You see a big stone on person A vs B: do you make assumptions on Lab vs mined?

[0515vision]

Thank god the days of "Love = 3 months of your salary" are over. Sheer greed. Pure manipulation.

 

[AdaBeta27]

Meh. What does it matter? No matter who you are or what awesome status symbol(s) you possess, there's ALWAYS someone else out there who either owns, or will soon buy, something that tops it. I might make an assumption about someone else's stone, but never a judgement, except to critique the cut. I like mined and labs equally. My interest is trying to guess which is which is purely academic, now that cutters are finally creating some superbly-cut lab diamonds that rival the super-ideal mined diamonds that have been the staple of Pricescope for a couple of decades. I like to see lab stones finally able hold their own against the best of the mined. Does anyone else here remember the early days here, when a 2.5ct RB was still rare and "big?" Or it was the massive upgrade for the 20 or 25 year anniversary. People were going down to (gasp!) J or even K color to afford such large diamonds. I own mined diamonds and no lab diamond yet. But I can't imagine I'd really give a hoot that some nibby-nose bystanders are ruminating on whether my diamond is mined or lab. I hope lab diamonds stick around for decades and continue to improve and impress.

 

[dumbo]

Thank god the days of "Love = 3 months of your salary" are over. Sheer greed. Pure manipulation.

I thought it was 6 months when I was growing up?

Man, that's a lot of $$$ and not a great investment unless you have an incredible career trajectory ahead of you.

 

[DejaWiz]

I thought it was 6 months when I was growing up?

Man, that's a lot of $$$ and not a great investment unless you have an incredible career trajectory ahead of you.

I remember it being redefined as "two months salary" when I was young - this would have been during the era of hair spray, Swatch watches, and glam metal bands.

 

[jaqjaqjaq]

I remember it being redefined as "two months salary" when I was young - this would have been during the era of hair spray, Swatch watches, and glam metal bands.

This is what I remember it being as well - all of it lol!

 

[Tonks]

Interesting thought experiment.

Last week, in a middle-class area, I saw a mid 20's woman wearing a huge diamond: probably 6 carats and more or less colorless. It was a massive oval and looked great. But totally out of character for this shopping mall, what she was wearing, what she was driving...hair, makeup. All of it.

Last Saturday, wifey and I stopped by Neiman Marcus as she needed some makeup (they have great service BTW; we even got introduced to the store manager!). A couple enters the store; early 70's gentleman and his mid 30's wife; they stood next to us as while they said hi to our salespeson. OK, enough about the jokes there; we've all seen it. Yet she was a very attractive woman wearing great jewelry: what looked to be a thick diamond and gold Cartier cuff, Rolex Lady President, and 10 carat tennis bracelet. She was wearing a Balmain dress, Louboutins, and carrying a Birkin (my wife is a fan of these brands-the Birkin is on her holy grail list). She had a RBC diamond on, also 6 carats, looked to be G/H color.

It got me thinking: the first woman I'll assume had a lab grown diamond on. The second woman may or may not have had one on, but my mind went "wow, that's a helluva stone". She and her husband looked to be easily wealthy enough to afford such a stone.

For those of you who've seen this or are in this situation, do you use your perceived status and looks to "cheat" and wear lab-grown diamonds without anyone being the wiser? I can see lots of potential benefits: you can buy more jewelry in different cuts and styles than you normally may be able to afford, or you can wear pseudo-expensive jewelry without the risk of losing it or being robbed. If you are the other person and you wear jewelry that people assume you can't possibly afford, what are the reactions that you get?

I know; stereotyping isn't cool and as a consultant, I don't tend to jump to conclusions for a living. Yet, it does save time and there is something to be said for appearances.

I wouldn’t assume anything about anyone.

