Lab diamonds, does it really matter?

amother

Trillium

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:54 am

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Math question:
If you can sell your $6000 natural diamond piece back for $3500 and your neighbor can only sell her identical $1200 lab grown for $350 (value of the gold to melt) who lost more money?

Percentage wise the lab grown person did

amother

Red

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:55 am

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

There’s a much larger markup: over 50% for lab vs 30% for mined. That markup will come down as more supply continues to enter the market.

So I guess the question then becomes will a lab diamond be special if it's not expensive? Part of the specialness of a diamond is specifically that it's an expensive token gift. If it's not expensive any more I wonder if it matters ..or if that's what ppl are getting these days then it becomes the norm..

amother

Tangerine

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:55 am

I also thought that something that is "limited" in the world is more expensive/valuable than something mass produced/man made.
If lab grown is man made, you can produce millions of it, and value will go down. No?

amother

Cyclamen

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:56 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

If that's the case, why have white diamond jewelry? 100% colorless is considered the ideal for those. And there are plenty of other beautiful gemstones, including fancy color diamonds, sapphires, spinel, topaz, etc.

If regular diamonds fall in value I predict they will no longer be as desirable for engagement rings or other pieces of jewelry. Another gem/s will take their place--this may already have started. I recently read an article in either the new york times or wall street journal about a trend in certain high fashion circles to go with various semi precious stones for engagement rings, usually 2 different gems to represent the husband and wife.

Engagement/betrothal rings have been around for quite some time, but they weren't always diamonds. Trends do change, though sometimes it takes awhile to trickle down to the frum world.

chanatron1000

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:58 am

amother Cyclamen wrote:

If regular diamonds fall in value I predict they will no longer be as desirable for engagement rings or other pieces of jewelry. Another gem/s will take their place. I recently read an article in either the new york times or wall street journal about a trend in certain high fashion circles to go with various semi precious stones for engagement rings, usually 2 different gems to represent the husband and wife.
Engagement/betrothal rings have been around for quite some time, but they weren't always diamonds.

I expect there won't be a single type of stone that's considered the norm, and the trends for specific stones will be more complex from then on.

Layokee

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:00 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

We can only predict what will happen but I agree that sensibly lab grown diamonds should go down in cost. In that case I would buy lab grown even though I personally don't believe I it

DrMom

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:02 am

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Math question:
If you can sell your $6000 natural diamond piece back for $3500 and your neighbor can only sell her identical $1200 lab grown for $350 (value of the gold to melt) who lost more money?

Depends how you look at it.

True, the owner of the mined diamond recouped 58% of his investment; the owner of the lab diamond only recouped 29% of his investment.

OTOH, the owner of the mined diamond spent $6000-$3500 = $2500 to enjoy the jewelry during the time he owned it, whereas the owner of the lab diamond spent $1200-$350 = $850 for the same enjoyment.

(All this assumes the figures you supplied are accurate).

DrMom

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:07 am

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Math question:
If you can sell your $6000 natural diamond piece back for $3500 and your neighbor can only sell her identical $1200 lab grown for $350 (value of the gold to melt) who lost more money?

It's kind of like asking:

If you can sell your $6000 Armani designer bridal dress at a consignment store for $3500 and your neighbor can only sell her identical $1200 seamstress-created bridal dress for $350, who lost more money?

Sure, the seamstress-created dress lost more value, but the bride didn't have to spend so much for it in the first place, so overall, she spends less money.

amother

Cantaloupe

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:14 am

https://www.jaredvandermeer.co.....orld/

Until 1947, diamond engagement rings for the average person were almost unheard of. No, your bubby in pre war Europe did NOT wear a diamond engagement ring, bracelet or earring!

De Beers launched the legendary “diamonds are forever” marketing campaign to create the impression that there is sentimental and actual value in a diamond ring. The campaign was wildly successful- one of the most successful marketing campaigns in history (rivaled perhaps by the Coca Cola Company campaign that created the jolly red Santa we know today but that’s a different fascinating story.)

Diamonds had a great run but my guess would be that with lab created diamonds making all size diamonds cheap, ubiquitous, and indistinguishable, that great run is shortly going to be coming to an end and diamond jewelry will no longer occupy the prominent place that it has.

amother

Emerald

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:15 am

Two things

1. Lab diamonds are in fact real diamonds. They are not in a different class and there is not fake and real. Earth and lab diamonds are all real diamonds.

