'Artificial 'diamonds rather than 'mined' diamonds..
Discussion
The missus has been pushing 'eco' and saving the planet etc in various forms, and to inform me that, should I actually get round to proposing, not to buy a diamond ring because she doesn't want to support the trade, working conditions, environmental impact etc.
So I started to look at alternatives but don't like the idea of the shop-bought alternatives like CZ etc. I've found a recent trend towards 'artificial diamonds'. Supposedly these diamonds are comparable in almost every aspect to a 'mined' diamond. They're built in a lab, atom-by-atom, and the results are apparently flawless - They're even certified by the same body which certifies mined diamonds.
I wondered whether anyone has gone down this route?
I'm on the fence to be honest. Is it trying to be something it isn't, like buying a replica Rolex? Or is it genuinely a conscious alternative? There's not a huge difference in the prices I've seen, maybe 25% cheaper which isn't enough for the decision to be price-led
So I started to look at alternatives but don't like the idea of the shop-bought alternatives like CZ etc. I've found a recent trend towards 'artificial diamonds'. Supposedly these diamonds are comparable in almost every aspect to a 'mined' diamond. They're built in a lab, atom-by-atom, and the results are apparently flawless - They're even certified by the same body which certifies mined diamonds.
I wondered whether anyone has gone down this route?
I'm on the fence to be honest. Is it trying to be something it isn't, like buying a replica Rolex? Or is it genuinely a conscious alternative? There's not a huge difference in the prices I've seen, maybe 25% cheaper which isn't enough for the decision to be price-led
Edited by B9 on Friday 14th February 14:42
Have not gone down the route but to my knowledge they are indistinguishable from natural diamonds to the naked eye, even to a jeweller.
Different to a rep Rolex which is a cosmetic copy but not the same movement or quality in my view.
If your OH wants to follow that route it seems a very reasonable thing to do.
Different to a rep Rolex which is a cosmetic copy but not the same movement or quality in my view.
If your OH wants to follow that route it seems a very reasonable thing to do.
bigandclever said:
DeBeers Lightbox brand are USD200 per quarter carat ... what's the comparative cost of a mined diamond? I'm sure they said it was 10% of the like-for-like cost, but I might be making that up.
From what I've read - and I've no idea how accurate this is - De Beers saturated the artificial market with red and blue diamonds to drive the prices of said diamonds down, to effectively take out the competition who were making high margin on synthetic diamonds. And this has meant the comparable diamonds have retained their exclusivity/price tag..Edit: I'll take a look at that company, I didn't realise they were DB and appear to sell white ones
Edited by B9 on Friday 25th January 17:11
Hey!
I did this, we were saving up to buy a house and the cash for a ring we decided to throw into the pot.
The ring looks great with three “Engineered” stones and to the unknown it’s a modest engagement ring 2x 1/2 caret princess cut and 1 caret central solitaire on an 18 caret band with platinum settings
It was the intention to replace all the stones but she decided that she didn’t want the worry about having an expensive piece of jewellery which at the moment would look exactly the same to 99% of people.
The saving grace is that whilst we were skiing she knocked it quite hard dislodging one of the smaller stones. It cost minimal to replace rather than hundreds.
I was 100% up front about the stones with her which is wheee a lot of people might go wrong in passing them off as real.
I did this, we were saving up to buy a house and the cash for a ring we decided to throw into the pot.
The ring looks great with three “Engineered” stones and to the unknown it’s a modest engagement ring 2x 1/2 caret princess cut and 1 caret central solitaire on an 18 caret band with platinum settings
It was the intention to replace all the stones but she decided that she didn’t want the worry about having an expensive piece of jewellery which at the moment would look exactly the same to 99% of people.
The saving grace is that whilst we were skiing she knocked it quite hard dislodging one of the smaller stones. It cost minimal to replace rather than hundreds.
I was 100% up front about the stones with her which is wheee a lot of people might go wrong in passing them off as real.
magooagain said:
Maybe you and her should look into the carbon footprint of these Eco diamonds before committing.
I've done some already, and artificial do appear to have a lesser impact - but I'm realistic that the sources are likely to be pushing agendas. I'd welcome independent sources if you have some?The best I found was this which feels fairly balanced, tipping in favour of artifical, but concluding that there simply isnt enough research available.
Edited by B9 on Friday 25th January 17:34
B9 said:
magooagain said:
Maybe you and her should look into the carbon footprint of these Eco diamonds before committing.
I've done some already, and artificial do appear to have a lesser impact - but I'm realistic that the sources are likely to be pushing agendas. I'd welcome independent sources if you have some?The best I found was this which feels fairly balanced, tipping in favour of artifical, but concluding that there simply isnt enough research available.