I’m the woman walking around in either athletic wear or a band tee and sneakers, while wearing a 4 carat ACA. It’s earth mined. But you know what? If people assume it’s a lab it literally could not bother me less. For one, I wear jewelry (including my ER) for me, not for status. Second, if someone assumes it’s worth a lot less, that just makes me safer.

 

[0-0-0]

I can see lots of potential benefits: you can buy more jewelry in different cuts and styles than you normally may be able to afford, or you can wear pseudo-expensive jewelry without the risk of losing it or being robbed.

Lab diamonds definitely make it more budget friendly to experiment with different cuts and styles. My wife also worries less about damage to pieces that cost less than a car and wears them more often.

 

[Inked]

Since we're talking about being judgey, i will be honest. I usually assume, if i see a 'younger' person decked out in all "loud luxury" and brand names, that they they have a negative net worth or parents money. I dont usually consider the origins (lab vs earth mined) as much as i roll my eyes at the "look at all my expensive stuff LOOK I AM RICH!" and know they probably have nothing saved.

So I dont look at that 6 carat and assume if it's lab or earth mined based on age and other factors. I look at that 6 carats and make assumptions about their net worth. I guess I'm only human. LOL

I am not sure how to articulate this well, but i will give it a shot. Sometimes I think that people who have large earth mined diamonds are upset because now a 'regular person' can get "the same thing". Not everyone should be able to afford a 6 carat diamond! It wasnt bad with Moissy because you could definitely tell it wasnt a diamond. Now you cant tell so it could be $50,000 earth mined or $5,000 lab.

I feel like they liked having the status and the ... i dont know ... "air of superiority" of having something other's could not have. I think it made them feel like they were better than others. It used to be a status symbol.

(SIDENOTE: We are on a jewelry forum here, i am NOT talking about anyone here, i have NEVER felt this way about anyone here... but i do belong to SEVERAL other forums! LOL!) THIS IS A JEWELRY FORUM, THIS IS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT EXPENSIVE JEWELRY!!! PLEASE i hope no one is offended by this! I am a lowly worm, dont let my words offend you, because i am not talking about anyone here!! The PURPOSE of this forum is to talk about jewelry, and most jewelry is expensive, and some people on here have like, the crown jewels and they're completely humble and sweet and amazing, but like I said, i belong to other forums!

I have seen it a lot over my many years in person and on internet forums (AGAIN, NOT HERE!!!!), any time the there is a replica of anything people seem to lose their minds, because it attacked their perceived status and their achievement of having something they believed other people couldnt get.

We are seeing it in advertising now how they're trying to make it like a lab diamond is "less than" and "not the same thing" and worthless. Otherwise if its exactly the same why would you spend $50k ? Its perceived status and now thats being eroded.

So again, personally, i wear my 5 carat lab, don't care AT ALL what ANYONE thinks of me, don't care if they think it's a CZ, earth mined, lab.... I am very secure in my net worth. I grew up dirt poor, and anything I have I worked really hard for. I am proud of what I accomplished. I have never cared and will never care what anyone else thinks. I had a friend who knows I have a lab diamond send me an article about how a lab diamond is worthless. It's not worthless to me because I love it (also, i would love to have a worthless 4 carat lab diamond, so please point me to it, i'll even splurge and pay $10! I can never seem to find these worthless diamonds!)

If someone wants to think "Oh she got lab because she cant afford mined." i have zero problem with that. If someone wants to think they have more money than me, i have zero problem with that. If someone wants to think they have a cuter dog than me, i might have a problem with that.

I personally dont get offended by much of anything because I would have to care what they thought for them to offend me. I dont give people that power over me.

 

[HS4S_2]

I have learned through the years not to make assumptions about someone based by how they dress or what jewelry they wear. I know many wealthy people who don't outwardly display their worth and people who have capsule wardrobes in order to have more expensive items in a budget.

