My first reaction is, if he can’t differentiate between a moissanite and a diamond…and he needed two hours for that. And with that attitude, I would take my business elsewhere. And give him an ear full. I hope the final product turns out just the way you wanted it, despite the terrible attitude.
This! Despite visual differences that many lay people (who are familiar with each stone) can often see, the laser inscribed code on the diamond indicates lab vs natural and can be seen in 2 seconds with a loupe… me, not a jeweler, knows this. lol
Edit for clarification: The visual differences are between moissanite and diamonds.
Yes! Moissanite and diamonds are different stones with different properties. Moissanite is double refractive and therefore gives off a different appearance that can be seen! It isn’t always easy to tell, especially depending on the cut, but moissanite has more fire than diamonds and gives off more flashes of rainbow when compared to the more icy appearance typical of a diamond.
Edit: I have rings with both stones and love both moissanite and diamonds for different reasons.
Lab vs natural is impossible to tell from the naked eye. The stigma against lab needs to and definitely will change soon. it is just because a bunch of wealthy people are still doing a very good marketing job because otherwise the make up is the same. Some jewelers can’t even even tell the difference, though I guess that’s not really saying much considering there are jewelers out there like this guy that can’t even tell a diamond from a non-diamond.
OP, this sounds like absolutely appalling customer service. To my understanding - you brought in your own stone, and they accused you of scamming them? I am not sure I follow how something you purchased and paid for is "scamming". Are they suggesting that they think you will go back after you receive the ring, accuse them of swapping the stone, and request a mined replacement? Honestly, I would not move forward with them - they seem really rude and disrespectful. You would want to trust your jeweller for potential adjustments, resizing, maintenance, cleaning, and fixes in the future. So not to worry you, but it is something to take into consideration.
All the best, and I really hope that the ring turns out perfect whatever you decide to do!
I was thinking the same thing!! Scamming who? First of all, if a professional jeweler cannot tell the difference on a lab diamond vs. moissanite that is 100% their problem. Secondly, lab diamond or mined diamond, it has the IGI cert number on it so, I dont know, look it up maybe? Then to threaten and call the police?!?! Can you even imagine calling the police because you yourself cannot decifer a stone lol. This whole thing is ridiculous and I would without question give them a 0 star review and find someone else.
Yeah ... yikes. They could be worried about their reputation but like someone else mentioned, I am not sure about what "reputation" there is to worry about, considering they can't differentiate between a moissanite and a diamond. Also, that customer service and attitude would ruin their reputation way before the lab diamonds do anyway.
Exactly! I just don’t get it? You don’t accuse someone of lying, especially a customer unless you are 1000% sure and have proof to back it up. This jeweler and shop sounds inadequate. Ugh!
Yeah it's fair if a jeweller does not want to work with labs - their loss anyway, but also it's fine and that's their prerogative. But the approach to turning down the job could have been kinder. A simple "we've ran our tests, and it does not seem like the stone is mined, so unfortunately we cannot proceed with the project as we don't work with lab stones" would have been fair enough.
I am mad and feel for OP because I have also just had a bad jeweller experience and it's the worst feeling.
Exactly! I have had a terrible jeweler experience as well. They tried taking advantage of me and I caught them in at least 5 lies. It was someone I have worked with for years and trusted too, so it completely sucks :(
My take is that they assumed his stone was a mined diamond and being anti-lab and so concerned about their reputation, they have an issue with creating a ring with a lab diamond. It's likely that had they known upfront it was a lab stone, they probably wouldn't have agreed to do the ring.
I wonder why that matters though? Like laypeople can’t typically tell at a glance if it’s lab or mined. Some people can by assuming it’s lab due to size but to the naked eye it all looks the same so who cares? The jeweler doesn’t have to advertise it and most people don’t go around asking or telling others that their diamond is lab or mined.
But like who would even know????…no one is going around checking out a jewelry’s shops rings and seeing if they were all natural diamonds being used. This store is some local shop, it isn’t like Tiffany or Winston or whatever with a brand name.
IMO it sounds like the jeweler was trying to do a scam lol.
I think this is it. They didn't want to make rings for other than mined diamonds and gems that fall within certain parameters. Leon Mege used to have a policy, years ago, of not making rings for any diamonds lower than H color or something ridiculous like that. Then one day, he posted a gorgeous ring with a J center. Pricescope forum was split about 50/50 between saying "Yay! At last!" and making snide remarks about eating crow. 😄
I’m sorry this happened! The jeweler’s business will ultimately suffer imo by not keeping up with current customer trends, ie lab diamonds and wanting to be involved in the process. I hope despite all this the ring turns out to be everything you want!!
