Shopping for a diamond should be exhilarating. At the same time, all those carats, clarities, colors, quality reports, and associated costs on an online page could drive a shopping enthusiast absolutely crazy.
It is not that the largest or the most buy lab diamonds stones produce the best value diamonds. When looking to purchase lab diamonds, it is important to start with the basics and ensure that one is considering stones with desirable cut qualities, profile characteristics, and face-up visuals.
With that said, laboratories are producing diamonds with a set of optical and physical properties comparable to those of natural diamonds.
The only major difference is these crystals must be disclosed as laboratory grown.
This article educates consumers on what to do while shopping to ensure that one is buying the best lab diamonds in terms of size, appearance, and additional guarantees.
Buying Considerations: What To Look For When Shopping
To identify desirable lab-grown diamonds, one must start by exploring the basic features described by the 4Cs. Interestingly, the cut typically plays a more significant role in determining a stone’s beauty.
In this context, it refers to how well the shape of a diamond has been crafted. As such, a sensible shopping checklist may involve the following considerations:
• Best cut quality, especially for round diamonds
• Near-colorless options, as whiter diamonds do not substantially benefit from higher grades
• Eye-clean clarity, which may be found in VS-SI stones
• Satisfactory carat weight, which should be based on personal preferences
It is always important to request videos and photos showcasing the stones, and the consumer should also look beyond the specified grades.
Diamond Buying Checklist: Compare the Details and Policies
It never hurts to ask for extra information. GIA has developed a different quality-assessment nomenclature for colorless-to-near-colorless laboratory-grown diamonds that utilizes laser inscription.
By law, all lab-grown diamonds should also bear an indication that states whether they are natural or man-made. A few pointers to add to the lab diamond buying guide involve measuring the width in millimeters since two diamonds with comparable carat weights could have different sizes due to differences in their shape.
It is essential to compare each candidate stone’s grading report and make sure that there are no treatments listed aside from laser engraving. Additionally, it is always a good idea to bring the ring back for inspection and ask whether the retailer offers complimentary resize or insurance policies.
Compare Total Cost and Value
There is no point in opting for a pricier option if its lower-carat center diamond becomes less desirable after resizing. Instead, it is good to calculate the value-based score one gets from the appearance, size, and carat weight of a specific candidate ring.
The consumer should also evaluate how much they are willing to spend, and where their preferred center diamond fits within this budget. Remember, lab diamonds offer the value-conscious shopper an unprecedented opportunity to maximize appeal while minimizing expenses.
For instance, a ring with a lower clarity grade but an eye-clean appearance could secure a better deal than an eye-clean SI2 diamond of equal carat weight.
As another example, someone planning to get an engagement ring may also want to maximize the appeal of the ring’s every day wear appeal and avoid getting a ring that looks beautiful on the mannequin but cannot be worn outside the house.
Conclusion
Lab diamonds offer value-conscious shoppers an unprecedented opportunity to purchase near-flawless, desirable, and beautiful crystals at attractive prices. It is always important to consider all factors affecting a diamond’s beauty, disclosures impacting its appeal, documentation verifying its authenticity, and a provider’s policies.
By carefully comparing quality scores, profiles, dimensions and reviewing policies and rates, the consumer can be confident that they are purchasing a beautiful diamond at a competitive rate. It is paramount to focus on the qualities and the features of the rings, and their carat weights.