2. Why do people care so much about resale value? Aren't you buying your jewelry to enjoy it?

For things like rings, tennis bracelets and studs lab diamonds are amazing! When it's pave I'm not sure there is as big of a price difference but not sure because I haven't gone lab for that route.

Diamond jewelry is beautiful. So yay, now it's more affordable! If people want bigger stones, you can make it look tasteful and elegant without it being showy. There is good taste and bad taste. Better than CZ which is fake and isn't nearly as beautiful.

Last week I lost an earring, beautiful lab diamond stud that I got for a bday..I'm still on the hunt for it but I'm so relieved since I bought it lab diamonds have gotten so popular and now I can replace it if needed for a very reasonable price and maybe even an online payment plan.

Everyone has different priorities but for me, diamond jewelry is for me to enjoy and wear to feel beautiful. Not for resale, not to show off and not to feel superior.

End of my diamond rant Smile

Ps James Allen and jenk have some nice online lab pieces!!

amother

Cantaloupe

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:22 am

DrMom wrote:

A better analogy would be if Armani made a limited edition hand sown bridal gown for $6000 and made a machine sewn version that was identical down to each thread for $1200. Same exact look, quality, durability, and workmanship. The $6000 came with a digital NFT that was the only way to know that you paid $6000 for it. Would you spend $6000 just to know that you got the $6000 version?

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:24 am

amother Emerald wrote:

2. Why do people care so much about resale value? Aren't you buying your jewelry to enjoy it?

Guess people don't want to be seen as losers to shell out a fortune for a stone that doesn't have a second hand value.
It's all about *status*

amother

Emerald

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:27 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Guess people don't want to be seen as losers to shell out a fortune for a stone that doesn't have a second hand value.
It's all about *status*

But thats the whole point! Based on this thread seems like 1k for most ppl is no big deal. So a lab diamond for 1k is going to be beautiful and a not a fortune. So I guess I'm just confused why anyone cares? It's not like it's CZ where there is clearly a huge difference...

amother

DarkMagenta

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:28 am

amother Emerald wrote:

Precisely

I think it’s upsetting for many that something that had stable value for so long is not going to be stable anymore

DrMom

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:39 am

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Yes, that is better.

Oh and to make the analogy even more accurate: the people who hand-sew the hand-sewn version are paid peanuts and treated like garbage.

amother

DarkMagenta

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 11:41 am

DrMom wrote:

Yes, that is better.

Oh and to make the analogy even more accurate: the people who hand-sew the hand-sewn version are paid peanuts and treated like garbage.

Awesome comparison on the button

Librarian

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 12:53 pm

The guy I bought my lab grown diamond from (and also earth diamond ring, tennis bracelet and tennis necklace) was very clear that lab grown will continue to go down in price. I have no problem with that. I paid $2900 for an over 4 carat stone with a platinum setting. I could not decide between the stone I bought and another that had a more unusual shape so it was $900 more. I decided it was not worth the extra money and if next year I thought I made a mistake, I could buy that stone for $900 then since the price will have continued to go down. The jeweler concurred 100% with my reasoning.

Librarian

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 12:56 pm

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

https://www.jaredvandermeer.com/3-reasons-the-de-beers-a-diamond-is-forever-campaign-changed-the-world/

Until 1947, diamond engagement rings for the average person were almost unheard of. No, your bubby in pre war Europe did NOT wear a diamond engagement ring, bracelet or earring!

De Beers launched the legendary “diamonds are forever” marketing campaign to create the impression that there is sentimental and actual value in a diamond ring. The campaign was wildly successful- one of the most successful marketing campaigns in history (rivaled perhaps by the Coca Cola Company campaign that created the jolly red Santa we know today but that’s a different fascinating story.)

Diamonds had a great run but my guess would be that with lab created diamonds making all size diamonds cheap, ubiquitous, and indistinguishable, that great run is shortly going to be coming to an end and diamond jewelry will no longer occupy the prominent place that it has.

My mother in law gave my granddaughter her mother's pre war double layer diamond stud earrings that we had appraised for $17000 (would have been more if they upgrade the out dated cut). It probably went down in value by now. But these were pre war Europe diamonds.

amother

Caramel

Mon, Mar 25 2024, 1:07 pm

People who buy lab grown think they got a great deal because they are getting a bigger diamond than they would be able to afford in mined stones. Whether the diamond is really worth the money they paid is another story. And that stone will probably go down in value. But if it was worth it for you and you are happy with what you got then go for it.