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Mined diamonds vs. Lab-created simulated diamonds
I would like to know your views/opinions on this topic!
Does anyone here have a Lab Created diamond?
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My ering will have a lab created diamond. And I don't see anything wrong with that. Instead of spending all that $$$ on my ring, we'll have a downpayment on our house. Instead of the ethical dilemma of where that 3 carat diamond came from (slaves working for 2 pennies a day in some mine in Africa owned by DeBeers...) I know that it was a hunk of coal in a lab in Minnesota. And will anyone else besides my FI, myself, and the devoted throngs of WB readers looking at this post ever know??? Nope. Plus my diamond will be FLAWLESS. Perfect in every way.
As a side note, I should also mention that I have pirated DVDs, purse knockoffs like Frada, and sunglass knockoffs like ORKLEYS. I guess I don't see the point in spending $25000 for something I can get for $300. It seems like only people who are worried about social status would care, and I have no social status anyway, so ::shrug::
I'm all for lab created gems. In addition to Sapphire's points- it's also seems like a lot less environmental impact. Instead of sifting through a mountain, the gem is created in a lab.
I got engaged in 2007- and back then when I was researching the only drawback to lab created diamonds was that they weren't very large (the technology to make large gems didn't exist)- I don't know if that's the case today.
I don't have a problem wih tit either. If no one else is going to know, go for it. If someone asked, would you tell them the truth? Just wondering. I'm not sure if I would, or just say something like, "Well aren't we curious?"' and brush it off.
I have no fundamental issue with lab-created. As long as it's just as pretty, what do I care? But at the same time, I just really love the idea that I have something so gorgeous and it was created by Nature! It's just amazing that something so pretty is natural, and it's probably pretty freakin old too. So neat!
okay... after typing up a LONG LONG message that was so well worded and then got deleted cause it wouldn't post... here goes....
There is no such thing as a "lab created" white diamond. Only blue, pink, and yellow can be lab created. ALL of those companies (Including Diamond Nexus Labs) advertising lab created white diamonds are running a really expensive scam selling very well cut CZ's, a step up from what you'd get at Claire's. They're also selling them at a 1,000x markup!
If you want to conserve costs, go with a smaller diamond, or be eco-friendly and go with a white sapphire. You can get those lab grown, and they really are sapphire, just white.
I originally wanted a lab grown diamond, but after literally over a month of research (I'm nothing if not an informed consumer) I found enough proof that no such thing exists. like unicorns, they are wonderful, but mythilogical.
If you're okay with CZ, then save yourself a lot of $$ and just buy a CZ. Don't buy a "lab grown" diamond, when it's the exact same CZ for $300-$500 instead of $5-$10.
These websites helped me out, you should deff. check what they have to say before you spend that much money on a Cubic Zirconium!:
Scroll down a little ways on this one for the good info
This one has VERY good scientific info on "lab grown" diamonds
Oooh, I just checked out my lab...they're now the Official Jewlery Sponsor for the Miss Universe organization! Check out my gem jeweler:
Oh! A few more...
This one is GREAT, be sure to read the comments.
Another describing their shady business practices, and again confirming them to be CZ.
In a quote from that site:
"Can someone tell me <span style="font-weight: bold">why Justin C. Lockridge, listed as Customer Service Manager with Diamond Nexus Labs would be posing as a reverend and wedding planner writing articles and giving advice about buying rings and then recommending Diamond Nexus Labs as an alternative to "blood diamonds" but without indicating he works for the company?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Blood-on-Your-Finger&id=451090"
Sorry to burst your bubble and be a joy-kill... I wish they were real too!! I wanted a 2 carat stunner in a fancy setting, but now will be relegated to a 1/2 carat real diamond, with real flaws, in a simple setting. But you know what? I love it. I know it's real, it's vintage (was my great-grandmothers!) so it's conflict free, and who REALLY needs 2 carats?!?
Here's another...
"Update: The above was found on Google advertisement on 16 Feb 2008. Having tested the Diamond Nexus Labs product, and talking to a former employee of Diamond Nexus Labs, I can tell you all the following:
In short, the Google ad above, copied direct from the Google page, is false and misleading.
I was disappointed to see this ad. I don't know why Diamond Nexus Labs has to lie about their product."
I have a Moissanite Gem, so I guess it is what could be considered a 'lab created' diamond...I love it. It is flawless, and its beautiful, and it cost a fraction of a 'real' diamond. Plus none of that blood diamond stuff...
