So what kind of ring did you get your wife when you popped the question?

[naginiF]

My wife and I are both of Irish heritage.  I actually bought a gold Claddagh ring and used it to propose on St. Patrick's Day.  It was dual purpose with the Irish connection and the understanding that I didn't have a clue what diamond ring she would want.  She was able to take her time and pick out exactly what she wanted for the actual engagement ring.

I went the Claddagh with an emerald as the birth present for our first.

For the engagement ring i knew the cut she wanted and wound up finding the best deal (combo quality/size) on line....BlueNile maybe?.  If i was as socially conscious back then as i am now, and if they had lab grown back then, i would've gone that route. 

[theBabyDavid]

Went to Blue Nile for theBabyDavid's mother. Realized I had a 10% sales tax hit with Seattle-based Blue Nile so pivoted hard into New York-based James Allen.

On-line shopping is the way to go. Phenomenal selection, great images, and unpressured tailored support makes identifying the right stone and setting a breeze. Ring was Fed Exed within two days of wire transfer.

Some said to focus on carat but the other three C's are equally important. Cut, color, and clarity are all integral to delivering the brilliant fire effect which is what a woman wants in a diamond.

Got theBabyDavid's mother a 3.2 carat Ideal cut Princess, with F color and vvs1 clarity set in platinum. The whole operation, from shopping to fulfillment was less than a week. And on-line venues offer significant value over brick and mortar retailers.

[brewcity77]

I had my wife's best friend come along. Good thing, because the first ring I picked looked like the one her ex had bought her. I bought the stone and ring separately. I'm not a fan of the lab grown diamonds because everyone has their own facet count, and if you want to trade something in, you can really only trade it back where it came from (like the often advertised Kessler 81).

I spent enough for it to look good, not so much to break the bank. The key is getting a setting you like. You can always upgrade the center stone in time.

[JWags85]

Some said to focus on carat but the other three C's are equally important. Cut, color, and clarity are all integral to delivering the brilliant fire effect which is what a woman wants in a diamond.

Actually not true at all.  The only of the 4 Cs that contribute to the sparkle of a diamond is cut.  Color and clarity grades are just a measure of rarity.  Lot less D flawless stones floating around then K SI2s.  But if you cut those "lower quality" stones better, you're going to get the desired effect from across the room, where they won't be able to tell what clarity it is.  The human eye cant really tell the difference between an F and a K color, without a white backdrop and comparison points.

I'm not a fan of the lab grown diamonds because everyone has their own facet count, and if you want to trade something in, you can really only trade it back where it came from (like the often advertised Kessler 81).

Lab grown has serious issues.  They've been advertising themselves as a 10-20% discount to natural stones and positioning themselves as a real alternative, especially to millennial.  Well Debeers just rocked the market last week with a new brand called Lightbox which will sell for about $800 a carat.  Which will now set the pricing for man made like other gemstones, not on par with natural.

Kesslers has been selling as much as 70% percent of their diamond sales as lab grown, offering their full buyback guarantee.  Now all of a sudden people are going to have a $4000 stone they bought that they are reading in the NYT is only worth $800.  Could be disastrous for Kesslers and others like them.

As you can likely tell, I'm in the industry.  I'm not a jeweler, I dont sell diamonds, but my customers span pretty much the entire supply chain all the way through retail.  I have friends all the time ask for my opinions on their SO's ring or the like.  I ask her if she's happy with the ring, does she love it?  Usually its a resounding yes...and then I tell them my opinion doesn't matter more than that.

I do get annoyed to hear tired diamond tropes and myths, most of which are based on antiquated facts or stereotypes, get trotted out again and again, but thats just me.

[jesmu84]

https://www.youtube.com/v/N5kWu1ifBGU

[jesmu84]

Actually not true at all.  The only of the 4 Cs that contribute to the sparkle of a diamond is cut.  Color and clarity grades are just a measure of rarity.  Lot less D flawless stones floating around then K SI2s.  But if you cut those "lower quality" stones better, you're going to get the desired effect from across the room, where they won't be able to tell what clarity it is.  The human eye cant really tell the difference between an F and a K color, without a white backdrop and comparison points.

Lab grown has serious issues.  They've been advertising themselves as a 10-20% discount to natural stones and positioning themselves as a real alternative, especially to millennial.  Well Debeers just rocked the market last week with a new brand called Lightbox which will sell for about $800 a carat.  Which will now set the pricing for man made like other gemstones, not on par with natural.

Kesslers has been selling as much as 70% percent of their diamond sales as lab grown, offering their full buyback guarantee.  Now all of a sudden people are going to have a $4000 stone they bought that they are reading in the NYT is only worth $800.  Could be disastrous for Kesslers and others like them.

As you can likely tell, I'm in the industry.  I'm not a jeweler, I dont sell diamonds, but my customers span pretty much the entire supply chain all the way through retail.  I have friends all the time ask for my opinions on their SO's ring or the like.  I ask her if she's happy with the ring, does she love it?  Usually its a resounding yes...and then I tell them my opinion doesn't matter more than that.

I do get annoyed to hear tired diamond tropes and myths, most of which are based on antiquated facts or stereotypes, get trotted out again and again, but thats just me.

So, other than this new pricing/competitor issue, what are the "serious issues" with lab grown?

[dgies9156]

They say to spend, what, 2-3 months salary on the engagement ring? I spent, like, a year's salary on it!

But sure ... easy to call the Hebe cheap!

I was cheap too. Lived in the Quad Cities at the time; first job out of college. Did the best I could and then replaced it in the center of her ring with a new custom design when we had been married 15 years.

Original stone is still in the ring on the side. Two small tones around a large one, the two small ones have come to represent each of our children.

[StillAWarrior]

Diamonds...That'll shut her up.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What ever happened to dowries? 

[4everwarriors]

Dat went out wit virginity, hey?

[dgies9156]

What ever happened to dowries?

Brother Blackheart welcomes you to the 16th Century!

[JWags85]

So, other than this new pricing/competitor issue, what are the "serious issues" with lab grown?

Well I didn't mean the stones themselves, after all they are still diamonds. But the market and positioning of them will fundamentally change, and I think that will significantly impact their place in the jewelery industry. I think they will see a large push into the "fashion" space, but this will likely throw a lot of cold water on the "natural diamond" replacement/alternative for engagement rings.

And oh yea, DeBeers hasn't had monopoly in 20 years, and there has been a decent rough shortage for the last 3-5 years, none of that restricting supply nonsense anymore. It used to be easy to find diamonds, now mining is much more involved and costly, and demand only continues to grow.

It is interesting though. Areas where diamond engagement rings weren't marketed and embedded into the culture (Many South American countries, parts of Asia until they became very westernized) have very limited demand, so you don't meet many retailers from there in the industry.

[chapman]

What ever happened to dowries?

I proposed five pounds of gold, 50 pounds of silver, and two goats. 

I rescinded my request when I was informed that historically I would be the one giving up my goats and gold when marrying a Jewish woman.

 

[Jay Bee]

First ring was a horrible experience, but by wife #4 I was a pro.

[rocket surgeon]

Dat went out wit virginity, hey?

diamonds are the viagra and wedding cake is the antidote