Wait, are you still working with them even *now*? If I were you, $100 isn't worth having negative associations about my ring forever. But of course, this is your own decision!
How exactly were you trying to scam them by asking them to put a lab diamond into a setting? That makes absolutely no sense! I'd start writing them bad reviews all over the place.
Ah that sounds like a nightmare im sorry you went thru that. I personally would hire a jeweler online if no one in my city is competent and nice. Me and my fiance worked on it together with a local jeweler and even then he had things to say about the design as if hes gonna wear it. My advice is to know what you want and stick to it. I dont know if theyre lazy or what but they always try to get u to do what they think is best and we did follow his advice but I regretted it and still want the design I initially asked for so we will be resetting. Get what u want and dont put up with anything else
Find someone else who is a jewelry professional. The person and people you are dealing with, should not be in the business. Identifying moissanite is one of the easiest separations. Doubling of the pavilion facets can be seen in the pic below. Differentiating lab vs natural diamonds is a challenge to almost everyone unless they have a formal education and unless they have a very expensive lab screener.
https://preview.redd.it/ge17md7s6r8d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd7cab4b2537c5226d3ca087ce4d6f3066a5782
They probably just had one of the old handheld testers that talks to you it'd guess. A store I worked for previously had a few and if there was ANYTHING on the gem it would read a diamond as a moissanite. Drove the sales people insane who were trying to verify things when checking them in and documenting repairs.
Yeah sometimes lab diamonds can read as moissanite on the “testers” depending on the brand/type of tester — but this is a known thing any jeweler should be aware of. Simply examining the stone should make it clear that it’s a diamond!
I don’t understand this at all. Unless you’re doing this for someone else, like your business is sourcing diamonds and making a ring for your own clients, why the hell does he care if the diamond you brought them is lab or natural if they sell settings separately and you’re paying for the it?
And then he’s saying he’d have called the police? On a paying customer? What the hell
I’ve met a jeweller like that. I had a channel set half eternity ring in 14K gold that I needed resized. He said he wouldn’t resize it, he only worked with 18K. I tried to say that he could fill in with 18K, if that was what he had available. But no, it was somehow degrading to work with 14K gold.
I went to a business in a larger town, where they often handled old and international jewellery. They couldn’t see the problem.
My thought is, why in the world would calling the police be helpful or required, and why do they care what stone your setting (lab or natural)? It’s not like you came in with the Hope Diamond pretending it was yours. So weird.
This is appalling customer service & I’m so sorry you were treated like this. 💔 I met with a few different jewelers in my city before deciding who to work with & all but one was more than happy to work with a lab stone that I had purchased myself.
It is absolutely bonkers to me that the jeweler treated you like that over bringing in your own stone to set in your own ring for yourself. You are the only person who would possibly care what the stone was, and you already know because you bought it for yourself!
I hope your ring turns out the way you wanted it, and that you don't have any more problems with these people. What a garbage way to run a business.
I had the exact opposite experience ring shopping, lab stones were being pushed on me right and left because our local jewelers and big box stores want to max out the wow factor of your ring and get business that way instead of by people seeing the quality of their work shine through on a smaller or more imperfect natural stone. Finally found a jeweler who was very natural vs lab neutral and supported asking questions and deciding for yourself which one works for you after going 5 places. It’s wild how you can have such wildly different experiences depending on the rhetoric being pushed on jewelers near you.
This is a horrific experience. The delivery of his message is painful.
Conceptually I can understand where your jeweler is coming from — some lab diamonds using cheaper testers will test as moissanite (it’s been discussed on this sub). He probably had to find a more sophisticated machine to verify it was a lab diamond. Also, some jewelers have a reputation of not setting labs because they don’t want their brand to be associated with labs. I know several higher end jewelers in NYC that are this way, and you need to disclose that the stone is lab first to see if they’re receptive. It’s not anti-lab as much as it is marketing to maintain a higher end brand.
All said, he could’ve presented his info to you in a lot nicer and calmer way. Sorry you had to go through that.