I think the stuff on lab-created diamonds being fake is interesting, but those sites don't seem like the best sources. Blogs and such? Do you have any links to more accredited sources? I can't find anything like what you're saying through searching myself. Definitely not saying I don't believe you, I just want more info. It's interesting! Gotta love catching a scam.
@Liz.smith....
If anyone is DEAD SET on a Diamond Nexus CZ... go on eBay and buy a "Signity" by Swarvoski stone. That's what they sell, they just buy and resell them at a markup. You can get one for $2-$5. There is also speculation that their gold may not be real, apparently none of the rings are stamped "14K", although they claim to be. (I think they're REQUIRED by law to stamp REAL gold!!)
As a person that owns a pair own Diamond Nexus Labs earrings and another diamond simulant, ASHA, I can honestly say that I would go with the ASHA (betterthandiamond.com). They are completely upfront with their product, and it looks so real!!. Basically, it has a cz stone at the core, but it is coated with amorphous diamonds (crushed diamonds), which gives the stone it's diamond look. It's absolutely amazing. I lurked on the site and the boards for a few months before we made the purchase for the center stone for my e-ring, which we had set in a platinum setting with real diamond sidestones. Please consider ASHA instead. It's too late for me to return my DNL earrings, but if I could, I would, that's how big the difference is.
Anddddd this one has great info as well.
and The International Diamond Exchange article.
A few interesting quotes from a International Gemological Society Student board:
"I had a customer come in today with one of these diamond nexus simulants today. We had plenty of time to test and probe to determine what it was, as the customer was told to treat it like a sapphire... so we weren't taking any chances with a rushed identification.
It was a single refractive stone, 8.5 mm in size, the RI matched that of the RI liquid (no reading) and it was quite bright. When myself and our GG John finished our tests, we concluded that it was in fact CUBIC ZIRCONIA!
We went to the web site and learned that the chemical composition was ZrO2.... Zirconia Oxide! with some additional research we reconfirmed that ZrO2 is CZ... Now this would be alright, a well cut CZ is an affordable alternative, and diamond nexus does advertise as a "diamond simulant"..... except that she was charged $190 for a $10 retail CZ!!!:flame: Needless to say, she will be taking them up on their return policy. It's this kind of almost 2000% markup on a RETAIL value that just steams me up. How can these people sleep at night?"
As a result of the work of a gemologist trying to make them stop their scam, they changed a lot of their marketing, so now it says "diamond simulant" instead of "simulated diamond"
End of story is this: If you want fake, go with fake, but KNOW it's fake. It's not a "Lab-Grown" diamond unless it's pink, blue, and yellow, and those only cost like 10% less than a nature-grown colored diamond, still around $3,000+ for a small stone!
If you are dead set on fake, get a Signity stone off eBay, that is the same stone, same brand, same EVERYTHING as Diamond Nexus, for $2-$5 instead of $300-$500!
I just feel bad for all the people on those mesage boards trying to return their Nexus's. Apparently if you wnat to return it you get a customer service runaround.
I have only heard very very good things about ASHA, and they are honest and upfront that IT IS NOT A DIAMOND and I like that. I would deff. consider them as a good choice. The diamond coating is supposed to "dull down" the extra fire or "giddyness" that CZs have which always reveals CZs as fakes from a mile away. I would say though to avoid holding you ASHA next to a frind's real diamond... it might be obvious as a fake. Unless all your friends know it's a fake, in that case you can marvel at how close it looks to the real thing!
i'm all about saving some money. where would i find a white sapphire wedding band?
@ JanieLeigh
I'd google that if I were you, or go to a local jeweler and ask them to make one for you! You might actually save soem $$ that way.
Thanks for all of the replies!!
Does anyone have any opinions on the following Companies?
APOLLO
http://www.apollodiamond.com/
SITARAGEM
http://www.sitaragem.com/diamond.php
Thanks!
Like marquettemonv15, I too have an asha center stone and real diamond sidestones and I absolutely love my ring! My fiance spent months researching all the different options and he thought asha was the best in terms of cost to value and overall appearance and I agree. I've gotten tons of compliments on my ring and no one has ever asked me if it was a fake - I doubt anyone would be able to tell without looking under a microscope or testing it.
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I checked all of those "references" and they're just a bunch of blog threads...kind of useless...I searched for the elusive "damning report" on DNL, but couldn't find that in any science journal or published source either...is all of this just a lot of online gossip and chatter? Seems like there aren't any real sources to research...
I still stand by the reasons I posted for why a lab gem is better than a mined diamond. 
