Maybe, either way as laypeople we can’t tell a difference tbh. In terms of cut, the polish is excellent, symmetry is very good, and no fluorescence. In hindsight I could have just gone with a cheaper shittier stone and neither one of us can tell the difference. The side stones on her ring (admittedly smaller) were g color and SI1, to the naked eye it literally looks the same. In terms of cut, I ran the proportions through GPT-4 which said that it’s was well proportioned (slightly thick girdle), but I don’t know anything about it otherwise.
GIA only has a better reputation than IGI because GIA is American, and Americans always think American stuff is the best. As someone who spent a lot of time living abroad I genuinely think that’s almost American DNA lol. Outside of the US no one really cares. Here’s someone who made a comparison of IGI/GIA grading showing that it’s basically the same:
Trading up stones is a thing? Neither of us grew up in the US, we do intend on buying/creating more jewelry but not for the express purpose of trading up for a bigger stone’s sake. I’m very open to natural stones too as long as the price is right, there’s lots of cool options for the ring that I forwent, I only got a diamond for symbolism and modern cultural norms. Ultimately it’s big, shiny, looks cool and does the job, literally no one except industry nerds can tell the difference between it and a mined stone.
I found them via Reddit recommendations, the two biggest ones are https://www.starsgem.com/ and https://www.tygems.net/. They have English speaking sales staff and offer design services as well, but we didn’t like their CAD and just bought the gem and went to our local jeweler. They’re on Whatsapp/Wechat and fairly responsive, though I’m sure they get a lot of empty queries too.
Maybe I write up a thread on how to buy lab gems in the off ramp…
Virtually impossible to visually tell the difference between a lab diamond versus an earth mined one if all specs are the same. This is why there are expensive machines for industry peeps designed to detect CVD/HPHT because the naked eye can’t do it.
The beauty of the lab diamond is that you can get a much better stone for a fraction of the cost. But again, there’s volatility in the market. Where a stone was $500/ct a year ago, it could be $100/ct now. Then again, when the overall cost is so low, trading up might not be a thing when it comes to lab diamonds and market volatility becomes a moot point.
Honestly diamonds are so overrated, I would only buy them for a specific aesthetic decor in the future. The scarcity myth/marketing gimmick has been long exposed. Sapphires, rubies, moss agates, there’s so many cooler looking gems and stones, that have a lot longer history and heritage of being valuable.
Honestly I sometimes look at “made in USA” as a sign of overpriced and poor quality nowadays, it’s a bit sad. Certainly when it comes to housing and cars. Tesla China production vs Tesla US production really tells the tale - and all I hear about American cars nowadays are reliability problems.
There’s certainly a lot of great stuff in USA - tech and software especially - but pride in quality seems to have dropped off.
Speaking of jewelry, anyone got a contact at Chow Sang Sang? I have a okay amount of purchase history but wanna get a watch from them when i go to HK this summer
The problem of Chinese manufacturing isn’t being made in China, lots of high quality stuff made there… all Apple products, for instance. You just need the right QC. However, we all know why major corporations are moving manufacturing to China, and it’s not for quality reasons…
Typical LHer comments abound this week on earth or lab diamonds, suggesting that Cadillac Escalades/Yukon XL Denali Ultimates be cross-shopped with a Kia Carnival and $200,000 houses you would actually want to live in across California. The extreme silliness that is LHer all too often once again rears up:
OP: “Looking for a American truck-based SUVs (standard and long wheelbase) & their luxury counterparts: Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade, Expedition/Navigator and Wagoneer/GW. Must have 4WD.”
LHers: “Why not a Kia Carnival minivan?”
Common response. Like these:
OP: “I know it does not lease well, but I really love the Audi RSQ8 and I’d like to lease it as I switch cars out every few years.”
LHers: “Why not buy a Hyundai Venue for the lowest TCO?”
OP: “For our 30th wedding anniversary I am thinking about getting my wife the Day Date 36mm in Pt. Thoughts?”
LHer: “Have you checked out a Seiko Presage in SS? Probably more wearable in general and if you get the cheaper elastic band in faux SS you won’t have to worry about those pesky links.”
OP: “Looking at booking a stay in Aspen at the St. Regis for a ski trip this winter. Anyone been there recently?”
LHers: “Why go to Aspen to ski when you can just go to the Cloudmont Ski Resort in Mentone, Alabama and stay at the nearby Dixieland Delight for far less?”
I wonder how many LH’ers would like going to Galveston beach instead of Cancun. Probably propose on that dump-ass Texas beach with a WeChat lab diamond set in sterling silver.
