and eventually bottom out? Or is it wishful thinking?

There must be a floor at some point. But, not sure if the floor is that low?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't diamond value based on perception (thanks to DeBeers & marketing way back when), so I would assume, mined or lab grown, many people will still place a value on having a 'real' diamond? (and of course, mined diamond values will remain relatively much higher)
 

oncrutchesrightnow

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
2,635
Lab diamonds are kind of like a flat screen TV. Prices will go down. Hard to say how much or when. if you want a good one now, you pay.

I hope the trade figures out a clear way to market quality. If people pay the same price for good lab diamonds and bad lab diamonds then soon there will be no good lab diamonds because why put forth the effort.
 

Philmc99

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2021
Messages
48
What is the most you would spend on a lab created diamond? I saw an insane asscher for 9 grand. Almost 4 carats. I don’t have that kind of money, but how high would you go?

For me it's more about how much the equivalent natural would cost. If the item I want in natural is 25% more than I probably would go natural if it was very similar specs but if natural is 50% or more than I would go LGD. Another big part of this is actually seeing the diamond. I viewed tons of natural and once my LGD shows up I knew it was the right choice for me. Especially since the equivalent item in natural was well more than double the price and the specs were still not as good and that's taking into consideration IGI's inflated color grading. The final thing to take into account, which many people here will tell you, is that the values between LGD and natural are kind of a wash. If you buy a natural for 10k, you might be able to get $5k at resale. Whereas, a $5k LGD might be worth 0. You lost $5k in either scenario.

Also, here is a thread with a similar question
 
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_dracarys_

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
204
The same amount I'd spend on a natural diamond: 5-10k. Unless I have some financial windfall in the future it's very hard for me to make a large luxury purchase that nobody else in my family benefits from.

Lab diamonds are kind of like a flat screen TV. Prices will go down. Hard to say how much or when. if you want a good one now, you pay.
I always think of this analogy when people go back and forth on the lab vs. natural topic. 10 years ago flat screens were thousands, but that didn't stop many people from getting them. 10 years later, I still have and enjoy the 52" we paid 2k for and now we have a 70" that cost $650. It bothers me none that we "overpaid" for that first TV.
 

_dracarys_

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
204
I know its been discussed here but why are LGD viewed differently than cultured pearls. Aren't cultured pearls viewed as valuable a not like flat screen TVs?

In my uneducated opinion, demand and priorities.

Are there really a lot of people clamoring for pearls the way people want diamonds? That's a genuine question; I'm not a pearl person, so I don't know. Costume pearls are totally fine with me for the handful of times I'll ever wear them. But diamonds are something a lot of people purchase, so having a more budget friendly option that is chemically identical to its natural counterpart is appealing to people who can't or don't want to spend a lot.
 

Wink

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
May 24, 2021
Messages
816
I know its been discussed here but why are LGD viewed differently than cultured pearls.

I love pearls and understand a little about them, although I do not consider myself to be an expert.

Cultured pearls are grown by live oysters. Salt water pearls are grown after a seed pearl is implanted in the body of the oyster. For the smaller pearls, the seeds are smaller and there may be many implanted in the body of the oyster. For the larger pearls, there will be fewer and fewer in the body of the oyster, and the mortality rate for the oysters growing the larger pearls will be higher.

The growth of the cultured pearl takes place over time. A cheap cultured pearl with thin nacre may only be allowed to grow for one year or a little more. A top quality pearl with thick nacre will have grown around three years in excellent conditions. If the water is too warm, the nacre will grow quickly and have a poor luster. If the water is polluted, there will be poor quality pearls also.

With global warming, and horrible pollution in the areas where many oysters are raised, the quality of the cultured pearls available on the market has plummeted over the years. Thus, while the quantity and quality of the natural pearls is ever more scarce, so too is the quantity and quality of the cultured pearls.

I believe that much of the reason for the difference in the way LGD are viewed and the way that cultured pearls are viewed is that nature is involved in growing the cultured pearl, once humans have given the heavy lifting over to the oysters.

Wink
 

Philmc99

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2021
Messages
48
I love pearls and understand a little about them, although I do not consider myself to be an expert.

Cultured pearls are grown by live oysters. Salt water pearls are grown after a seed pearl is implanted in the body of the oyster. For the smaller pearls, the seeds are smaller and there may be many implanted in the body of the oyster. For the larger pearls, there will be fewer and fewer in the body of the oyster, and the mortality rate for the oysters growing the larger pearls will be higher.

