Lab made diamonds (1 Viewer)

[dickey moe]

Should get much more than a 20% discount for a fake diamond, IMO.

 

[Fat Nick]

Was at Costco yesterday, saw this and thought of this thread. Round Brilliant 5.00 ctw VS2 Clarity, I Color Diamond 14kt White Gold Bracelet $3,499.99

Good find - I searched there the other day and didn't find this - either a new listing or I missed it.

 

[Hawks64]

Should get much more than a 20% discount for a fake diamond, IMO.

But they aren't fake.

 

[Dickies]

-Some have argued that the 20% premium will go way up (i.e. lab made will get cheaper and cheaper) as manufacturing methods get better and they flood the market.  Definitely my biggest concern for NOT going lab.

Seems to me like a better reason not to buy natural diamonds.  

 

[MTskibum]

I would go lab made diamonds, but i think even they are a waste of money. Diamonds are virtually worthless on the secondary market so resell value should not factor in.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Generally speaking I like labs, but I'm not sure I would trust a dog to make my diamond.

 

[ChiefD]

Generally speaking I like labs, but I'm not sure I would trust a dog to make my diamond.

Chocolate labs make great chocolate diamonds. You just have to be patient. 

 

[Terminalxylem]

So glad my wife vehemently does not want diamonds or any expensive jewelry, except maybe a mother's ring with the birth stones.

Instead she just wants a beach house and many kids. 

Same with mine, but she doesn’t want a beach or many kids, either. Low maintenance women really do exist.

 

[Hawks64]

Received the earrings yesterday, I've tried taking pictures but they suck since I don't have a lighting studio and a macro camera. They look great. .84 carat each and it was inexpensive. We'll see what my wife has to say but I'm pretty impressed with lab created diamonds.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Received the earrings yesterday, I've tried taking pictures but they suck since I don't have a lighting studio and a macro camera. They look great. .84 carat each and it was inexpensive. We'll see what my wife has to say but I'm pretty impressed with lab created diamonds.

Optically they pretty much look like natural diamonds. While this is not a perfect parallel--but lab created diamonds are basically like "test tube babies".  Most of them start their creation through a natural diamond seedling.  The major pro of a lab created diamond is that you are getting what optically looks like a natural diamond for a fraction of the price.  At this point in time---the only con is a very shaky future value retention landscape for them.   They will get cheaper to create as time passes by and that doesn't bode well for their future retention of value.  

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Optically they pretty much look like natural diamonds. While this is not a perfect parallel--but lab created diamonds are basically like "test tube babies".  Most of them start their creation through a natural diamond seedling.  The major pro of a lab created diamond is that you are getting what optically looks like a natural diamond for a fraction of the price.  At this point in time---the only con is a very shaky future value retention landscape for them.   They will get cheaper to create as time passes by and that doesn't bode well for their future retention of value.  

Natural diamonds don't hold there value at all. The 18K gold you get on the ring, bracelet etc holds value far better than the diamond itself. Diamonds are cars, as soon as you take it off the lot you lost 20%

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Natural diamonds don't hold there value at all. The 18K gold you get on the ring, bracelet etc holds value far better than the diamond itself. Diamonds are cars, as soon as you take it off the lot you lost 20%

This is not entirely true. If you go and pay full retail price for a diamond and try to sell it in a few years—-yes—you will take a loss. However—if you shop around and buy a nice diamond at a price that is in between high wholesale and low retail—natural diamonds of size and quality do hold and gain value as time passes.  While the gains are incremental—they are there.  

Also—there is a very good chance that the popularity of lab created diamonds will end up raising the cost of the natural counterparts.  Many years ago— lab created, diffused and lead filled rubies and sapphires hit the market for a tiny fraction of the price of the natural counterparts.   Everybody was worried that it would undermine natural prices—and it has done exactly the opposite.   The value of the enhanced, lab created ones has dropped far below their initial pricing and the values of nice natural sapphires and rubies has gone up meteorically in the past 5-8 years.    There is a reason why many of the wealthiest people on the planet attend auctions and purchase nice quality, large natural diamonds and stock pile them for years.  Natural diamonds are getting harder and harder to mine.   Once these lab created ones flood and oversaturate the market—many of the people that own lab created ones will want to upgrade to natural ones.   This future uptick in demand on a product where the supply is controlled/limited could cause a far greater than expected rise in the value of natural diamonds in a matter of years. 

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

This is not entirely true. If you go and pay full retail price for a diamond and try to sell it in a few years—-yes—you will take a loss. However—if you shop around and buy a nice diamond at a price that is in between high wholesale and low retail—natural diamonds of size and quality do hold and gain value as time passes.  While the gains are incremental—they are there.  