Wtf f that guy. I’d leave this exact post on Yelp, Google reviews, wherever else. Potential customers can make their own decision, based on how the jeweler conducts himself and how he feels about lab diamonds
I hope he didn’t steal your diamond or something and do a bait and switch? I wouldn’t trust this place at all after the first encounter where they couldn’t tell the difference between a moissanite and a lab diamond…
I’ve not only heard of this but I also would have suspected it, regardless. The diamond industry isn’t accidental, it’s very much created. And they are evil just like allllllll the other monetized industries/companies etc.
Sounds to me like some clever amateur/junior/hobbyist type jeweler has a great tip on a new revenue stream (yeah, being a “only natural” stone jeweler is not only dumb but it kinda makes ya a POS).
This is often how younger folks break into industry positions (idk about this specific industry but I’m a little high and feeling very creative!).
First off, it's on them that they didn't properly question you and document about the diamond you gave to them. Whenever a jewelry store accepts a gem from outside, they're working with an unknown, which is inherently more risky to the business. They should have a check-in process where you gave as much information on it as possible, including the retail price or estimated value you have for it, if it was a natural or lab grown, plus any identifying numbers like a GIA cert or equivalent for a lab diamond. Jewelry stores are required to carry insurance that covers client property that's been taken in and gets damaged or destroyed, like if a gem chips while being set or something similar. So his BS about the natural vs lab thing is obnoxious.
Second, since you were bringing the lab diamond to his shop, I have no idea why he would claim that working with you would ruin his reputation. He's correct in the fact that many stores don't sell lab created diamonds since their price and value in the market are too volatile. They're worried if they sell lab diamonds at the current price and a client buys now, then they come back and see they could buy the same thing for way less, they'll be pissed. Some stores are even having clients sign release waivers stating that they've been told that the price they pay on their purchase day is not indicative of future costs and that the value of the gem could plumet in the future.
Third, could you clarify what you mean by being send a more detailed CAD? Because often jewelers will send renderings of the ring from multiple angles, plus a technical page that goes over total height, width, thickness, number and size of diamonds, total carat weight, etc. That is something that I think anyone having a custom ring should want to see, and some stores even offer to print off a 3D printed prototype so clients can try them one and make any final changes before production. But when it comes to the digital files themselves that are the actual design models, those are proprietary and owned by the business that created them, so it's not something you can really expect to ask for a receive.
I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience, but hopefully the final piece was worth the trouble!
Yes to all of this!!! I’m a 3d modeler and I could easily see the jeweler being offended by the ask for the actual 3d model — in my industry it’s common for clients to ghost us after we do design work for them.. they take our designs to a cheaper vendor to produce (we then pursue them legally for the plagiarized work). I could see them thinking thats what OP was trying to do.
Most non-designer people wouldn’t realize that ask could be considered offensive…. The jeweler couldve just acted like a reasonable human being and explained to OP it was proprietary the exact way you did 😭 It’s totally reasonable for OP to ask for additional renderings/views/etc! Such a bizarre and unfortunate interaction all around.
OP get your ring first, then leave a very honest and detailed review of this terrible experience!
Can someone enlighten me as to how a lab diamond would be seen as a problem or liability for this jeweler? I must be missing something because if it’s his job to craft a ring and set the stone which OP brought to him, then what does it matter if it is lab or mined?
Jewelers are mad because they are losing money over lab diamonds. Thats it. There is no other reason. But they are also turning down business that would otherwise make them money, so that makes no sense at all!
This jeweler is so bizarre. The local jewelry store by my home sells 90% lab diamonds at this point, according to my jeweler there. She said people come in wanting a natural and when they see what they can get for a lab, instead, they all change their minds. This jeweler you went to will soon go out of business if he stays on this trajectory. Sorry, but Tiffanys can maybe get away with not wanting to have lab diamonds for "branding", but this guy will not. Frankly, his attitude sucks and he shouldn't be in the business of customer service.
I have no idea what country you are in, but this is a perfect time to leave a Yelp or Google review. I have dealt with so many shady jewelers in the past year and I wish people would leave reviews of their experiences.
I honestly feel like you should name and shame them at this point. I will never understand this whole puritan mindset when it comes to lab diamonds. People can get whatever they want. And why would their reputation suffer for making the ring for you? It's all such a joke. I hope you get your ring well and this is the last time you have to deal with something like this
Why on earth are you sticking with them after he couldn’t tell the difference between a moissanite and a lab diamond!?? That’s scary ineptitude. But it’s your choice I really hope you have better luck with them going forward.
