In addition, not all grading laboratories are equal. IGI and EGL are both well known for having very lax grading systems and there certifications are not widely accepted by industry professionals. It is not uncommon to have a IGI or EGL certified and appraised stone re-assessed by a reputable lab such as the GIA only to realise that the stone was over graded and over valued and that your stone is actually worth hundreds or even thousands less than what you paid. This applies to natural and synthetics.
Just to be clear, I do not hate synthetics nor am I a diamond trader. I am not in any way saying this company is being deceptive. Actually I applaud that they engrave their stones as created, many would not, so their transparency is to be commended. My comments are directed at the industry in general and lots of unsubstantiated claims are being made by both sides. I have been involved with the jewellery industry and if the consumer wants natural or synthetic, it is their choice and both stones have a market place. What I am against is the end consumer being over charged or not provided all information or inaccurate information prior to spending their hard earned money. A consumer should be told of costs and alternatives, what to expect once they take possession and never should a consumer be fed inaccurate information about what they are buying and this includes using labs that have a known history for over grading, because this leads to overcharging of the end consumer.
Hmmmm, this is purely misinformation to further confuse an already confused consumer by someone with a vested financial interest in marketing this product. Sure, synthetics do have a place in the market, but the consumer should have confidence in what they are purchasing. Synthetic diamonds are chemically the same, but they DO NOT share the same physical properties and no matter how good or similar they may appear they are not and never will be the same as a natural diamond. Same applies to all synthetic or lab created stones. If they were the same as a natural stone, then they would not be distinguishable in a lab .... but they are easily identified, so they are not the same. Besides the physical property differences, the one thing commonly left out by sellers of synthetic stones is the post purchase value. Most natural stones will still maintain a monetary value after purchase, diamonds included. Jewellery stones generally won’t increase in value beyond the initial purchase price and in most cases some value will be lost due to chipping or abrasion when worn constantly. Investment stones may provide increases. However every synthetic stone, regardless of type has no resale value. Consider a 1ct D FL diamond, may cost $15,000 or more to purchase, but if cared for will always retain most of its value; some instances may even increase a little. The same stone would cost $5,000 or $6,000 as a synthetic but as soon as you take possession of it, your stone is essentially worthless.
In addition, not all grading laboratories are equal. IGI and EGL are both well known for having very lax grading systems and there certifications are not widely accepted by industry professionals. It is not uncommon to have a IGI or EGL certified and appraised stone re-assessed by a reputable lab such as the GIA only to realise that the stone was over graded and over valued and that your stone is actually worth hundreds or even thousands less than what you paid. This applies to natural and synthetics.
Just to be clear, I do not hate synthetics nor am I a diamond trader. I am not in any way saying this company is being deceptive. Actually I applaud that they engrave their stones as created, many would not, so their transparency is to be commended. My comments are directed at the industry in general and lots of unsubstantiated claims are being made by both sides. I have been involved with the jewellery industry and if the consumer wants natural or synthetic, it is their choice and both stones have a market place. What I am against is the end consumer being over charged or not provided all information or inaccurate information prior to spending their hard earned money. A consumer should be told of costs and alternatives, what to expect once they take possession and never should a consumer be fed inaccurate information about what they are buying and this includes using labs that have a known history for over grading, because this leads to overcharging of the end consumer.
Hmmmm, this is purely misinformation to further confuse an already confused consumer by someone with a vested financial interest in marketing this product. Sure, synthetics do have a place in the market, but the consumer should have confidence in what they are purchasing. Synthetic diamonds are chemically the same, but they DO NOT share the same physical properties and no matter how good or similar they may appear they are not and never will be the same as a natural diamond. Same applies to all synthetic or lab created stones. If they were the same as a natural stone, then they would not be distinguishable in a lab .... but they are easily identified, so they are not the same. Besides the physical property differences, the one thing commonly left out by sellers of synthetic stones is the post purchase value. Most natural stones will still maintain a monetary value after purchase, diamonds included. Jewellery stones generally won’t increase in value beyond the initial purchase price and in most cases some value will be lost due to chipping or abrasion when worn constantly. Investment stones may provide increases. However every synthetic stone, regardless of type has no resale value. Consider a 1ct D FL diamond, may cost $15,000 or more to purchase, but if cared for will always retain most of its value; some instances may even increase a little. The same stone would cost $5,000 or $6,000 as a synthetic but as soon as you take possession of it, your stone is essentially worthless.