Jewelry That Tells Your Love Story

One of the most common questions I hear from customers today is: “Should I buy a natural diamond or a lab-grown diamond?” My answer is usually another question: What is most important to you? After more than 40 years working with diamonds from diamond cutting to wholesale and now helping customers one-on-one I don’t believe there is one answer that is right for everyone. Natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are both real diamonds. Both can be beautiful. But they are very different purchases, and I believe you should understand those differences before deciding how to spend your money. At Redmond Diamond Center, I work with both natural and lab-grown diamonds. My job isn’t to tell you which one you should buy. My job is to educate you, show you the differences, let you compare diamonds side-by-side, and help you make your own decision. Why It Took Me Years to Start Selling Lab-Grown Diamonds I didn’t immediately embrace lab-grown diamonds.  When they first became commercially available, the pricing didn’t make sense to me. The difference between the price of a lab-grown diamond and a comparable natural diamond was relatively small. I remember thinking: Why would someone pay almost the price of a natural diamond for something that can be manufactured? So for several years, I didn’t sell them. But the market changed. Production increased, prices came down dramatically, quality improved, and most importantly, customers started asking for them. Eventually, I had to recognize something very simple: It’s not about what I would choose. It’s about what my customer wants. Today, lab-grown diamonds allow someone to purchase a larger, beautiful diamond without spending what a comparable natural diamond may cost. I still work with natural diamonds, and I still appreciate what makes a natural diamond special. But I also work with lab-grown diamonds because they make sense for many of my customers. So, Which Would I Buy? Customers sometimes ask me, “Noam, if it were your money, would you buy natural or lab-grown?” I don’t like to make that decision for them. Lab-grown diamonds today are very affordable, and they can look absolutely beautiful. For many customers, they make it possible to get the size and look they want while staying within a comfortable budget. Natural diamonds are a different purchase. For some people, knowing that their diamond was created naturally in the earth and the rarity and tradition associated with it are important. For other people, those things simply aren’t as important. Neither customer is wrong. What I tell people is: Understand what you’re buying, compare your options, and then decide what matters to you. Lab-Grown Isn’t Just About Engagement Rings Anymore One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is that lab-grown diamonds are no longer just an alternative for the center diamond in an engagement ring. They have moved strongly into fine jewelry. Today, customers are choosing lab-grown diamonds for tennis bracelets, tennis necklaces, wedding bands, eternity bands, diamond studs and many other pieces. This can make an especially significant difference in jewelry containing many diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds can make a piece much more affordable while still providing the beautiful diamond look and sparkle the customer wants. Why Are Lab-Grown Diamonds So Much Less Expensive? A major difference comes down to supply. Natural diamonds were created in the earth, and the supply of natural diamonds with a particular combination of size, color, clarity and cut is limited. Lab-grown diamonds can be produced by manufacturers, and production has increased tremendously. Today, there is a large supply of lab-grown diamonds available in very high color and clarity grades. That increased availability has had a significant effect on pricing. But there is something else I think customers need to understand: Not every lab-grown diamond is beautiful just because the certificate looks good. I’ve seen manufacturers produce exceptional lab-grown diamonds. I’ve also seen diamonds with impressive grades on paper that I personally wouldn’t recommend. And the same basic principle applies when I evaluate natural diamonds. A grading report is extremely important, but I still want to see the diamond. I Look at More Than the Certificate This comes from my background as a diamond cutter. Two diamonds can look similar on paper and still perform differently when you put them next to each other. I look at where the inclusions are located. I look for clouds that may affect the appearance of the diamond. I look at whether the stone is eye-clean. And most importantly, I look at the diamond itself how it faces up, how it reflects light and whether I think it is a beautiful stone. That's why I like showing customers several diamonds side-by-side. You don’t have to become a diamond expert before buying an engagement ring. But you should have an opportunity to see the difference for yourself . What About Resale Value? This is one area where I believe in being very straightforward with my customers. If you buy a lab-grown diamond today, buy it because you love the diamond and you are comfortable with what you’re spending not because you expect it to have significant resale value later. In today’s market, you should not purchase a lab-grown diamond expecting a jewelry store to buy it back from you in the future. I think customers deserve to understand that before they make the purchase. But there is another side to this conversation. Buying a natural diamond does not automatically make it an investment. If you purchase a natural diamond at retail and later suddenly need the money, you should not assume you will receive back what you originally paid. That’s why I don’t like selling either type of diamond based on promises about what it might be worth someday. I prefer to talk about what you're buying today . Resale Value and Financial Loss Aren’t the Same Thing This distinction is important. A natural diamond may have a secondary-market value while a lab-grown diamond may have very little. But you also have to consider how much money you originally spent. If someone spends substantially less on a lab-grown diamond, their total dollars at risk are also substantially lower. If someone chooses to spend considerably more on a natural diamond, that may be completely appropriate for them but they should understand that selling it later could mean receiving substantially less than the original retail purchase price. This isn't about telling you which decision is better. It's about making sure you understand the financial difference between the two choices. Your Budget Deserves Respect This is something I feel very strongly about. I respect whatever amount a customer decides to spend on an engagement ring. If your budget is $3,000, $5,000, $20,000 or $100,000, you’re going to receive the same respect and attention from me. There is no amount that you are “supposed” to spend on a diamond. It’s your money. If you choose a lab-grown diamond because you want a larger diamond, want to spend less, or simply don’t see a reason to spend more, I respect that decision. If you choose a natural diamond because its natural origin, rarity or tradition is important to you, I respect that decision too. I'm not here to judge either choice. My responsibility is to explain the differences honestly, show you beautiful diamonds within the budget you've chosen, and make sure you understand what you're paying for. After that, the choice is yours. Natural or Lab-Grown? Come See Them Side-by-Side You can read about natural and lab-grown diamonds online for hours, but there is something very different about actually seeing them next to each other. At Redmond Diamond Center in Carlsbad, I work privately with customers by appointment. We can sit down, look at different diamonds, compare natural and lab-grown options, talk about your budget and answer your questions without pressure. You don't need to know exactly what you want before you come in. That's what the appointment is for. After more than 40 years in the diamond business, my philosophy is still very simple: Understand what you're buying. Buy what you love. Spend what you're comfortable spending. And whether you choose natural or lab-grown, make the decision that's right for you.