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I researched diamond alternatives before we got engaged. If you are concerned about conflict diamonds and not cost, my FI purchased a diamond mined in Canada to avoid buying a conflict diamond. This was very important to us. I'm by no means a diamond expert, but the stone has a microscopic etching of a canadian flag and a serial number on it in addition to the paperwork that made me trust it. The drawback was that the Canadian stone had a larger price tag compared to other diamonds of its size & quality. I absolutely love my ring, but sometimes feel ashamed having a diamond period - knowing the harm the industry continues to cause.
@ MightySapphire
If you're dead set on a Diamond Nexus, please save yourself some money and go buy a Signity stone on eBay, that's what Diamond Nexus sells. They order the stones from Signity and then resell them. If you don't believe me, buy a Nexus 'diamond', and order a Signity stone of the same size and cut. I believe you will not be able to see any difference, as they are exactly the same. You can then return the Nexus stone, saving yourself hundreds of dollars. If you are convinced that the Nexus gems are the real thing, then buy the smallest, cheapest one they sell, take it to a certified gemologist yourself, and have him run tests to verify it as the real thing. These tests will prove it to be only CZ. I just hate to see you throw a lot of money at a fake stone, when you can get the SAME fake stone on eBay for hundereds less. You might also consider ASHA, they may be fake, but you KNOW what you're getting as opposed to being lied to by a shady comany. The ASHA stones are CZ, but they're coated in a 'diamond coating' which gives them a more consistent 'diamond look'.
@LeiAnn: If you don't mind my asking, which company did your DH purchase your asha centerstone?
Re-direct:
If you purchased a simulated or otherwise not-mined stone, would you tell anyone?
Why or why not?
I think there is some confusion here. Lab created diamonds do exist. However, a lot of companies that sell diamond simulants muddy the waters.
The jeweler that I purchased my ring from (I have a sapphire, so I'm not biased trying to defend my ring) is a certified dealer of Apollo diamonds. This company does make actual diamonds in a lab. The stones they create have the exact same molecular composition as mined diamonds except that they are free of impurities since they are made in a lab.
My jeweler is very reputable and I do not believe that he's scamming people.
Do not be confused between diamond SIMULANTS and lab created diamonds.
I own a pair of earrings that are lab created sapphires. I have no qualms about telling people.
Maybe it's because I'm a scientist, but the molecular structure of gems (sapphire, diamond, etc) made in labs is exactly the same as mined stones. What makes a diamond and diamond is not where it is found (in the ground or in a lab)- it's the moelcular makeup.
The only difference (and the way jewlers can tell them apart) is the absence of impurities because of the controlled lab environment.
I would much rather have a lab created stone than knowing a mountain was ground down into gravel to make my jewelry!
About five years ago I sold my diamond earrings. Whoppers they were, 2 cts per ear, so I could have $ for a downpayment on a home for my son and I after the divorce since my x was being not so nice. I sold them and quietly purchased some lab created earrings of the same size. White gold also. NOBODY has known about it except for my sister, mom, and T. When I met T, he commented on how gorgeous my earrings were and that they were lovely DIAMONDS. (he is friends with a well known local jeweller and thinks of himself a somewhat of a jewelry expert lol!).
My mom also has a white sapphire cocktail ring that looks gorgeous.
MightySapphire, I almost wish you'd get a sapphire b/c of the history of you & your name! A sparkly gorgeous white sapphire rock. Their strength is also very strong, close to diamond. Very tough stone.
@ MightySapphire: He bought it directly through the asha website which is http://betterthandiamond.com/diamonds/asha/index.php After it arrived in the mail he just took it to a local jeweler to have it set.
Also, to answer your other question I tell some people, but not everyone. I am not at all ashamed to have a simulant, I love it! However, I know there are people out there who, in my opinion are materialistic and must have a real diamond and no amount of convincing would change their mind so I don't even bother saying anything. For example, I used to work with a woman told me how her boyfriend has to get her this nearly $10,000 ring from Tiffany's or she would say no. She was not joking either. So sad...
Where can I shop for a cultured sapphire? One of the ones that look like a diamond? That would be cool considering LOL
My lab created sapphire earrings are from Gordon's Jewlery (they are a chain), but I've seen lab created sapphires online, at Kay's, Jared's and other chains.
The white sapphire in my ring isn't lab created, but whever I tell people it's a sapphire and not a diamond they are (or at least act) suprised. And it really is about 1/10th the cost of a similar sized diamond. Apparently because everyone assumes sapphires are blue, there isn't much demand for white sapphires and they are cheaper than blue ones!
