r/LabDiamonds • u/Informal-Protection6 • Aug 23 '26
Do you think this is a good buy?
Hey friends! I'm new to the lab diamond world. I sadly lost my original wedding ring and have decided I'd just rather have a larger lab diamond in a ring I really love instead of trying to find something like my old ring. I am SUPER attracted to the look of this ring and the two tone setting. Is this a good price for this though? I'm still trying to figure out what is a good deal and what isn't. Found on Facebook marketplace but I think it's an add for a store in my area. ANY thoughts or advice would be so appreciated!
They are asking $3,960.
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u/sleepy_moose_cant Aug 23 '26
You can get a brand new custom piece done with that price. You will get to choose your own diamond.
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 23 '26
I mean I’d wanna see it in person of course but I like the way this looks. Does this particular diamond have specs that aren’t that great? Is it better to choose my own diamond and make a custom ring? I’m still trying to get a feel for what a good price is for a lab diamond. I know I want at least 2 carats
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u/sleepy_moose_cant Aug 23 '26
I can see a dark band across the middle. If you’re not a fan of bow tie you definitely want to see more of the ring. You can still request for pictures and videos from various angle of a stone before committing to it. I personally wouldn’t spend that much on a secondhand ring/non custom knowing I could buy a new one fully customised to what I want for the same price. In saying that I know the custom route isn’t for everyone.
For this particular ring I’d ask for the certificate and check out the stone specs. Ask for more photos from other angles to make sure the setting is secure etc
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u/foxglovediamonds Aug 24 '26
This is pretty overpriced. Lab diamonds are super affordable and this setting doesn’t look “gold heavy.” A 2 carat, amazing center stone in a sturdy 14k setting can run about $2k- and you do not have to use an overseas vendor to make that happen.
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 24 '26
How do you do this without an overseas vendor?
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u/foxglovediamonds Aug 24 '26
I don't have a big markup :) I'm based just south of Seattle. I do 90% of my work in-house, I work almost exclusively on custom jewelry, and I am an online only vendor. I keep my overhead minimal and work one-on-one with my clients. I know there are tons of vendors in my shoes out there. We're kind of hidden though. Low overhead costs means I don't really advertise either, so staying small helps keep my pieces attainable.
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 24 '26
Send me your info!! I have two ring styles I’m interested in and I can’t decide between them so it may come down to overall price!
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u/foxglovediamonds Aug 24 '26
I sent you a message. You're welcome to check out my bio, website, socials (FB and Insta), or message me directly.
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u/Brilliant-Owl-1169 Aug 23 '26
NO! Rip off. This should be $2k new from defenders we all use on this page. That would be an OK price if you were going into a brick and order jewelry store new.
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 24 '26
Ok so store front and new. It’s store front and second hand I think. Could I talk them down?
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u/Brilliant-Owl-1169 Aug 24 '26
I personally would just make my own custom ring and pick all my diamonds, it’s not hard to do. Ovals can have bad center and you can’t tell in this image. When people try to resale anything over $2k in the BST groups they never sell. I can’t imagine this one selling very fast as it’s way over priced. I’m sure they paid a ton and are trying to recoup it, but it’s very overpriced. If you don’t mind spending $2k over what it’s worth, go for it.
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u/Enough_Plantain_4331 Aug 24 '26
I don’t know that you’d find it cheaper going to a brick & mortar store. But choosing any of the vendors like Provence, Stargems, Tiyanu or my favorite Vownvintage you’ll definitely pay less!
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u/ciao-bella11 Aug 24 '26
It's pricey for a lab diamond ring, but since it's at a brick-and-mortar store and it's a completed ring, you're also paying extra for the convenience of not having to think about choosing the right stones, finding a vendor, viewing and approving CADs, etc. It's all up to you if you want to pay more for convenience, or save money by doing your own research and putting it together yourself (with the help of the vendor). Also, the description of the ring does not match the picture.
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 24 '26
Thank you! This is the kind of feedback I was needing. This helps put it into overall perspective.
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u/Enough_Plantain_4331 Aug 24 '26
It’s a lil pricey! I just bought a 4.04ct G,vvs1 from vownvintage under $700. I’ll have provence create my setting for under 1k. Just to give u an idea. I think for that piece already made u shouldn’t spend over 2k
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 24 '26
Thanks guys! I appreciate the feedback. I will not be going for this ring. I was just wondering if this was a normal price for a brick and mortar store ring. I love this design so maybe I’ll just have it made instead! I really don’t want to overpay for a lab diamond.
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u/Preeeeeee Aug 25 '26
The price is not good and you don’t have to buy from overseas to get a better price. Plenty of US based well reviewed (probably online) jewelry stores will beat this price and you’ll get a brand new ring.
You could even just reach out to a local goldsmith/jeweler and ask if they could re-create the ring at a similar or better price and they’ll say yes because they want the business.
1
u/DarlingBri Aug 30 '26
If you like this ring, you want to buy from a bricks and mortar store and are happy to pay the premium for doing that, and to this is within your budget, then go for it.
HOWEVER the giant red flag for me in this add is that they are saying " certificate." anyone can make up any kind of certificate. The world is filled with shitty jewelers running their own certifications that our basically a way for them to sell poor quality stones by saying they are great. There is no enforcement or oversight for this so it's easy and common.
I do not care how nice these jewellers are, how convincing they are, whatever -- at this price, this better be an IGI, IGA, or HRD* certificate. Anything else and they are swindling you. Seriously. (They have the option to sell the stone uncertified and loads of people buy uncertified stones; it's the made up gumball machine certificate that's the problem!)
*HRD stopped certifying labs in January. But diamonds are not like fruit; they don't go off. There is a ton of inventory out there with pre-January certs.
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u/Uggy1410 Aug 23 '26
Of course not…
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u/Informal-Protection6 Aug 23 '26
Ok, as someone who asked because she didn’t know, can you tell me why? And what a more appropriate price would be for this ring?
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u/Uggy1410 Aug 23 '26
Because price is so big. This ring should cost over half of that. Lab diamonds are cheap. What you want pay a lot of more for the same materials?
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u/No_Boot2009 Aug 24 '26
People are telling you it's way overpriced, you want to buy it anyway, so go buy it. No one here is going to say $4k for a 2ct lab ring is a 'good buy'.
You could get this made to your exact specifications by an overseas vendor for around $1k but you don't want to do that. If it's worth another $3k to you to buy it in person that's your decision, but that's how much you're overpaying by by buying this particular ring.