I love jewelery. All of it. If it's is sparkly and pretty.....thats all I notice. I truly never even ponder whether someone is wearing lab, mined, costume. It is not by business and they should enjoy what they love. I wear jeans, converse and casual shirts daily. I work with horses and just enjoy being comfortable. Rarely do I wear fancy clothes. Doesn't stop me from wearing my rings. I enjoy them and that's what matters. I always say others opinions about me are none of my business.

 

[CSpan]

I admittedly make assumptions occasionally. However, I have a few friends who own lab stones for that very reason, size was important. What does tend to get lost is that someone has to cut these no matter how they are created, and that is no small feat. I

I have seen a few women on the younger side with large looking stones and usually lots of halos or pave in a workout class I take. I hope they are wearing lab stones while working out with weights cause the settings are so delicate I would be panicking about losing a small stone (or cracking a large one). I don't workout in any rings, not even bands because if you touch heavy enough weights you will crush your finger at some point.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

What does tend to get lost is that someone has to cut these no matter how they are created, and that is no small feat. I

The great benefit of man made diamonds is they are bringing investment in new technologies to cut and polish diamonds, grown and natural.
However LGD are far cheaper to polish than natural - about half the cost of polishing natural is the planning to avoid inclusions and reduce rough wastage. These are not issues with grown diamonds where today more than half in larger sizes are VS1 to Flawless!

 

[dumbo]

The great benefit of man made diamonds is they are bringing investment in new technologies to cut and polish diamonds, grown and natural.
However LGD are far cheaper to polish than natural - about half the cost of polishing natural is the planning to avoid inclusions and reduce rough wastage. These are not issues with grown diamonds where today more than half in larger sizes are VS1 to Flawless!

Will it be easier to find good cuts of LGDs going forward? For a LGD, the premium for the next integer diamond is minimial; I'd think that more cutters will prioritize light performance over raw size going forward. Just looking through a site the other day, I was surprised to see how many larger LGDs had 56% tables and 34.5/40.7 crown and pavillion angles. You almost never see those in large mined diamonds.

When I was shopping for my wife's E-ring, I really couldn't afford a super ideal at the size I liked but I knew that something that graded out at AGS-000 would still be spectacular. I landed on a AGS000 2.37 carat I color SI1 that held it's own against a super ideal I compared it to. Unfortunately, very few diamonds were cut for quality; it wasn't easy to find that one. Most were cut with maximum carat size in mind. I'm assuming that's because a 2.87 carat super ideal is worth less than a 3.01 carat AGS grade 2 cut.

 

[dumbo]

I am not sure how to articulate this well, but i will give it a shot. Sometimes I think that people who have large earth mined diamonds are upset because now a 'regular person' can get "the same thing". Not everyone should be able to afford a 6 carat diamond! It wasnt bad with Moissy because you could definitely tell it wasnt a diamond. Now you cant tell so it could be $50,000 earth mined or $5,000 lab.

I feel like they liked having the status and the ... i dont know ... "air of superiority" of having something other's could not have. I think it made them feel like they were better than others. It used to be a status symbol.

I have seen it a lot over my many years in person and on internet forums (AGAIN, NOT HERE!!!!), any time the there is a replica of anything people seem to lose their minds, because it attacked their perceived status and their achievement of having something they believed other people couldnt get.

We are seeing it in advertising now how they're trying to make it like a lab diamond is "less than" and "not the same thing" and worthless. Otherwise if its exactly the same why would you spend $50k ? Its perceived status and now thats being eroded.

It's an interesting question. I spent $42k on my wife's engagement ring; a gorgeous 4.04 AGS000 K Si2 RBC. She loves it and only takes it off when she sleeps. But now, with the option of getting something even more sparkly for 1/8 the price, would I spend the same money? She loves it because I picked it out and because it lights up the room; not because of what I spent on it.