Edited by B9 on Friday 25th January 17:34
They may know a fair bit as they have been in the industry for a long time.
B9 said:
The missus has been pushing 'eco' and saving the planet etc in various forms, and the latest fad was to inform me that, should I actually get round to proposing, not to buy a diamond ring because she doesn't want to support the trade, working conditions, environmental impact etc etc.
Sod all that FFS - what about the money?What you want is a 'Moissanite' ring mate...looks like a diamond, as hard as a diamond, shines like a diamond, doesn't cost silly money so more money for you and important car parts...You can just tell her it's better for the environment etc, meh, whatever.
Only a pedantic moron could tell the difference...seriously.
ETA - seems they are Eco after all...winner winner. https://www.brilliantearth.com/news/moissanite-vs-...
Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 20th February 16:30
An update for those of you who might be interested in pursuing this route, having just returned from the jewellers who will be designing the ring.
TL;DR - If you buy a loose diamond (real or synthetic) and have a ring commissioned to order, you'll pay less than you would in any of the high street stores, but over half the price of somewhere like Tiffany - all the while, you'll be getting a far superior quality diamond and a completely bespoke ring.
Vintage, second hand
I spent a lot of time looking into this debate; more than I'd like to admit. I tried vintage diamonds, but frankly I struggled with knowing what it was I was buying. Vintage tend to not come with certificates.
Conflict Free
I ventured down the route of conflict free diamonds, but it didn't take long to read up on how many trades take place before arriving at the company you buy from. In short, these companies cannot guarantee conflict free - so what's the point?
Synthetic, Lab Grown
I ended up back where I started and purchased a loose Lab Grown diamond. I'd read enough by this point to know these share the exact same physical, chemical and atomical properties as one created by mother nature. The shortlist was between James Allen, Blue Nile and Brilliant Earth, but the customer service for James Allen is what secured it for me. It felt a little odd buying a diamond online, but the end-to-end experience was genuinely impressive, informative and I'd recommend this to anyone - the interactive 3D videos, with the option of chatting to an online adviser was second to none.
Regardless of if you're looking to buy a real or lab grown diamond, withclarity is a really useful website to explain everything about diamonds.
The stone arrived last week and I was delighted with the purchase. But I'm no expert; I just knew it sparkled a lot..
Today I took the stone to a local jeweller to commission a ring, and this is the part which reassured me I've made the right decision. The designer was quick to compliment the diamond, on several occasions during the design process commenting. I hadn't mentioned Lab Grown at this point. At the end of the design process, they run tests on the old ring I supplied to be melted, and a microscanner for the stone - result? Diamond.
She then asks if I have the certificate as this will contain the ID for insurance purposes, but it also makes things easier with measurements etc. I hand it to her, with her response being "Wow, VVS1". It's then that I point to the bit on the certificate saying Lab Grown, and she's genuinely blown away. Had absolutely no idea. Naturally, out came the loupe. And then came all of the questions
So when I started this thread last year, I said there wasn't much difference in savings when it came to lab grown - but a year on the technology has brought the prices down. A lot.
For £1,250 (£1,500 including duties) I secured a 0.76 carat, VVS1, Ideal, E colour diamond. Medium faceted, symmetrical, table within the % recommendations etc. The commissioned rings (engagement and wedding band) will cost £1,800 in 22k gold. So £3.3k for the lot. I paid less than this as I supplied a ring to be melted.
Now finally, how does all of this compare to the high street? Bear in mind, I'm also getting a wedding band within the illustrative £3.3k
Goldsmiths are selling this one for £6.2k (lower spec diamond and gold)
Tiffany are selling this one for £9.3k (similar specs, slightly lower)
These aren't comparable to the design I've gone for (I've opted for very simple), but I hope this post might serve as a useful reference point for those interested in the subject. For anyone wondering, no, I won't be hiding from the missus that it's lab grown - I think she'll like it (if she says yes..)
TL;DR - If you buy a loose diamond (real or synthetic) and have a ring commissioned to order, you'll pay less than you would in any of the high street stores, but over half the price of somewhere like Tiffany - all the while, you'll be getting a far superior quality diamond and a completely bespoke ring.
Vintage, second hand
I spent a lot of time looking into this debate; more than I'd like to admit. I tried vintage diamonds, but frankly I struggled with knowing what it was I was buying. Vintage tend to not come with certificates.
Conflict Free
I ventured down the route of conflict free diamonds, but it didn't take long to read up on how many trades take place before arriving at the company you buy from. In short, these companies cannot guarantee conflict free - so what's the point?
