If I had a dollar for every time someone sat down across from me and whispered, "Okay, but… lab or mined?" I'd have a very large diamond. It's the question I get the most, and honestly? It's not as simple as people make it seem. So I'm going to tell you exactly what I tell my clients. I'd rather you know too much than too little.
First: a lab grown diamond is a real diamond
Lab grown and earth mined diamonds are chemically and compositionally identical. Same carbon, same hardness, same sparkle. You cannot tell the difference by looking at them. Not you, not me, not your future mother-in-law.
If you think you can tell the difference, you should donate your body to science. When people say they can "just tell," what's usually happening is deductive reasoning. They see a six carat colorless diamond on their friend's finger and assume nobody spent $350,000 on it. That's not the same as looking at two diamonds side by side and knowing which is which. (For the record, cubic zirconia and moissanite are not diamonds at all. Totally different conversation.)
Confession: I used to call them "fake"
When I first started working with lab grown diamonds, I remember my first appointment. I was like, "Okay, here's your mined diamond, and here's your fake diamond." I kept catching myself. No, Taylor. It's a diamond. It took me a minute to get over my own traditional, precious little ideas about it.
What changed my mind was the guys. In New York, everyone wants a four carat, and I was sitting across from men handing over their life savings, sometimes through tears. One of them told me, "I'm just going to eat ramen forever." And I thought, I don't like that. This is supposed to be about love. You found your person! We lost the plot somewhere.
Lab grown diamonds are a wonderful answer to that. Now almost everyone gets their dream ring, and they still get to buy the land, take the trip and start their marriage off right. There is nothing bad about that.
So what's actually different?
Price (this is the big one)
Here's a real example. The first lab grown diamond I ever sold was a three carat colorless oval for $30,000. The mined equivalent at the time was $60,000, so he saved $30,000. Today that same lab diamond would be somewhere around $3,000 to $4,000. Lab pricing has dropped a lot.
Which means with lab grown, the setting often costs more than the center stone. Especially now that everyone wants heavy gold (thank god, we've been waiting). Get the look and get out. Get exactly what you want and go be in love with your person.
Rarity and story
A mined diamond formed in the earth over billions of years, and for some people that's the magic. That's valid! It's okay if you're traditional. Just admit it to yourself, and then go get the ring that makes you happy.
Value over time
Because lab grown prices have moved so much, they're not something to buy for resale. Mined diamonds hold value better, but no diamond bought at retail is an investment. My advice: buy the ring you want to look at every day, not the one you're planning to sell. And if your style changes, that's what my setting trade-in program is for.
Quality on paper
Lab grown diamonds are usually higher in color and clarity, and they typically don't have fluorescence. So if you're comparing apples to apples, you're usually comparing a lab diamond to a pretty high quality mined one. Either way, you want a grading report. Lab diamonds are most often graded by IGI, and mined diamonds by GIA.
How to decide
- Imagine yourself on your honeymoon with your favorite cocktail. When you look down at your hand, what do you want to see? Size and sparkle? Lab grown makes that easy. The romance of something from the earth? Go mined.
- Be honest about your budget. With your partner and with your jeweler. There's a gorgeous option at every level.
- Try things on. I mean it. If you haven't tried on, I almost won't talk to you. You don't know until you know.
- Ask your jeweler questions. "How did you pick these diamonds?" is a totally fair question. Tell me if you're comp shopping, too. Don't make it weird, just ask.
My take
I love lab grown diamonds, and I love mined diamonds. I don't own inventory, so I'm not pushing anything I already bought. I look at the whole market every single time and show you the best options in both. Most of my pieces, from wedding bands to tennis bracelets, come either way.
Still torn? That is literally what I'm here for. Book a consult and we'll look at them side by side. Bring your girlfriends, make an afternoon of it. This is one of the most exciting parts of your life, so let's inject some celebration into it. Or start dreaming with our custom engagement rings.
xx, Taylor