Choosing an engagement ring should be exciting, but with so many diamond shapes, settings, metals and styles available, it can quickly become overwhelming. After more than 40 years in the diamond business, one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t need to know exactly what you want before you start looking. In fact, many customers come into my showroom with pictures of the ring they think they want and leave excited about something completely different. That’s why I believe choosing an engagement ring should be a process of comparing, trying and discovering what looks and feels right for you. Start With the Diamond Shape Before getting too focused on the setting, I usually recommend starting with the shape of the center diamond. Round, oval, emerald, pear, marquise and other shapes each create a very different look on the hand. A round diamond gives you a timeless, classic appearance. An oval can create an elegant, elongated look. Emerald cuts have beautiful clean lines and a more sophisticated feel, while pear and marquise shapes offer something more distinctive. Pictures are helpful for inspiration, but they don't tell the whole story. I’ve had many customers walk in convinced they wanted one shape and change their mind after seeing several diamonds side-by-side and trying them on their hand. Then Think About the Setting Once you have a better idea of the diamond shape you like, the setting becomes much easier to choose. A classic solitaire keeps all the attention on the center diamond. A cathedral setting adds more structure and presence. A diamond or pavé band gives you additional sparkle, while a hidden halo adds detail that may be more noticeable from the side than from the top. Three-stone rings create another completely different look, with side diamonds adding width and presence across the finger. There is no setting that is “best.” The right setting is the one that complements the center diamond and fits the person who will be wearing it. Consider How You Live This is an important part of choosing an engagement ring that sometimes gets overlooked. An engagement ring isn't something you wear for a photograph. Ideally, it will be worn every day for many years. Think about your work, hobbies and daily routine. Do you prefer a ring that sits low on the finger? Do you like a larger, more noticeable profile? Are you comfortable with small diamonds along the band, or would you rather have the simplicity of a plain gold or platinum band? Beauty matters, but so does comfort and practicality. A beautiful engagement ring should work with your life, not against it. Think About the Wedding Band Before the Wedding This is one of the most important pieces of advice I give customers. Don't wait until you're shopping for the wedding band to think about how it will fit with the engagement ring. Some engagement ring settings allow a straight wedding band to sit completely flush against the ring. Others may leave a small space or require a curved or specially designed wedding band. None of these choices is necessarily wrong. What matters is knowing what you are choosing before the engagement ring is made. If having the engagement ring and wedding band sit perfectly together is important to you, we should consider that from the beginning. Choose the Metal That Looks Right to You Yellow gold, white gold and platinum can make the exact same engagement ring design look surprisingly different. Yellow gold creates a warm contrast against a white diamond and has become extremely popular again. White gold and platinum provide a bright, neutral appearance and blend beautifully with the diamond. You don't necessarily have to choose only one color. For example, I often show customers the option of a yellow gold band with a white gold or platinum head holding the center diamond. This gives you the warmth of yellow gold while keeping the metal around the diamond white. Again, seeing the combinations in person makes the decision much easier. Don't Choose Your Ring Only From Instagram or Pinterest Social media is a great place to find inspiration. Save pictures. Bring screenshots. Show your jeweler everything you like. But don't assume that because a ring looks beautiful in a photograph, it will automatically be the right ring for you. Diamond size, finger size, band width, setting height and proportions can dramatically change how a ring looks on your hand. Use online pictures to tell us what direction you like. Then try different options. Pay Attention to Proportion This is something that's difficult to judge from a photograph. A beautiful engagement ring is more than simply choosing the largest center diamond possible. The size and shape of the center stone, width of the band, size of side diamonds, prongs and height of the setting should all work together. With a three-stone ring, for example, the side diamonds should complement the center diamond rather than compete with it. With a solitaire, even a small change in band width can make the center diamond appear very different. Good proportion is one of the things that makes a finished ring look balanced. You Don't Have to Know Exactly What You Want Probably one of the most common things customers tell me when they make an appointment is: “I don't really know what I want.” That's completely fine. You don't need to know all the terminology. You don't need to understand every setting style. And you certainly don't need to make your decision before walking through the door. That's part of what the appointment is for. At Redmond Diamond Center, we can compare different diamond shapes, sizes and qualities side-by-side and then look at different ways to set them. Sometimes we narrow it down immediately. Sometimes we discover that the ring you thought you wanted isn't the one you love most on your hand. There is no reason to rush that process. Find the Ring That Feels Right An engagement ring is personal. Trends can give you ideas, friends and family can give you opinions, and social media can provide endless inspiration. But ultimately, the best engagement ring isn't necessarily the most popular style. It's the one you love wearing. If you're looking for an engagement ring in Carlsbad or North County San Diego, you're welcome to schedule a private appointment at Redmond Diamond Center. We'll take the time to compare diamonds and ring styles together and help you understand your options without pressure. Whether you're considering a natural diamond, lab-grown diamond, an existing setting or a completely custom engagement ring, the goal is simple: Find the combination that feels right for you.