One of my friends was diamond shopping with his (now ex) girlfriend a few months ago. He's a fairly successful professional; probably makes $150k a year but certainly not wealthy. His GF's best friend's family, however, is from serious money: they're probably worth low 9 figures. The best friend is late 20's but always wearing $100k+ in jewelry (all Cartier). His GF hanging out with her changed her perceptions of what she wanted: when they casually looked at stones, she made it known that she was only interested in a big mined diamond. They broke up a bit later.

One of my wife's good friends is also from a wealthy family; again low 9 figures. We all got on the topic of diamonds a few weeks ago; she stated in no uncertain terms that she thought LGDs were total junk and she would never be wearing one. It kind of suprised me, in the same way that Cate Blanchett, in Blue Jasime, complained about what a terrible experience flying first class had been, without a hint of irony. Talk about out of touch.

There is definitely a stigma against LGDs amongst some people; it's probably seen through the same lens as a high-end Chanel replica bag. I've seen experts say the replicas are occasionally the same or even higher quality than the real thing, but the fact that they came from China for $500 and not a boutique for $7500 makes all of the difference. It's silly.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Will it be easier to find good cuts of LGDs going forward? For a LGD, the premium for the next integer diamond is minimial; I'd think that more cutters will prioritize light performance over raw size going forward. Just looking through a site the other day, I was surprised to see how many larger LGDs had 56% tables and 34.5/40.7 crown and pavillion angles. You almost never see those in large mined diamonds.

When I was shopping for my wife's E-ring, I really couldn't afford a super ideal at the size I liked but I knew that something that graded out at AGS-000 would still be spectacular. I landed on a AGS000 2.37 carat I color SI1 that held it's own against a super ideal I compared it to. Unfortunately, very few diamonds were cut for quality; it wasn't easy to find that one. Most were cut with maximum carat size in mind. I'm assuming that's because a 2.87 carat super ideal is worth less than a 3.01 carat AGS grade 2 cut.

It is natural for CVD grown LGD to be cut to better proportions than natural diamonds. The thickness and width are planned, where as the with natural diamonds the width is the main constraint so the vast majority are cut and polished to GIA's etc deeper Excellent proportions.

The slab is grown till it gets to the desired thickness and then the growing is stopped. That is why eventually larger sizes will cost less per carat.

• A half carat diamond is 3mm deep
• A one carat diamond is 4mm deep
• A two carat diamond is 5mm deep
• A four carat diamond is 6mm deep

So dial up 5mm depth and you have your 3ct rough ready to cut
And that is why the largest proportion of available LGD at present are 3ct sizes.

(The same or similar story for HPHT grown diamonds as natural, but they are mostly grown in smaller sizes)

 

[elle_chris]

With labs becoming the new norm, diamonds are no longer a "status symbol" so I don't think anything.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i dont recognise brands in clothes,bags or shoes and anyone can get a loan for a fancy car
im just not into owning things for status, rather for enjoyment and in most cases practicality
but i admire jewlery particularly pearls
i work in a posh old money part of town but we also serve workers of all types coming in for lunch

i dont think lab diamonds have been available here long enough and i would never ever in a million years ask but if the person was friendly and we wernt busy i might engage in conversation about her jewlery

something i have learnt in a lifetime of sales -serving some very well off people and lots of regular Joes, you cannot judge a book by its cover, by how they dress or by what they drive
some people dress casual but wear their good rings when they go out

the younger lady may have been recently engaged, perhaps to a well off partner? or had a milestone birthday or some other milestone event like graduation, who knows who her mum or dad or boyfrined are, or infact who knows who she is ?
, but i would have liked to have seen both those rings in person

 

[jaqjaqjaq]

Since we're talking about being judgey, i will be honest. I usually assume, if i see a 'younger' person decked out in all "loud luxury" and brand names, that they they have a negative net worth or parents money. I dont usually consider the origins (lab vs earth mined) as much as i roll my eyes at the "look at all my expensive stuff LOOK I AM RICH!" and know they probably have nothing saved.

