I recently visited NYC with a family member. He told me the number of Diamonds they have stored so they can be scarce. This got me thinking, as I'm about to pop the question.
Do I go lab-grown? They are far cheaper, better quality for the price point, and honestly aren't inflated in value and are sustainable.
Real diamonds are traditional and are an investment, I guess, though seems their value is being controlled. Plus they have a dark history.
I never thought I'd go away from traditional as I became older and more of a boomer, but with the inflated cost of something to wear on ones finger, when I honestly could care less about impressing other people at the Country Club or out to dinner, I'm starting to lean towards the lab-grown.
Also, who cares if you get robbed of the lab-grown, with how crime-ridden cities are now?
I think this is a discussion you need to have with your SO. What does she want / think is ok?
Agree. I went through the same thought process and talked about it with my SO. I came to realize she viewed lab diamonds as less than. I didn’t particularly care about the diamond and wasn’t certain she was right, but I was certain of one thing — I wanted my wife to be proud of the diamond she wears every day. So I swallowed my pride and bought a real diamond. Definitely worth having a candid conversation.
Go lab grown diamond. She'll love trust me
(I never had a gf)
I learned that woman don’t perceive lab grown as real diamonds even if they are.
Try going for real but maybe a slightly lower clarity and colour - size matters in almost all aspects of life.
Lab-grown buyers be salty 😂 It’s ok if you’re not the real deal
Clarity over size in case of diamonds. Don’t project.
What’s the point of a 2 carat dusty rock?
You used the extreme case not me bud. What I meant (didn’t think I needed to spell it out) is get more value on the size side there’s a healthy mid point you don’t need a tiny FL you can for a VS2 which is indistinguishable to the human eye.
Unless you are in the diamond trade, no diamonds are ever an investment that will net you anything but a loss. If you went back to the jeweler you bought the ring from the very next day they would give you less for it than you paid. Unless it's a unique setting from a renowned jeweler, it's not worth much because of how they'd have to reset the stone and potentially recut it.
Lab grown is absolutely better bang for your buck, and pretty much the only way you can get a flawless stone, but as others have said, you need to talk it over with your SO.
On your last point, even if you buy a lab grown you should be buying insurance for it since it's so cheap. The appraised value is always higher than what you actually pay so that you can get a similar ring in the future as prices rise.
Thanks, that was what I was thinking. My first time around it was awful to offload the real diamond after she gave it back. She only gave it back because I had insurance on it.
I might be alone here, but I think spending insane amounts of money on diamonds is one of stupidest things our society does. If your SO other is ok with it and you don't care about impressing people, I'd 100% go lab grown. I know some women draw a hard line on the traditional diamond thing though so you have to consider your situation.
nah, smart people on this forum with HSW degrees will advocate for spending your lifetime to buy rocks (probably half a year worth of savings to buy a diamond ring) that are prestigious cause god forbid somebody may think you're not prestigious and judge you
I judge people that do buy them
While most of diamond value is artificially inflated with marketing and controlled supply, women tend to be hesitant towards lab grown diamonds. I guess programming from an early age works wonders.
You know it’s inflated cause some jewelry shops offer 25-30% discounts for limited period of time to the same pieces. I bought a natural one during a similar limited offer.
Real gem-heads know that diamonds are #mid
get ur girl a nice ruby or opal and show her u have superior taste
What’s the best way to purchase high quality loose gems? Realized my favorite exhibit at the museum is the gemstone one if they have one. Are there good websites?
I would try to talk with a reputable gem dealer nearby, they’re going to have way more knowledge and might even be able to source something for you
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, just as a matter of language precision (and also why they should be acceptable--at least intellectually--to the public).
Be very careful with what diamond you get for your girl you're gonna marry. You better ask her about it to avoid big drama.
Luckily, I’m on the path to marrying a missionary who doesn’t care about money or stuff at all.
As others have already mentioned, likely something you’d want to at least ask your SO about before going the lab grown route. Luckily my fiancé agreed that if she could tell the difference we would do natural (she could not) and we saved a shit ton of $$$ that we ended up using for a villa in southern France. Money was spent nonetheless, but we were able to have a wonderful experience with family instead of a shiny rock with an artificially high price (in my opinion.) To each their own though!
It's hilarious that she even tried to tell the difference - lab grown and mined diamonds are literally the same down to the molecular level...
Do not go lab grown bro come on. She doesn’t want to tell her friends it’s a lab grown. Yes, that’s really what the ring is for - her to tell her friends and all that. Go real, brother.
We all spend money on dumb shit that “isn’t smart” financially. Some of us buy nice cars, watches, etc. If this is your wife, you want her to have something she’s proud to wear for the rest of her life. If she doesn’t care then it doesn’t matter and you should go lab grown. Most women who come from well to do families and upper middle class+ upbringings do tend to prefer natural though
Lab grown are great IMO. Bought a high clarity 3 carat rock for my wife a few years back that looks far better than natural diamonds at that same price point. There will always be opportunities to get her natural diamonds in the future. Considering where you’re at in life, you probably won’t regret having an extra $10/$20K saved for stuff that actually matters like a home down payment or childcare costs in a few years. Realistically this probably applies to 90% of ppl here and anyone that looks down on you for not buying natural probably sucks regardless lol
If she only wants “real” diamonds shes not the one fam
The only way to tell if something is lab-grown is by looking at the diamond under a microscope and the registration number etc. A lab grown diamond is chemically identical to a mined diamond, as they use a sliver of diamond (kind of like a diamond "seed") to grow it.
Because of the artificial price inflation, you can get an absolutely enormous, clear and gorgeous diamond for a fraction of the cost. Only you and your SO need to know that it's lab grown, her friends won't know, and no one will ask or care. If they do, they are terrible people. I stand by this.
It's up to you to determine if you are OK spending more on a mined diamond with your SO. Maybe she does have a problem with it but is still a wonderful person so you do what you need to do. But just make sure you both are on the same page, because some women absolutely do not want their diamonds soaked in the blood of mistreated locals or conflicts.
All other arguments are complete bullshit:
The only truth here is that there is a premium for mined due to the marketing and perception of value. Decide for yourself if that premium (e.g., 5x-10x) is worth it to you and your SO.
Couldn’t agree more with your take! Lab-grown diamonds check every box here: they’re visually identical to natural diamonds, conflict-free, sustainable, and let you get a higher-quality stone for far less money—no inflated value or market control involved. Plus, the peace of mind (and lower risk of loss/theft) is such a practical bonus.
Wholesale Lab-Grown Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds, same carbon, same crystal structure, same hardness. Only a lab instrument can tell them apart. The perception issue is real for some people, so I agree with the advice to talk it over with your SO first. If she’s open to it, the savings are big. Put the same budget toward a larger, higher-clarity stone with an IGI or GIA certificate and you’ll get far more for your money. Cut quality matters most for sparkle, so don’t skip that. This page of Lab grown diamonds is useful for comparing certified stones and prices. And yes, insure it either way.
My girl only wants a ring if it comes with sufficient suffering and paperwork that shows at least 3 children died to get it on her finger.
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