Lab Created Diamond or Natural?

I know, I know in previous articles I was venomously opposed to even talking about laboratory created diamonds let alone sell them to my customers. I even nicknamed them “Frankenstein Diamonds” but to me what was the point of carrying them? When I weighed the pros and cons, the cons won me over. That was a year ago… but today on an island far, far away I am beginning to get requests even though the cons and the reasons I should stay away have increased in a year’s time. 

Not meaning to be crass here, but for example…how do I put this gently? The case for female physical augmentation was not as large or widespread (No pun intended) and not exactly accepted decades ago as it is currently. There were as many reasons not to perform the surgery as there were to requests for it and one of the pros was it made a woman feel better about herself. Some of the cons were the actual expense and what would people say - you would always hear some ladies snickering behind your back. Back then the majority felt…well, after all natural is better than un-natural right? 

That was then this is now. Today it is not only widespread but socially accepted throughout the world, everybody knows someone who has “had them done” or I’m sure there are many of my readers who have done it themselves. My point is today it’s no big deal, unless they are overly big and I won’t go any further on this wild comparison with lab-created diamonds.

What I was trying to get at is, it’s sort of like the demand for un-natural diamonds. Only the real differences we are talking about is carbon (hard) vs. silicone (soft). 

My experience with lab created diamonds is minimal and obviously ladies augmentation I have only used them twice in my fifty plus years as a jeweler (the lab diamonds, not the other thing!) The reason was “about the money” (it’s always about the money!) It was an alternative I happened to mention to one customer. I frowned on using cubic zirconium on this beautiful gold pendant I created so I suggested the lab grown diamonds - they are significantly less than natural diamonds and in just a year’s time they have gotten even less expensive. They don’t scratch or get dull like cubic’s do and they are virtually impossible to tell the difference when in large or small sizes.

Other alternative diamond look-alikes are white sapphire or Moissanite, both of which I don’t like using in place of diamonds. And then there are customer demands.

I’m not implying that lab created seekers are frugal - they may well be - so let’s consider my aforementioned off color comparison. Years ago, they were not truly accepted in the jewelry industry, old school retail shops such as myself don’t deal much with the Millennium market and they were the age group lab created online retailers were targeting with great success - after all how could you go wrong? A beautiful one carat round lab created diamond E color near flawless diamond ring for $3,500 (a natural diamond that color and clarity would go for three times the cost!) Guess what? They went for it, who would know, no one could tell the difference, especially the receiver. The sales of lab created diamonds in 2019 were over 191 million and in 2022 they could reach over eight billion!!!!  So much for something being too big!

He’s the problem I have; you know that one carat lab created diamond you purchased in 2019? If you find the right website the cost is now under $1000. So, I’m thinking…what’s next? A three hundred carat car hood ornament and maybe I can order lab created diamond lug nuts on Amazon for my Silverado for a song?

Just like the previously mentioned augmentation thing, they have no resale value that I am aware of. I have been hearing contrary remarks in the industry about resale value, still I cannot name one seller who will give a full refund for a previous purchase! Besides being less expensive they are becoming accepted at many well to do retail jewelers. I have to admit, any three-carat diamond Frankenstein or not on a ladies finger makes a woman feel good! It might even cause some 2022 behind the back snickering, “Martha, is the diamond that Helen is sporting real? It can’t be real…it’s so big!

G.I.A. (The Gemological Institute of America) certifies them now for Pete's sake! All the natural diamond vendors I have known for decades that were dead set against selling them are on the bandwagon (eight billion in sales, who can blame them!) They are relentless on trying to send me setup merchandise “to see what my clients think.”  I will sell them only under my rules:

1. They are what they are…lab created diamonds, not natural. The Supreme Being/Mother Nature did not create them. (Could be some guy named Fred for all I know?) They look like a duck, swim like a duck and quack like a duck only it’s not a duck. (Mutant duck?)

2. You requested it, it’s all on you, you will own it, love it and nurture it. I don’t want it back, except to move it to another piece of your jewelry, not free of course (I will gladly clean it for free). I will not refund your money, or take it in trade, you cannot exchange for anything else for any reason whatsoever, my policy is valid until “The End of Time.”

3. If the cost of these “things” goes down in the future, say like tomorrow, a dime a dozen, it’s not my problem, it’s your choice remember? I suggest you buy more - they would look very attractive at the bottom of an aquarium, the fish will most likely enjoy it.

4. See rules 1, 2 and 3.

I figure with this being my in-store policy, the requests will be at a minimum and purchases non-existent. Or it could backfire and bring the loonies in by the droves. Guess I will have to wait and see, “Get yer lab created diamonds here, buy one get one free!”

Richard Alan is a designer/goldsmith and owner of the Harbor Goldsmith, Marco’s go-to jeweler since 1994. They are celebrating twenty-five plus years on the island providing fine diamonds and sea life jewelry in addition to services for islanders and visitors alike. He welcomes your questions and comments about All That Glitters. www.harborgoldsmith.com.