The growth of the cultured pearl takes place over time. A cheap cultured pearl with thin nacre may only be allowed to grow for one year or a little more. A top quality pearl with thick nacre will have grown around three years in excellent conditions. If the water is too warm, the nacre will grow quickly and have a poor luster. If the water is polluted, there will be poor quality pearls also.

With global warming, and horrible pollution in the areas where many oysters are raised, the quality of the cultured pearls available on the market has plummeted over the years. Thus, while the quantity and quality of the natural pearls is ever more scarce, so too is the quantity and quality of the cultured pearls.

I believe that much of the reason for the difference in the way LGD are viewed and the way that cultured pearls are viewed is that nature is involved in growing the cultured pearl, once humans have given the heavy lifting over to the oysters.

Wink

Thanks for the insight! Maybe the perception of LGD would be different if the labs were underground jut like natural diamonds :D
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
Interesting discussion!
To those who feel certain what prices will do....may I borrow the crystal ball you're using:)
I also have considerations about larger Lab Grown diamonds, yet I would never feel comfortable making specific predictions...out loud.
As a dealer, I'm forced to make predictions, which allow us to purchase goods.
It seems that in certain segments, we've hit a sustainable level of prices.
Maybe I'm spoiled by all the years of being used to Natural diamond pricing....but the prices for stones smaller than about 3-4cts, in general, seems sustainable.
 

Philmc99

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2021
Messages
48
Interesting discussion!
To those who feel certain what prices will do....may I borrow the crystal ball you're using:)
I also have considerations about larger Lab Grown diamonds, yet I would never feel comfortable making specific predictions...out loud.
As a dealer, I'm forced to make predictions, which allow us to purchase goods.
It seems that in certain segments, we've hit a sustainable level of prices.
Maybe I'm spoiled by all the years of being used to Natural diamond pricing....but the prices for stones smaller than about 3-4cts, in general, seems sustainable.

Does the fact that jewelers can't offer LGD without purchasing them first for their inventory like they do with natural have any bearing on the anti-LGD comments within the industry? I believe the term is "Memo" for when a jeweler can borrow a diamond without having to pay for it while they attempt to sell it. If this is true i have to imagine it would make thing more expensive for jewelers unless they can get LGD on memo as well.
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
Does the fact that jewelers can't offer LGD without purchasing them first for their inventory like they do with natural have any bearing on the anti-LGD comments within the industry? I believe the term is "Memo" for when a jeweler can borrow a diamond without having to pay for it while they attempt to sell it. If this is true i have to imagine it would make thing more expensive for jewelers unless they can get LGD on memo as well.

Hey Phil!
You're confusing a few aspects....
Memo is when a cutter or dealer "loans" a diamond to another cutter or dealer.
For example, if we want to see a given diamond, we call the cutter or dealer and they will bring us the diamond to hold onto for an agreed upon period of time.

But this is generally limited to dealers who actually own diamonds.
Far more common are websites that use a published database list of many thousands of diamonds. These lists are compiled by companies ( such as Rappaport) or distributed by cutters themselves.
The lists contain all the data about- and many times a video of the stone.
In these cases, the sellers do not invest in diamonds at all. They only act as a portal.
Both Lab Grown and Earth mined diamonds are being sold this way- by the largest websites you can find. In these cases, the value is irrelevant to the sellers- they have nothing invested.
Far less common are sellers that actually invest in the diamonds they are offering.
 

Philmc99

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2021
Messages
48
Hey Phil!
You're confusing a few aspects....
Memo is when a cutter or dealer "loans" a diamond to another cutter or dealer.
For example, if we want to see a given diamond, we call the cutter or dealer and they will bring us the diamond to hold onto for an agreed upon period of time.

But this is generally limited to dealers who actually own diamonds.
Far more common are websites that use a published database list of many thousands of diamonds. These lists are compiled by companies ( such as Rappaport) or distributed by cutters themselves.
The lists contain all the data about- and many times a video of the stone.
In these cases, the sellers do not invest in diamonds at all. They only act as a portal.
Both Lab Grown and Earth mined diamonds are being sold this way- by the largest websites you can find. In these cases, the value is irrelevant to the sellers- they have nothing invested.
Far less common are sellers that actually invest in the diamonds they are offering.

ok. thank you for clarifying.
 

CaprineSun

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
579
$1K/carat

That would be great! So many more people would have access to top quality diamonds (higher colors, better clarity).

For those saying the prices will bottom out, when do you think the bottom will be reached? In the next 2-5 years? 10 years?

For me, if it's 10 or more years, I would still buy LGD's at today's prices. I'm not holding out, since they are such a bargain even now. But 2-5 years? For that, I can sit on my hands for a bit, then go on a buying frenzy. :dance:
 
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