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How To Decide Between A Lab Grown Engagement Ring and a Natural?
It is official! It seems like lab grown diamond engagement rings are here to stay. Two years ago here at Diamond Exchange Houston we had never received an inquiry or sold a lab grown diamond. Nowadays, lab grown diamonds and lab grown diamond engagement rings make up the majority of our sales! It is crazy how the diamond industry has changed in such a short period of time.
The question that our customers are asking themselves is should I go with a lab grown diamond? In this post, we will cover the ins and outs of going with a lab grown diamond versus going with a natural diamond.
Here at Diamond Exchange Houston, we are a jewelry store that offers wholesale diamonds, engagement rings, and other diamond jewelry at wholesale prices direct to the public. Normal retail jewelry stores and online retailers cannot compete with our prices, service, or quality. Read our over 130 5 star Google reviews to hear what our past customers are saying about their experience of working with Diamond Exchange Houston.
At The Diamond Exchange, our goal is to always get our customers the biggest and nicest diamonds for their budget. Schedule an appointment with us today by calling 281-623-1105 or by filling out the contact form located on every page of our website.
Can you tell the difference between lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds?
This is a question that we get asked all the time. To the naked eye or even with a magnifying glass the answer is a strong “No”. By looking at the appearance of a lab grown diamond nobody will be able to tell that it is not a natural diamond. Even a diamond cutter that has been cutting diamonds for his entire life cannot tell the difference.
There are several ways that you can tell that a lab grown diamond is not natural. The first way is by a laser inscription. A lot of times when diamonds are lab created they will get graded and certified by an institute like GIA or IGI. These companies will laser inscribe the certificate number on the girdle of the diamond. When we see a diamond that has a certificate number laser inscribed we can lookup the number on the computer and it will tell us the grading information of that diamond including whether or not the diamond is lab grown.
The second way that we can tell whether or not the diamond is lab grown is by an expensive diamond testing tool that we use. On a normal electronic diamond testing tool a lab grown diamond will test as a normal diamond. However, they now make a tool that tests to determine between a lab grown diamond and a natural diamond. We use this tool at Diamond Exchange Houston when buying diamonds to make sure that we do not purchase a lab grown as a natural.
The third and ultimate way to determine if a diamond is lab grown is to send the diamond into a grading institution like GIA or IGI. These diamond grading laboratories will run their tests and indicate on the certificate whether or not the diamond is lab grown.
So if you are buying a lab grown diamond for an engagement ring then there is no need to worry whether or not somebody will be able to tell the difference because they cannot. Often times a lab grown diamond will even look better than a natural diamond because they are often cut to perfection because the manufacturers are not worried as much about saving the diamond carat weight as much as they are with natural diamonds. Lab grown diamonds often have excellent cuts because they have more freedom to cut the rough into perfection.
Is a lab grown engagement ring a fake diamond?
One saying that we hear often by people who are uneducated about lab grown diamonds is that they do not want a “fake diamond”. At Diamond Exchange Houston we consider a cubic zirconia to be a fake diamond. A lab grown diamond is a real diamond that was actually grown from a real diamond. The difference is that the diamond was grown in a lab versus being naturally grown on planet earth millions of year prior.
The Benefits Of A Lab Grown Diamond Engagement Ring
There are many benefits of choosing a lab grown diamond to use as the main stone in your engagement ring. The first benefit is that a lab grown diamond is less expensive. For example, a natural 1-carat diamond might cost $5k whereas a diamond that was grown in a lab might only cost a fraction of that price. So if you are on a budget this will be music to your ears because you will be able to afford a bigger looking engagement ring for the price.
Another benefit is that you will be able to get a much bigger diamond for the price. Customers that come to us with a particular budget have the option of choosing to go with a natural diamond engagement ring or with a lab grown diamond engagement ring. If you are on a tight budget but would like to have a big look then a lab grown diamond is an option that you should look into. When shopping for engagement rings at Diamond Exchange Houston you will have the ability to try on and compare both options. We have hundreds of loose diamonds and engagement rings to select from. Couples will often come in together to make sure that the man gets it right.
Another benefit of choosing a lab grown diamond is that it is known to be more economically friendly versus going with earth-mined diamonds. You also know that there was no forced hard labor in creating the diamonds which can also be known as “blood diamonds”.
The Downside Of choosing lab grown diamonds or a lab grown diamond engagement ring
In this section, we will list some drawbacks of choosing a lab grown diamond to go as the main stone in your engagement ring. Understand, every person is different and everyone is entitled to their own opinion of how they feel about their diamonds being lab created. With some girls that receive a lab grown diamond might feel on the inside as if they are wearing a fake diamond. This can almost be compared to a lady strutting around with a fake Louis Vuitton purse. Everyone is different in how it makes them feel. Some girls it will bother and other girls have absolutely no problem with it. Gentlemen, we recommend checking with your lady before you surprise her with a lab grown diamond.
Another downside to a lab grown engagement ring is that you might have a hard time getting maximum value when trying to resell your ring. Lab Grown diamonds are something very new to the world and they will not be as easy to exchange for cash as natural diamonds are. Here at Diamond Exchange Houston, we will buy lab grown diamonds as well as natural diamonds. Every dealer and diamond buyer is different, however, it will definitely be harder to sell a lab grown diamonds versus natural diamonds.
When customers want to sell diamonds to Diamond Exchange Houston we typically give them 2 options: outright buyout or consignment. If you ever would like to sell your lab grown diamond and get maximum value it will be best to first try our jewelry consignment option.
Buy In Person Vs. Buying Online!
At Diamond Exchange Houston we are a local business in Houston, TX where people often visit us in person to try on different options versus buying online. The advantage of shopping for diamonds in person is that you will be able to compare the diamonds in person to make sure you choose the diamond that sparkles the most.
Customers who buy the cheapest diamond online blindly often do not have the opportunity to see the diamond in real life. If you choose to buy the cheapest diamond online there is a reason that it is the cheapest. The color and clarity grading certificates often do not tell the whole story of how the diamond looks in person. We have seen tons of diamonds that look good on paper, but have no “bling-bling” in real life. At Diamond Exchange Houston you have the advantage of being able to see how diamonds look in real life!
Schedule Your Appointment Today To Shop For Lab Grown Diamonds and Engagement Rings Today!
If you are in the market to purchase a diamond we invite you to schedule an appointment at Diamond Exchange Houston today. Simply give us a call at 281-623-1105 and we can schedule you for a visit to our Houston jewelry store where you will have the opportunity to compare natural and lab grown diamonds and engagement rings in person!
Diamond Exchange Houston
4306 Yoakum Blvd #305 A
Houston, TX 77006
281-623-1105