Synthetic, Lab Grown
I ended up back where I started and purchased a loose Lab Grown diamond. I'd read enough by this point to know these share the exact same physical, chemical and atomical properties as one created by mother nature. The shortlist was between James Allen, Blue Nile and Brilliant Earth, but the customer service for James Allen is what secured it for me. It felt a little odd buying a diamond online, but the end-to-end experience was genuinely impressive, informative and I'd recommend this to anyone - the interactive 3D videos, with the option of chatting to an online adviser was second to none.
Regardless of if you're looking to buy a real or lab grown diamond, withclarity is a really useful website to explain everything about diamonds.
The stone arrived last week and I was delighted with the purchase. But I'm no expert; I just knew it sparkled a lot..
Today I took the stone to a local jeweller to commission a ring, and this is the part which reassured me I've made the right decision. The designer was quick to compliment the diamond, on several occasions during the design process commenting. I hadn't mentioned Lab Grown at this point. At the end of the design process, they run tests on the old ring I supplied to be melted, and a microscanner for the stone - result? Diamond.
She then asks if I have the certificate as this will contain the ID for insurance purposes, but it also makes things easier with measurements etc. I hand it to her, with her response being "Wow, VVS1". It's then that I point to the bit on the certificate saying Lab Grown, and she's genuinely blown away. Had absolutely no idea. Naturally, out came the loupe. And then came all of the questions
So when I started this thread last year, I said there wasn't much difference in savings when it came to lab grown - but a year on the technology has brought the prices down. A lot.
For £1,250 (£1,500 including duties) I secured a 0.76 carat, VVS1, Ideal, E colour diamond. Medium faceted, symmetrical, table within the % recommendations etc. The commissioned rings (engagement and wedding band) will cost £1,800 in 22k gold. So £3.3k for the lot. I paid less than this as I supplied a ring to be melted.
Now finally, how does all of this compare to the high street? Bear in mind, I'm also getting a wedding band within the illustrative £3.3k
Goldsmiths are selling this one for £6.2k (lower spec diamond and gold)
Tiffany are selling this one for £9.3k (similar specs, slightly lower)
These aren't comparable to the design I've gone for (I've opted for very simple), but I hope this post might serve as a useful reference point for those interested in the subject. For anyone wondering, no, I won't be hiding from the missus that it's lab grown - I think she'll like it (if she says yes..)
Edited by B9 on Friday 14th February 13:01
Congratulations on your engagement and wedding etc. Very appropriate update for Valentine's Day too. I'm not in the market for diamonds, love the look of jewellery but never wear it. Into watches though.
Anyway I'm going to read up on the science behind this as it sounds fascinating. Also like the way you've both put lots of care and thought into choosing the right pieces.
Much more romantic than a fella picking a random ring hoping she likes it or the lady picking the biggest or most expensive one.
They're lots of little independent artisan jewellers who can design something special and with a story to tell the grandkids. Steensons in N Ireland get a good name too.
Just found this on YouTube
https://youtu.be/bxhg0tSDQHk
Anyway I'm going to read up on the science behind this as it sounds fascinating. Also like the way you've both put lots of care and thought into choosing the right pieces.
Much more romantic than a fella picking a random ring hoping she likes it or the lady picking the biggest or most expensive one.
They're lots of little independent artisan jewellers who can design something special and with a story to tell the grandkids. Steensons in N Ireland get a good name too.
Just found this on YouTube
https://youtu.be/bxhg0tSDQHk
Congrats on the engagement.
I would say thought to add to your comparison above that genuine Tiffany jewellry holds a certain cache around the brand and for that reason is difficult to compare to similar jewellry bought elsewhere as it holds considerably more value based on the name alone.
I have bought my wife various pieces of Tiffany (vintage and new) and can turn it all around tomorrow for near enough what I paid (at a cursory glance of what pieces are selling for)
For my wifes engagement and wedding rings I used goldsmiths who I had a good relationship with from previous purchases and they arranged for a range of sample rings to be collated in store for me (that they didnt actually sell, sourced through specialist sales reps) for me/us to pick from. It worked extremely well.
I would say thought to add to your comparison above that genuine Tiffany jewellry holds a certain cache around the brand and for that reason is difficult to compare to similar jewellry bought elsewhere as it holds considerably more value based on the name alone.
I have bought my wife various pieces of Tiffany (vintage and new) and can turn it all around tomorrow for near enough what I paid (at a cursory glance of what pieces are selling for)
For my wifes engagement and wedding rings I used goldsmiths who I had a good relationship with from previous purchases and they arranged for a range of sample rings to be collated in store for me (that they didnt actually sell, sourced through specialist sales reps) for me/us to pick from. It worked extremely well.
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