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@rosychicklet - I have a white sapphire engagement ring too and LOVE it. It is bright white and sparkly, and I love surprising people who expect it to be a diamond. I am happy that my finace chose this instead of a diamond - I had wanted a sapphire, but never knew that they came in white. Now, we're saving for a house rather than paying for a ring.
@ankile- I'm with you! I love the symbolism of the sapphie (honesty and fidelity). I wanted a blue sapphire, but my FI was afraid it wouldn't look enough like and ering. I left the decision up to him and he chose a white sapphire. I think it was the perfect solution!
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Before I got my ring I was looking at ASHA's. I browsed for about 3 months and can safely conclude that they would be the best if I was going to go that route.
They have a message board where people post pictures of their settings with their ASHA diamond so check it out!
I'm having a hard time finding loose white sapphires for sale...can anyone point me in the right direction?
My husband got mine through a jeweler. Can you go to a local jewler?
Keep in mind the sapphires are actually measured in millimeters not carats- although some places will give an approximate carat weight since people are used to thinking about gemstones in carats. For example- my sapphire is round cut about 5-6mm in size and the jeweler told my husband it was about 1.08 carats.
Here are some sites I found through Google- but I have no idea if they are reputable. (the last link looked the most promising)
http://www.justgemstones.com/natural_white_sapphire.html
I've looked at the white saphires. They are really pretty. I think they have little bit of a different look than a diamond (at least when they are giant; I've seen ones that look like they're about 3 carats). But they are gorgeous and they have meaning and people really don't expect diamonds as much these days as they used to.
I've seen them in Kay, Jared, and I think Helzberg while just browsing. I tried to find colorless topaz out of curiosity.. it's my birthstone.. but I've never seen it. Anyone out there know anything about it?
I really wanted a lab created diamond (the one with all the same properties of a natural diamond), but I wanted either a white or pink one. They're still expensive because they can't make them in really large sizes and much more difficult to create than yellow. So I stuck with a natural one.
I love white sapphires, they can be just as sparkly as a diamond! However, they don't refract light like a diamond; so instead of getting colored flashes, you get a lot more "white flashes." Even though I have a diamond, I'm searching for a white sapphire for a pendant...
The Natural Sapphire Company is reputable, but a crapshoot for customer service. If you don't mind getting an annoying sales rep, it's good.
http://www.acstones.com has some nice sapphires.
Colored topaz is out there, but you have to search for it. Since it's not popular, it's usually heat treated or irridated to get to blue topaz. It's a little softer than diamonds and sapphires, so you have to baby it a little bit more if you put it in a ring.
@rosychicklet - I'm a chemical engineer, and I also think the idea of the lab-grown gem is fantastic. I have a gorgeous set of lab-grown emerald earrings - basically your only option nowadays if you love emeralds and aren't hugely rich, as most natural emerald of any size is so foggy and included that it almost looks like jade.
It is true that there are lab-grown diamonds (white, pink, yellow, and blue) and diamond-simulants like Moissanite, and they are not the same thing. An actual lab-grown white diamond of any size is not going to be hugely less expensive than a natural one, and they do have trouble growing them to a signficant size - you're not going to find 2 ct for cheap, or at all, in lab-grown - only in a simulant. It's a great option if what you really want is a pink-and-white eternity band or tennis bracelet - something with small diamonds, particularly colored ones that would otherwise be unaffordable.
My rings are natural diamonds - DH had a huge problem with the lab-grown thing as he didn't consider them "real." But I love my emerald earrings, and have no problem telling people that they are lab-grown. And eventually I would love a pink-and-white lab-grown diamond eternity band, which DH has agreed would be an "acceptable" anniversary present.
Our custom jeweler, who is also a diamond broker, was completely willing to work with us on lab-grown stones, and were we to go that route for anything I would absolutely order through them rather than over the internet. They already know who the reputable manufacturers are, and the mark-up on the stone is not that big going through a good broker, if you're having the setting made by them.
@suzanno- thanks for backing me up on the science front!
I think it's funny that both our husbands had a similar reaction to the lab created stones. My husband got me the lab created sapphire earrings as a wedding present. When he told me they were lab created, it was in an apologetic tone! I had to reassure him that it didn't matter to me.
I told my FI that I DID NOT want a diamond on my ering. I was pretty insistent!! But he couldn't find any "acceptable" alternatives to diamonds...he LOVES the idea of a white sapphire (Weddingbee saves the day again!!) Thanks Hive!!
I'm so into this cultured stone thing! And, of course, I love sapphires! So this works PERFECT for us!!
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