RobertJ.
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I'm sure more than one here also like Ron White!
Lab grown diamonds?
- Thread starter Farmer17
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I'm sure more than one here also like Ron White!
GypsmJim
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Yes, I admit to plagiarism.
In a previous life I was involved in the gem trade. It is probably the most crooked business in the world. In most jewelry stores the stones you are looking at have been messed around with or are synthetic. A synthetic gemstone is still technically made up of the same molecular structure as a natural stone, just artificially produced in a lab. The Jewelry store does not have to inform you that the stone is synthetic unless you ask whether it is natural, or lab produced. Many natural stones are subjected to intense heat in lab to finish what mother nature didn't. They are irradiated or set in a kiln to bring out that special look or deepen the faded color of an otherwise stone of little value. Sapphires are one of the most messed with, that would include the entire spectral range from clear to near black, a ruby is a sapphire. I won't bore you with the specifics, buy her what she wants.
My wife's ring has two diamonds...not big ones...about 3/4 carats in both. Oe was her grandmothers ring...the other my grandmother's given to us by our mothers...I had them put in a ring 52 years ago. about 12 years later I won some money at the world skeet shoot.. I used a 1000 bucks to buy her a nice diamond necklace...she wears both ring and necklace most every day. Personally I like real stones and Emeralds and Rubies over diamonds
If you are buying it for an investment (which is probably a bad idea) then real is the only way to go. If you are buying it for adornment, then I would either buy used and reset if needed or synthetic. After all, who is going to know unless you tell them or they happen to be a gemologist?
THE PILGRIM
Member
Repost - my Buddy Bob and I are in small town Thai Jewelry Store.
Bob say, I want to have this stone reset into a new ring.
Blue Sapphire, I think.
Thai Guy looks at it with his Loupe.
Bob, did you know this isn't a real Stone?
Bob screams, what do you mean it's not real! it's been in my Wife's Family a Hundred Years! Baton Rouge folks.
Thai Guy grins and says, you folks can keep it another hundred years.
It still won't be real!
I went outside. It was small Store, I break something.
Bob say, I want to have this stone reset into a new ring.
Blue Sapphire, I think.
Thai Guy looks at it with his Loupe.
Bob, did you know this isn't a real Stone?
Bob screams, what do you mean it's not real! it's been in my Wife's Family a Hundred Years! Baton Rouge folks.
Thai Guy grins and says, you folks can keep it another hundred years.
It still won't be real!
I went outside. It was small Store, I break something.
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jag312
Member
My girlfriend (former girlfriend) wanted something special. She wanted an engagement ring where the main diamond was a 1 caret natural blue diamond. This is something you don't find in your neighborhood jewelry store. I found a diamond merchant in Germany who had one. It was less that US wholesale, but don't ask me the price. The mark-up on diamonds is ridiculous. My girlfriend and I eventually parted ways, but I still have the diamond, safely locked in my safe. I sometimes take it out of the safe just to look at it. A new definition of insanity; anyone who buys a 1 caret natural blue diamond.
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Thats a beautiful rock!
DWalt
Member
I know that blue diamonds are rare and very desirable. I also know that there are methods of enhancing regular diamonds by radiation that will make them look blue. Therefore, I want nothing to do with blue diamonds. Or any diamonds. Too much potential for trickery for amateurs to get involved.
There is a large diamond store here in a San Antonio that runs half-hour TV infomercials every night. And has for many years. That alone tells me that there must be obscene profits in the diamond trade.
There is a large diamond store here in a San Antonio that runs half-hour TV infomercials every night. And has for many years. That alone tells me that there must be obscene profits in the diamond trade.
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CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Women do NOT want anything but the real thing. They look at that diamond on their finger and think of the poor guy working deep within a South Aferican diamond mine in 130 degree heat, sweat pouring down his brow using a pick axe to break and remove moving 86 tons of rock to find that one little precious stone that now adorns her finger. She smiles as she imagines the miner being cavity searched at the end of the shift to make sure that he is not stealing "her" diamond. this is why women wear diamonds. From the moment you give it to her, you become that little hunched over miner, who's job in life is to buy her stuff she wants. The thought of some clean european in a lab coat making one from squeezing carbon in a press just destroys the whole purpose of the diamond.
There is a tradition to abide by. Yoy will learn this and many other things that seemingly make no sense that will rule your married life.
There is a tradition to abide by. Yoy will learn this and many other things that seemingly make no sense that will rule your married life.
In that past life I lived I ran across some of the most interesting people that were involved in the gem trade. One old boy was wearing this huge 3 carat stone that turned out to be a near flawless yellow diamond. I have to say it was probably the most beautiful stone I've ever seen, another was a near one full carat Alexandrite...extremely rare that would do a color change from deep violet to an almost eerie green. You see stuff that blows your mind, one guy's specialty was one off matching wedding rings...his collection was of carved Geodes that were still full of mineral oil because they were from southern climates and had never frozen. One was a Buddha with his belly almost translucent carved away so you could see the trapped air bubble, another was a water buffalo whose paunch was carved similarly.
I was surprised by an old fellow that I knew(I thought). I had bought an old Emerald ring of a couple carats. Mine cut and somewhat old...turn of the century...1900. Had an easily seen flaw but sine I had paid 60 bucks for it at an auction...wanted to get it appraised(really to make sure it was a real Emerald). Met him in the A&P shopping. He asked what I was doing and I told him I really came to town to the local jeweler...to get a ring appraised. He just said to bring it to him..he would do it. I had no idea he was a gemologist. H set stones in rings the whole schmeer. After looking at it he said he'd pay 800 bucks for it...and he would make that much on it. I declined the offer as the ring fit my wife's finger perfectly. He later made a ring for my soon to be son in law with a diamond from his mother. He did ask me to not tell locals what he did for a living...Oh he liked S&W and Colt revolvers and had quite a few...and I had never known. He liked to bowl and that is where I met him. Bowling leagues
My wife's engagement ring featured a large(ish) marquise cut diamond surrounded by a number of smaller baguette shaped (I think they're called) diamonds embedded in the 14K setting. Total gem weight was 1.75 carats. I paid $2500 for it 30 years ago in a "discount" jewelry store. Probably not the best quality diamonds, but what did we know about diamonds at the time? She loved it. That's all I cared about. For a young fellow earning $8/hour at the time, it was an extravagant purchase - but I managed (barely).
She still has the ring, but now she wears a much larger (3 carats TW) ring that was custom made for my Mother by a local jeweler who was a cousin of the founder of Zales. The diamonds in this one are not only larger; they are much higher quality. We were told by an appraiser never to let any jeweler we didn't know personally clean or otherwise work on the ring due to the possibility that those stones might be switched out for lesser ones due to their rarity and value.
She still has the ring, but now she wears a much larger (3 carats TW) ring that was custom made for my Mother by a local jeweler who was a cousin of the founder of Zales. The diamonds in this one are not only larger; they are much higher quality. We were told by an appraiser never to let any jeweler we didn't know personally clean or otherwise work on the ring due to the possibility that those stones might be switched out for lesser ones due to their rarity and value.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Then you ain't looking for a very good diamond are you
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Take the fur coats and make neck gaiters out if them. They work GREAT in as cold duck blind-My wife does not know that I have an old ratty mink that she got from her mother years ago (remember when the old ladies used to wear those around their necks and would clip the mouth around the tail) that I have "repurposed" into the best neck gaiter around.
Saw this bauble in the Smithsonian last year:
India, Pakistan and India are lining up to get back the ones hauled around the other day by King Charlie the 3rd.
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