The decision to ask has been made.

You want to get an engagement ring. Suddenly the thought of an engagement ring terrifies you and beads of sweat are coming down your back. It is a lot of money and stress getting it right. Then you or both of you have to go shopping for the ring. Could it get any more terrifying? Maybe that is a bit of a stretch, but a lot of guys and couples come into my store truly scared to engage in the process. And I get that.

Why do you even need an engagement ring?

Truth is that an engagement ring is a symbol of your commitment and love to your partner. And something about diamonds seems to be a strong symbol of your love. Maybe it is the amazing contrast of black and white in the diamond, the scintillation, and rays of colors, or just knowing how hard it is to get a diamond from mine to market.

Just hold on a minute!

There is a new kid on the block. In the last few years, laboratory grown diamonds (LGD) entered the market and sales of these diamonds have taken off at rocket like speeds. These are man-made diamonds. They are identical composition to natural mined diamonds. They are made above ground in a few days using specialized industrial equipment that creates extremely high temperatures and pressure, as opposed to natural diamonds coming from deep inside the earth and taking millions if not billions of years to form. If you compare man-made to natural, same features and same cut quality, they look alike. To tell them apart would require very specialized equipment.

Why would you buy a Laboratory Grown Diamond?

A vast majority of ladies want and expect an engagement ring. And the vast majority of those ladies about to be married want and expect a diamond engagement ring. The laboratory grown diamond is a fraction of the price of a natural mined diamond. Simply put, you would buy a LGD because the price is exceptional for the look. And people cannot tell the difference. You would get a beautiful, diamond engagement ring for about 10% of the price of the same quality in a natural diamond. You can select a range of color and clarity the same as natural diamonds. And you can get a lot larger diamond for a fraction of the cost. At Troy Shoppe Jewellers, our LGD stays in the range of D-G color and VS clarity or higher. For the price savings of going to a lower grade being so small, why not go for the top tiers of quality?

Currently, any elongated shape such as oval, radiant cut, or emerald cut are extremely popular cuts of LGD. And with the prices so reasonable it really becomes a case of the affordability of a great looking diamond.

Are there restrictions or warnings to LGD?

In just a few short years, the LGD industry has made any diamond shape, color and virtually any size readily available in LGD. There are virtually no restrictions to what is available in LGD. And even more recently, LGD are available in fancy colors, such as pink, blue and many more.

Myths about LGD

Many questions are asked in our store about LGD that seem fueled by inaccuracies. Here are a few:

1. You can tell a LGD apart from natural mined easily. Not true…unless… the LGD has a greyish background body color. That needs some technical explanation, and this isn’t the place. Basically, it means something is wrong with the LGD to make it appear a bit hazy. Not easy to tell in any case. Easier yet, pick a better quality and there is no way to tell the two apart.
2. LGD are harder to set into rings than natural diamonds. Absolutely, not true. They are no different to set into jewellery than any natural diamond.
3. LGD are not as durable as natural diamonds. When the first LGD were introduced there seemed to be a very small durability issue reported among jewellers. This has proven to be totally false. They are equally as durable as natural diamonds. Afterall, they are identical chemical composition.
4. LGD won’t chip or break like natural diamonds. Again, not true. Any diamond can be broken if hit just right. It takes some effort, but it can happen.
5. LGD are cheaper because the quality is lower. Not true. The price is lower because the method of growing a LGD is much lower.
6. LGD are greener and more environmentally friendly. Not true. The best information, which is hard to get, suggests that the mined and LGD diamonds have very similar carbon foot prints from start to finish. This depends mostly on the source of energy used for the machinery used to grow these diamonds.
7. LGD have no resale value. That is true, or at least a very small resale value. The question that should be thought of, “are you purchasing jewellery for an investment or for the symbolism and beauty of the item?” Diamonds and jewellery in general should never be purchased with the thought of it as an investment.
8. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are the same as LGD. Totally false. LGD has an identical chemical composition of natural mined diamonds. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are totally different chemical structures and simulate the look of diamonds. Neither of them has the durability of diamonds and only moissanite will give lasting brilliance over years of wear.