Can you tell the difference between a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond?

[Anonymous]

No. Not unless you have a loupe, in which case you will likely see the laser mark identifying it as lab grown.

I know a lot about diamonds, and if I were to buy one today -- or any diamond jewelry, really -- I'd buy lab. You want a well cut diamond; cut is the most important part of the four c's, it is what is going to make it sparkle. I'd put carat second. As far as clarity goes all you need is eye clean, no sense in paying for clarity above that. And color really depends on how sensitive you are to it, and what you are going to set it in (if setting in yellow gold, you can go all the way to a I, or even a J or K if you aren't color sensitive; and I'll add here that some actually prefer a warmer diamond).

It's true there is pretty much no resale market for a lab diamond, and there is a resale market for mined diamonds. But the resale market for mined diamonds ain't exactly great, so you shouldn't be buying diamonds counting on the idea of selling them down the line anyway.

Anyone wanting to buy a large diamond should familiarize themselves with the Rocky Talky forum on Pricescope, learn as much as possible there, and then post for help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean if you have a four carat ring and you’re living an otherwise fairly modest life, yes, people that know you can usually tell. My secretary has a seven carat one and yeah. We know: who cares. She likes it.

Well, yeah. This is why diamonds as a status symbol are over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - I have thought about upgrading my ring but if I do I will definitely do lab grown.

My current ring I got when we were poor 25 year olds. I still love it. It’s 1.4 carats princess cut.

Our HHI has quadrupled if not more and I would love a bigger 3 carat stone.

If your diamond is that big, you weren't "poor."

Stay classy, DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. From a physical and chemical standpoint, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE in their structure. Which is the entire point. Quality is entirely the same. It's provenance that's different, and the diamond industry has done such a good job on people that they're still buying diamonds from mines, instead of diamonds from labs, with a huge mark-up.

^^ THIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean if you have a four carat ring and you’re living an otherwise fairly modest life, yes, people that know you can usually tell. My secretary has a seven carat one and yeah. We know: who cares. She likes it.

Well, yeah. This is why diamonds as a status symbol are over.

Haven’t they been over? You could always buy cz and no one could tell! My aunt inherited a beautiful platinum earring set from my grandmother- my grandmother took out the big diamonds and gave them to her sons to use for engagement rings. My aunt, who has more than enough money for diamonds, put cz in those earrings and happily went her way. People probably think they are real because she is wealthy- they’re not!

Meaning people

[Anonymous]

I can’t tell the difference and I wouldn’t care even if I could. Why waste all that money when you have practically the same thing at a fraction of the cost?

[Anonymous]

I can’t tell and don’t care, and I also can’t tell Diamond vs CZ with the naked eye and neither can anyone else. If someone says they can, they’re lying.

[Anonymous]

"Can you imagine? Kathy's ring wasn't mined with slave labor! The scandal!"

[Anonymous]

Poor 25 year old with 1.4 ct ring.
We were poor 28 year olds DH just started his first job as a professor. No diamond. We had 10kt wedding rings and had a honeymoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Can you imagine? Kathy's ring wasn't mined with slave labor! The scandal!"

Please. Most mined diamonds aren’t mined by slave labor anymore. Labs have all kinds of chemical and environmental issues and they’re made in china and India. Let’s not get too pompous.

I actually can tell a bit. I didn’t want a totally perfect stone it looks fake. I like a flaw and I like an old stone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Can you imagine? Kathy's ring wasn't mined with slave labor! The scandal!"

Please. Most mined diamonds aren’t mined by slave labor anymore. Labs have all kinds of chemical and environmental issues and they’re made in china and India. Let’s not get too pompous.

I actually can tell a bit. I didn’t want a totally perfect stone it looks fake. I like a flaw and I like an old stone.

lol “mined” diamonds are ten times the cost. And sorry the labor issues with diamonds have not been resolved and the environmental impact of mining will always dwarf a synthetic process. And labs will drag down the “value” of ALL diamonds. Enjoy your “flaws.”

[Anonymous]

Not op but curious to know which brands carry the best lab grown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean if you have a four carat ring and you’re living an otherwise fairly modest life, yes, people that know you can usually tell. My secretary has a seven carat one and yeah. We know: who cares. She likes it.

Well, yeah. This is why diamonds as a status symbol are over.

Haven’t they been over? You could always buy cz and no one could tell! My aunt inherited a beautiful platinum earring set from my grandmother- my grandmother took out the big diamonds and gave them to her sons to use for engagement rings. My aunt, who has more than enough money for diamonds, put cz in those earrings and happily went her way. People probably think they are real because she is wealthy- they’re not!

Meaning people

Inaccurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poor 25 year old with 1.4 ct ring.
We were poor 28 year olds DH just started his first job as a professor. No diamond. We had 10kt wedding rings and had a honeymoon.

Yeah I laughed at the post. So self-aware!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Can you imagine? Kathy's ring wasn't mined with slave labor! The scandal!"

Please. Most mined diamonds aren’t mined by slave labor anymore. Labs have all kinds of chemical and environmental issues and they’re made in china and India. Let’s not get too pompous.

I actually can tell a bit. I didn’t want a totally perfect stone it looks fake. I like a flaw and I like an old stone.

I mean, you can always buy a lab with a lower color grade/clarity if you don’t want perfect.

But I do agree with pp who mentioned that diamonds just can’t be used as a wealth signifier anymore when you can buy a decent 3 carat diamond for around 1k