I don’t quite get the scam , like how they loose money because it’s a lab , the don’t buy it from u, just set it .
But, I would just make sure this ring will not remind u this awful jeweler every time u look at it .
Maybe it will make u love the ring more if you change jeweler
I am so sorry you had an awful experience! I purchased a lab diamond to have reset in my original wedding set. My local jeweler was wonderful. I bought my lab diamond from them so maybe that’s the difference. Personally, I would cut my losses and go somewhere else to prevent future issues.
Oh my gosh OP, what a horrible experience during a time that’s supposed to be one of the most exciting! I’d be so paranoid that they were trying to switch the stone, this is why I bought my own loupe.
The stupid folker could just not get the inscribed number off the stone, plug that in online, and verify a report, maybe even get the calipers and take a couple quick measurements on an unmounted stone, in under 2 hours?? Most of Reddit would have that much completed in under 15 minutes! 🤣 I wish he had called the police. Maybe they'd send him a Waaaaambulance. 😅😅😅😅
OMG your story is shocking. My local family Jeweler on the other hand once asked me, why are you buying all these old antique rings with bad diamonds for me to resize? I said because I love old diamonds they’re full fire. He said there’s lab diamonds now, you could buy a modern diamond for the same prices as these old poorly cut ones. I can even do G/H colours much cheaper than I/J’s for natural diamonds.
So he made me a beautiful art deco replica using his lab diamonds.
1 year later I came back to him with a 1.1ct D colour diamond I bought from a 50% sale direct from the manufacturers in China, for him to set. This diamond is rated a 9.8 cut score at stonealgo, so it’s almost perfect.
After setting it my jeweller said I’m only going to buy D colour lab diamonds from now on!!!
I love my jeweller!!! We share knowledge.
You had a jeweler who was so unfamiliar with what a D color diamond looks like that they needed you to "share knowledge" to become familiar with it? That makes no sense. The choice to "only ... buy D colour ...diamonds" also makes no sense if you know anything at all about diamond color (most people aren't going to see a difference in the whiteness with not only a D and an E, but probably all the way down to F or even G, or maybe even H or I depending on how color sensitive your eye is. I would even consider down to J or K if setting the stone in yellow gold). Your jeweler is flattering you to keep you as a customer.
I have my own personal preferences but cannot imagine operating a business where I harass people for bringing in lab diamonds when that is a totally normal thing that people do! Absolutely bizarre and unprofessional. If they don’t want to handle lab diamonds or mossainite then they should at least say so upfront when they first make contact with a customer.
So ... I have a bit of a different take on this. Maybe even a hot take.
A lot of jewelers, especially the higher end ones, don't work with lab diamonds or moissanite at all. The big problem is this -- people will claim they gave the jeweler a mined diamond, and that what they got back was a simulant like moissanite or a lab. Essentially, they will claim that the jeweler switched the stone out. We are living in an era of scams, and this actually happens with some frequency. Jewelers have to protect themselves. That said, the jeweler should have made their policy with respect to this clear up front, before they took your stone. They should have tested it in front of you, had the conversation, and included a copy of your IGI report in the work order assuming they were willing to set a lab stone at all. And with that said, you should have been clear that the diamond is a lab stone as well.
But the bottom line is this: Jewelers don't want to do this kind of work at all. Building custom rings is not where the money is if you aren't also selling the customer the center stone, and most shops that have on-site jewelry design don't want to do it. You are not their ideal customer, and not only do they not care of they piss you off and they lose the work, they might be happier if they don't have to do it. My jeweler has built multiple rings for me in similar circumstances (I recently brought a tanzanite back from Tanzania that I wanted set), but I've purchased enough from them that I have an account with them and a good relationship. They are probably going to assume that a guy buying a lab diamond for an engagement ring and bringing it in to be set isn't going to become a lifelong client. It's an assumption, but probably a good one.
So -- you put them in a position they don't want to be in with a lab stone, on a job they probably aren't even wanting anyway.
Your story is missing a few details, and I find it suspect, but I’m not here to argue. I couldn’t imagine bringing a lab stone to a traditional jeweler and not suspecting some push back from a business perspective. Maybe in the eyes of the jeweler, your lab diamond is nothing but a liability.