Also—there is a very good chance that the popularity of lab created diamonds will end up raising the cost of the natural counterparts.  Many years ago— lab created, diffused and lead filled rubies and sapphires hit the market for a tiny fraction of the price of the natural counterparts.   Everybody was worried that it would undermine natural prices—and it has done exactly the opposite.   The value of the enhanced, lab created ones has dropped far below their initial pricing and the values of nice natural sapphires and rubies has gone up meteorically in the past 5-8 years.    There is a reason why many of the wealthiest people on the planet attend auctions and purchase nice quality, large natural diamonds and stock pile them for years.  Natural diamonds are getting harder and harder to mine.   Once these lab created ones flood and oversaturate the market—many of the people that own lab created ones will want to upgrade to natural ones.   This future uptick in demand on a product where the supply is controlled/limited could cause a far greater than expected rise in the value of natural diamonds in a matter of years. 

Couldn't disagree more. You have to look at today's youth and how they spend their money. They work different, spend different and are different than any generation. Also if you would like to purchase some diamonds between high wholesale and low retail let me know because my uncle is a jeweler on Jewelers Row in Philly and its a bloodbath. 

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Couldn't disagree more. You have to look at today's youth and how they spend their money. They work different, spend different and are different than any generation. Also if you would like to purchase some diamonds between high wholesale and low retail let me know because my uncle is a jeweler on Jewelers Row in Philly and its a bloodbath. 

I manage a jewelry store in Newport Beach and I’ve been in the trade for 27 years.   If somebody is telling you that natural diamond prices have fallen over the last ten years—they are lying to you.   The spending habits of youth over the past 20-30 years have nothing to do with current commodity prices. Youths are less interested in gold now than they were 25-30 years ago.  How has the price of gold done since then?    I sell both lab created and natural diamonds—and I can tell you this—-a natural diamond will be a far better investment over the course of time than a lab created one—no matter what your uncle tells you. 

 

[Hawks64]

Optically they pretty much look like natural diamonds. While this is not a perfect parallel--but lab created diamonds are basically like "test tube babies".  Most of them start their creation through a natural diamond seedling.  The major pro of a lab created diamond is that you are getting what optically looks like a natural diamond for a fraction of the price.  At this point in time---the only con is a very shaky future value retention landscape for them.   They will get cheaper to create as time passes by and that doesn't bode well for their future retention of value.  

I don't care at all about future value in all honesty since real diamonds value is a fraction of their appraised value. I was concerned since I had read about some not having the same sparkle and brilliance which is why I went with earrings first.

 

[Hawks64]

I manage a jewelry store in Newport Beach and I’ve been in the trade for 27 years.   If somebody is telling you that natural diamond prices have fallen over the last ten years—they are lying to you.   The spending habits of youth over the past 20-30 years have nothing to do with current commodity prices. Youths are less interested in gold now than they were 25-30 years ago.  How has the price of gold done since then?    I sell both lab created and natural diamonds—and I can tell you this—-a natural diamond will be a far better investment over the course of time than a lab created one—no matter what your uncle tells you. 

Anyone buying diamonds as an investment vehicle are not likely to be very successful. I am buying strictly because my wife likes them. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

Anyone buying diamonds as an investment vehicle are not likely to be very successful. I am buying strictly because my wife likes them. Nothing more and nothing less.

Of course--and I've said that the entire time.   If somebody is looking to purchase a piece of jewelry for purely cosmetic purposes and would like to save some money-- lab created diamonds are a great option.  However--they absolutely are terrible options when it comes to future value retention. As long as consumers that purchase them are aware of that--there is nothing wrong with them. 

In regards to natural diamonds being only worth a fraction of appraised value--that is because in the world of jewelry--an appraisal is a projected replacement cost of an item should it get lost or stolen.  Much of that time this involves custom sourcing stones of similar calibers and custom making the piece that was lost.   An appraisal for jewelry is not the same as an appraisal for real estate where it implies that you can sell said piece for the appraised value.   For example--if you appraise a diamond tennis bracelet--the value is reflective of replacing that bracelet with a new one if it were to get lost or stolen.  That value has to be projected outwards 3-5 years--as most insurance companies require appraisal values to be valid for that period of time.  Therefore- a typical appraisal value is basically reflective of fair retail value for a comparable new piece--with 3-5 years of projected inflation added.  A tennis bracelet appraisal does not mean that you can sell that piece in preowned condition for the appraised value.    This disparity in appraisal value versus what you can sell something for is why many people assume diamonds don't hold value. The fact of the matter is that most appraisal values are moderately to significantly higher than what most people actually pay for the item.   

 

[Payne]

Been a few years since anyone has replied, but I am in the market for a tennis bracelet and have looked at lab made.

Discount today seems a bit more than it was back in 2019. 

For those who have bought them in the past, any issues I should be worried about?