So I dont look at that 6 carat and assume if it's lab or earth mined based on age and other factors. I look at that 6 carats and make assumptions about their net worth. I guess I'm only human. LOL

I am not sure how to articulate this well, but i will give it a shot. Sometimes I think that people who have large earth mined diamonds are upset because now a 'regular person' can get "the same thing". Not everyone should be able to afford a 6 carat diamond! It wasnt bad with Moissy because you could definitely tell it wasnt a diamond. Now you cant tell so it could be $50,000 earth mined or $5,000 lab.

I feel like they liked having the status and the ... i dont know ... "air of superiority" of having something other's could not have. I think it made them feel like they were better than others. It used to be a status symbol.

(SIDENOTE: We are on a jewelry forum here, i am NOT talking about anyone here, i have NEVER felt this way about anyone here... but i do belong to SEVERAL other forums! LOL!) THIS IS A JEWELRY FORUM, THIS IS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT EXPENSIVE JEWELRY!!! PLEASE i hope no one is offended by this! I am a lowly worm, dont let my words offend you, because i am not talking about anyone here!! The PURPOSE of this forum is to talk about jewelry, and most jewelry is expensive, and some people on here have like, the crown jewels and they're completely humble and sweet and amazing, but like I said, i belong to other forums!

I have seen it a lot over my many years in person and on internet forums (AGAIN, NOT HERE!!!!), any time the there is a replica of anything people seem to lose their minds, because it attacked their perceived status and their achievement of having something they believed other people couldnt get.

We are seeing it in advertising now how they're trying to make it like a lab diamond is "less than" and "not the same thing" and worthless. Otherwise if its exactly the same why would you spend $50k ? Its perceived status and now thats being eroded.

So again, personally, i wear my 5 carat lab, don't care AT ALL what ANYONE thinks of me, don't care if they think it's a CZ, earth mined, lab.... I am very secure in my net worth. I grew up dirt poor, and anything I have I worked really hard for. I am proud of what I accomplished. I have never cared and will never care what anyone else thinks. I had a friend who knows I have a lab diamond send me an article about how a lab diamond is worthless. It's not worthless to me because I love it (also, i would love to have a worthless 4 carat lab diamond, so please point me to it, i'll even splurge and pay $10! I can never seem to find these worthless diamonds!)

If someone wants to think "Oh she got lab because she cant afford mined." i have zero problem with that. If someone wants to think they have more money than me, i have zero problem with that. If someone wants to think they have a cuter dog than me, i might have a problem with that.

I personally dont get offended by much of anything because I would have to care what they thought for them to offend me. I dont give people that power over me.

Well, now I like you that much more!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i must say this thread made me go look for those James Allen 1k lab princess cut silver pendants they used to do a couple of years ago -not a sign of them now
quite a few peeps here brought them to repurpose the diamond

 

[0515vision]

... she stated in no uncertain terms that she thought LGDs were total junk and she would never be wearing one.

There is definitely a stigma against LGDs amongst some people; ...

There are mined retailers who fan the flames of contempt for LGDs. They give them away as travel rings to clients who purchase rings of 2+ or larger saying they're worthless. Also, I'll say it - there are PSers who voice similar opinions.

But I get it - we're all coming from an emotional place when talking about diamonds. There's nothing practical about them. Certain consumers have to be more practical than others when purchasing them, but it all comes down to how it makes you feel. Along those lines, what someone else does with their diamond can reasonably make some of us feel a different way about our own precious purchases - we're only human after all.

I met a young pediatrician who moved here to LA from Kansas City. Back there he was so excited to upgrade his BMW to a Porsche. But before he did, he got an offer to come work here. Voila - Porches are normal run-of-the-mill cars in LaLaLand. He was so disappointed. Still drives that BMW, not knowing what to do.

If I had low 9-figure money, I don't know what I'd buy. I'd like to say that I'd be the same person if I had grown up with 9-figure money, but we all know that's a guess at best. Scarcity has definitely shaped me, and I bet glut would have, too.

