Natural v. Lab Created Diamonds

happyalc90 · June 2010

My boyfriend and I have been talking about our future and all that good stuff :P and he hinted that I should start thinking about what kind of rings I like.
My dream ring would be a 6 prong round cut from tiffany's, but there's no way we would be able to afford that.
I've heard people talk about lab created diamonds being a lot cheaper and still look like the real thing. I'm apprehensive about this. An engagement ring is an investment for the rest of your life!
Do any of you know somebody with a lab created diamond or have you heard anything about them? Any help would be great!
Thanks!Amanda

forrma7 · June 2010

hmmm well, to me, lab created = fake...but that's just my opinion. i'd rather have a small real diamond than a huge..."lab created"....rock.

check out more affordable options! there are definitely affordable, real diamonds out there.

my fav is bluenile.com

you can get a tiffany's 6 prong setting for a fraction of the cost. with tiffany's you're mostly buying the name anyways.

LauraT25 · June 2010

I was under the impression that a good lab-created diamond is still very expensive, but I haven't actually looked into this. They aren't 'fake', since they really are the same chemical structure as natural diamonds, but it is certainly a personal preference. I've never known anyone who had one, and I've never seen one IRL, so I don't really have anything to add.

LauraT25 · June 2010

Well, never mind, I just looked it up and they are waaay cheaper. Also, they don't have the same chemical composition, at least the ones I just found. I KNOW I heard about someone making real diamonds, but those were expensive.

troesch1 · June 2010

we don't tell anyone, but we got my ring from costco! I get tons of complements it wasn't cheap but the best quality we could get for the price. They have more in store than online and they usually only get 1-2 of each ring so it'll be unique.

lynniearudner · June 2010

i think there are different things --

there is moissonite, which is sort of like a "synthetic diamond" but has a different chemical structure.

and there there are "lab cultured" diamonds -- which i think have the same chemical structure as naturally found ones.

my priority when talking about my e-ring was more about the ethics of getting real diamonds than the size.

my FI agreed about this, and we ended up with a rather small stone, but one where we know where it came from (canada) and whose quality is practically unsurpassed (0.3 carat VS2, color-D) and i couldnt be happier.

SteveandKris · June 2010

moissonite is beautiful for the price and stays clear... but do you want to answer questions about if your ring is "real" because people realize your BF can't afford a 2 ct diamond? (People are rude and will ask)

Personally, I'd want the smaller diamond than the larger moissonite... but I'd look for companys that offer lifetime trade in on the stone and upgrade at your 5th anniversary, graduation or sometime in the future

maryesullivan · June 2010

Hi there,
         I asked my fiance, if he gets me any more diamond jewelry, please get a lab created diamond, not mined. After a little research of my own on the living and working conditions of diamond miners, I will not own another mined diamond.

   It's terrific you're looking into lab created diamonds. LCD are gaining popularity, primarily because they are a socially responsible choice. The diamond mining process is not only destructive to the earth, but they are part of an extremely violent business.

   There is a lot of hype about getting "the perfect diamond". I must tell you, most of this comes from the jewelry companies. My advice? Get the LCD, get a fabulous setting, and use the money you saved to buy a house, car, etc. And if you're uncomfortable telling people it's a LCD, just tell them it's mined. They look THE SAME.

Below is my favorite site - google it. Their LCD are the best, they look no different than mined diamonds, and theircustomer service is great.

nexus diamond labs

LauraT25 · June 2010

lynnie -

FI was very interested in quality over quantity (well, carats) as well, so he waited a very long time for the right diamond to show up on the Zales site. I think it's kind of cute how much he thought about it, and while I probably wouldn't have done the same if I had been involved, I do appreciate how sparkly it is. I wouldn't want a much bigger diamond anyway, since I'm not much of a jewelry person and I have small hands.

I wouldn't really call it the 'ethics' of getting a real diamond - if anything, most people would argue that lab-created diamonds are more ethical (i.e. not 'blood diamonds') but I think it was important to my FI that it be real for sentimental reasons. If he hadn't wanted to spend the money, I would not have been upset though, it DOES seem like a huge waste.

nmstanzione · June 2010

My friend has a "lab created" diamond, it looks really fake and it is very yellow. They cannot get the high quality in the lab created diamonds, I would definitely go for quality over quantity. FI got me a "Princess of Hearts" Diamond, it's not flawless but the cut allows more light in to make it appear flawless, you could look into that!

jelique7 · July 2010

real lab created diamonds do not come in white like real diamonds. they come in colors like pink, blue and yellow. which is probably why someone thought her friends diamond looked really fake

pp mentioned diamond nexus...i like this site but it is a fancy form of CZ...it has a slightly different composition but it is not the same properties of a diamond. i happen to like this site because i find nothing wrong with having a fake diamond.

everyone see's it differently but i think the meaning behind the ring shouldn't involve whether its a real or fake diamond. do whatever is right for you! diamond substitutes are defiantly less money!
good luck

npasquale16 · July 2010

I didn't know abotu lab-created diamonds, but just saw one on a fam member's e-ring this weekend. It was beautiful and she wanted something conflict-free.

kanuppag · July 2010

I know nothing about lab created diamonds, but I do have some advice on how to get a mined diamond cheaper. Try websites like amazon, overstock, and ebay. Also Zales has a trade-in policy that allows you to trade in your rings and upgrade when you have more money. Also because Zales has a trade in policy you can by pre-owned jewelry from them that is 1/2 the sticker price, so you might be able to afford a bigger mined diamond that you think.

Natural v. Lab Created Diamonds

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