"It was examined by an auction house, several diamond dealers, and a cutter specializing in antique stones, all of whom found no issues. However, after being sent to GIA, it was revealed to be lab-grown." This part is so interesting because if the lab-grown diamonds are now practically indistinguishable from the natural ones, why is it that one is more valuable than another? Will they all eventually be worth the same?
Yes, lab-grown and natural diamonds can be chemically and molecularly identical, and machines can often only be the way to distinguish between them. Lab-grown diamonds offer a more affordable alternative but generally have little to no resale value. Even a large lab-grown diamond purchased for $5,000 might only sell for a fraction of that amount on the secondary market because traders can source them cheaply from growers.
In contrast, natural diamonds are more valuable due to their rarity. Since natural diamonds are finite, their price reflects their limited availability. Lab-grown diamonds, which can be produced in large quantities, lack this rarity and thus have a lower price and limited resale value. While they make larger diamonds more accessible, their abundance means they may not hold their value over time as natural diamonds do.
straightforward) issue. So many people have been fooled by the resale value of lab diamonds and I have friends who invested in them for wedding/engagement before realising that they have no real resell value!
With the increase in new antique cuts and antique labs, this is also interesting to me (which I mentioned before) - there’s a market of consumers who are drawn to true antiques due to their rich history, lower impact on the environment, and desire to actually recycle, not just greenwash.
It seems inevitable that the origin of these diamonds will be harder to trace, though, given the new market uptick. Diamond deception, indeed.
I’m also wondering if that those replaced diamonds (the gem show ones, for instance) were of some significance to be cut and replaced!
"It was examined by an auction house, several diamond dealers, and a cutter specializing in antique stones, all of whom found no issues. However, after being sent to GIA, it was revealed to be lab-grown." This part is so interesting because if the lab-grown diamonds are now practically indistinguishable from the natural ones, why is it that one is more valuable than another? Will they all eventually be worth the same?
Hi Laura! Thank you for reading and chiming in!
Yes, lab-grown and natural diamonds can be chemically and molecularly identical, and machines can often only be the way to distinguish between them. Lab-grown diamonds offer a more affordable alternative but generally have little to no resale value. Even a large lab-grown diamond purchased for $5,000 might only sell for a fraction of that amount on the secondary market because traders can source them cheaply from growers.
In contrast, natural diamonds are more valuable due to their rarity. Since natural diamonds are finite, their price reflects their limited availability. Lab-grown diamonds, which can be produced in large quantities, lack this rarity and thus have a lower price and limited resale value. While they make larger diamonds more accessible, their abundance means they may not hold their value over time as natural diamonds do.
Fascinating I know!!
Truly!
So happy you tackled this complex (but also
straightforward) issue. So many people have been fooled by the resale value of lab diamonds and I have friends who invested in them for wedding/engagement before realising that they have no real resell value!
With the increase in new antique cuts and antique labs, this is also interesting to me (which I mentioned before) - there’s a market of consumers who are drawn to true antiques due to their rich history, lower impact on the environment, and desire to actually recycle, not just greenwash.
It seems inevitable that the origin of these diamonds will be harder to trace, though, given the new market uptick. Diamond deception, indeed.
I’m also wondering if that those replaced diamonds (the gem show ones, for instance) were of some significance to be cut and replaced!
Yes yes the last bit! Very curious...which dealers and which stones were targeted...