@dumbo, thanks for starting this thread!

 

[Kim N]

I'm human—I make assumptions. I would guess I'm often wrong, though.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Some ladies in my life have been wearing larger engagement rings and since they have shared some of their financial situations I have made assumptions. I'm just so happy they have these gorgeous diamonds for me to ogle. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and my eyes aren't what they used to be, so seeing a big diamond is always a joy for me. The bigger the better! I'm pretty sure that one of them has a moissy because of the rainbow sparkles. I could be wrong about that one too, but it is really beautiful.


I know a woman who is going to be 80 in a few months. She has this large radiant diamond e-ring. Since she works at one of the lowest paying positions most people have wrongly assumed it's a CZ. She's been wearing it for years, long before labs became popular. It's a mined diamond and she shared with me the sweet story of how her first husband bought it for her.

 

[ariel144]

I would have hoped that the cost of LGD would have caused the earth mined cutters to cut better performing stones but looking at EM cushions, ovals, etc. on James Allen, they have not improved cutting for performance! Nor will they provide you with an ASET image any more on JA like they would years ago. The old timers on PS will remember when! Who buys all those ugly mushy gray, under the table, EM expensive stones? Sad. Hopefully, it just sends newbies to look at the LGD and save their money. That is why PS is so valuable in educating newbies on what makes a well cut diamond. Cut will always be king....whether earth mined or LGD!

 

[sharonzano]

I a

I didn't think LGDs were allowed to be discussed there? I'd love to hear from people who mix and match.

m considering LGD for earrings because I lose them; so far I haven’t done it yet

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I a


m considering LGD for earrings because I lose them; so far I haven’t done it yet

Make sure you get good clip butterflys, not screw thread type!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Thank god the days of "Love = 3 months of your salary" are over. Sheer greed. Pure manipulation.

I know!! Such a weird ad campaign. And so misleading.

My love is worth at least a year’s salary.

 

[Alybird]

I don't make assumptions anymore based on status; more so on taste. I live in SoCal in the city that they made a show out of in the 2000's so the de facto uniform here is ultra casual. No one bats an eye at pairing diamonds with sweats. It's funny; it's this whole thing about nonchalance, sort like Coco Chanel encouraging women to wear costume pieces along with fine pieces.

 

[DejaWiz]

I know!! Such a weird ad campaign. And so misleading.

My love is worth at least a year’s salary.

Dang kids and their paltry 2-3 months salary nonsense.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and perspectives on this. If I see something beautiful, I compliment it regardless of whether it’s authentic or “fake.” I’ve never been huge on brand names and honestly do not know what the appeal is with top luxury brands. However, I am personally a jewelry freak and the same people I know who love the luxury brands will not bat an eye at buying jewelry from a B&M store as long as it’s pretty. Everyone has their own preferences and where they want to spend their money. Some can spend a lot in many areas of luxury goods while some pick and choose. Others don’t spend money at all in these areas and while they look “poor” are actually some of most wealthy people around.
I drive a Hyundai and sport an almost 6 ct mined ring. I use a meal order service and constantly search for promo codes. I send my son to private Montessori and buy his clothes at Target. I’m sure most people who see my ring would assume it’s not earth mined and guess’s how many forks I give? 0.

 

[ariel144]

Years ago, I learned of a woman who's husband owned a jewelry store. She sold back all her diamonds and had him put CZ's in their place. NO ONE would ever guess they were not real. Just sayin, if you have money no one is going to guess your diamonds are not earth mined. Besides how many ppl among the public really know there is such a thing as lab grown diamonds?? And most who know about them don't think they are "real diamonds". So if someone asks is that "real"? Yes, it's real!

 

[jaqjaqjaq]

I know!! Such a weird ad campaign. And so misleading.

My love is worth at least a year’s salary.

Hahaha, oh this made me snort-laugh!!!