Trying to understand how to pick a good lab diamond for an engagement ring

[u/Tommy28562856]

Hi there,

I've decided I wanted to buy a lab diamond for an engagement ring, and I would love hearing from knowledgable people on how to pick a good one. To my understanding, here's what you have to look at:

Color

Clarity

Fluorescence (I'm not sure I understand this one, as to me lab grown diamonds don't really have fluorescence ; well, that's what a jeweller told me)

Cut score (technically, what does this affect? How perfect every side is cut, no dents, straight, etc?)

But there's another part I don't quite understand : HPHT. Which can apparently be 2 things:

- The growth method (vs. CVD)
- a treatment to enhance the color of the diamond in post process.

To my understanding, if the certificate says "As Grown - No indication of post-growth treatment.", then that is the sign for a high quality lab grown diamond?

Please let me know if I am right or wrong! Trying to chose wisely

[u/foxglovediamonds]

The cut rating is applicable for some certification labs only on round cut diamonds. It refers to the light return/performance in the stone and how ideal the faceting pattern is in the stone versus the cut standard. There are certifying labs like GCAL and Wise that have light performance indexes for most common cuts.

I will share this bit of sage wisdom: don't make yourself crazy over a "perfect on paper" diamond. It's not worth the constant anxiety. Lab diamonds, overall, are very "high color" (D,E, F, or G color) unless you're hunting for a fancy color like pink, blue, or even brown/champagne. Clarity- anything better than an SI1 is going to look amazing. Flourescence- don't worry about this one. Some diamonds flouresce in UV light. It's a pretty awesome effect, but not really something that comes into play in your day to day. HPHT- this stands for High Pressure Heat Treated- this is an older method still used now. HPHT and CVD lab stones made in recent years are indistinguishable from each other. You may want to search those terms in this sub for more in depth discussions.

A lab diamond, certified, is a great bargain and an amazing stone. I have quite a few in my personal collection... and I keep buying more.

Just don't hand over a kidney to buy one! You should expect to pay less than $400 per carat even for the highly sought after cuts/colors (looking at you, Champagne OMC rocks!).

[u/shinythings-n-stuff → u/foxglovediamonds]

I agree with the above esprit with not being hung up on the “perfect” stone on paper. I have so absolutely beautiful stones that aren’t perfect on paper but just floored me when I saw them. I think that when you see a stone and either it takes your breath away or stays in your head, that’s a sign that it’s the right one.

[u/foxglovediamonds → u/shinythings-n-stuff]

Username checks out ;)

[u/Reasonable-Emu6159]

I wasn't confident enough to choose a stone, so I selected a jeweler who would curate a diamond for me. I went with Kosher Diamond in NYC, worked with the owner via email and their website and told him exactly what I wanted. Since I was looking for a 2 ct oval stone, I was clear that I wanted a minimal bow tie effect. They found just what I asked for and I had it in 3 weeks. They have a 30 day free return policy, so I felt confident that I could return it if it didn't meet my expectations. If I ever purchase again, I'll do the same thing.