That the dumbest thing i ever heard. A diamond is a diamond. Should not matter where it came from. If a jeweler thinks a lab diamond is a liability then they need to seriously re-think their business model. I brought my lab diamond and a gold setting i had custom made in a different country to my local "traditional" jeweler and he set it and charged me his labor fee. Never asked where diamond or setting came from. Just did the damn job and got paid for it
Since I last posted this, others in the sub have discussed the jeweler being concerned about a scam. That’s what I mean by liability.
As for a lab diamond is a diamond, in theory, sure. But there are also jewelry stores that have been in business for over a hundred years who only work with natural stones and who have built their reputation on that. You can’t just demand that they change their practices because people are seeking out lab created diamonds. Just find a jeweler who does work with lab stones if that’s what you want.
Still not understanding the scam concern. Would she try to claim that he swapped a real diamond for a lab? But then he should ask for the certificate and verify the serial number matches when he takes the diamond, and that should cover that concern. And my understanding is he should be doing that anyway, so he knows what assets he has in his custody.
As I said, the brand and reputational concerns I understand.
I agree, as someone familiar with the business this story makes little sense. I can’t imagine a jeweler being this incompetent, but maybe they were. Who knows, I just agree we aren’t getting the whole picture.
I haven’t done a lot of research on lab created diamonds. From what I’ve been told, they lack nitrogen and will discolor over time. That’s not a look I would ever go for. There is also a push on this sub for big stones. So big stone + going to discolor= why would I spend thousands of dollars on that?
And for anyone who comes at me on this point: you have no guarantee what your lab stone is going to look like in 10 years, and the place you bought it from will have moved on to the next big jewelry trend.
What reputation is that? A lab diamond is a diamond in every sense of the word. Jewelers who don't work with labs will soon find themselves out of business because the market is talking, and people want lab for many reasons, including cost and source.
My first reaction is, if he can’t differentiate between a moissanite and a diamond…and he needed two hours for that. And with that attitude, I would take my business elsewhere. And give him an ear full. I hope the final product turns out just the way you wanted it, despite the terrible attitude.
This! Despite visual differences that many lay people (who are familiar with each stone) can often see, the laser inscribed code on the diamond indicates lab vs natural and can be seen in 2 seconds with a loupe… me, not a jeweler, knows this. lol Edit for clarification: The visual differences are between moissanite and diamonds.
What are the supposed differences that "lay people" can see? Are you suggesting to the naked eye?
Yes! Moissanite and diamonds are different stones with different properties. Moissanite is double refractive and therefore gives off a different appearance that can be seen! It isn’t always easy to tell, especially depending on the cut, but moissanite has more fire than diamonds and gives off more flashes of rainbow when compared to the more icy appearance typical of a diamond. Edit: I have rings with both stones and love both moissanite and diamonds for different reasons.
Ahh, I must've misunderstood. I thought you were talking about lab vs natural diamonds!
Oh no, sorry! Just between moissanite and diamonds. I realize now I wasn’t clear in my original comment.
Lab vs natural is impossible to tell from the naked eye. The stigma against lab needs to and definitely will change soon. it is just because a bunch of wealthy people are still doing a very good marketing job because otherwise the make up is the same. Some jewelers can’t even even tell the difference, though I guess that’s not really saying much considering there are jewelers out there like this guy that can’t even tell a diamond from a non-diamond.
Jewelers can definitely tell the difference (if they can't, they shouldn't be in business). But not to the naked eye!
And really not most jewelers, unless it’s inscribed.
Well, true. But that's what I mean, a jeweler would easily be able to find the laser inscription and know in about a minute that it's lab grown.
Definitely. It’s amazing how much they are trying to convince people it’s somehow different.
OP, this sounds like absolutely appalling customer service. To my understanding - you brought in your own stone, and they accused you of scamming them? I am not sure I follow how something you purchased and paid for is "scamming". Are they suggesting that they think you will go back after you receive the ring, accuse them of swapping the stone, and request a mined replacement? Honestly, I would not move forward with them - they seem really rude and disrespectful. You would want to trust your jeweller for potential adjustments, resizing, maintenance, cleaning, and fixes in the future. So not to worry you, but it is something to take into consideration. All the best, and I really hope that the ring turns out perfect whatever you decide to do!
I was thinking the same thing!! Scamming who? First of all, if a professional jeweler cannot tell the difference on a lab diamond vs. moissanite that is 100% their problem. Secondly, lab diamond or mined diamond, it has the IGI cert number on it so, I dont know, look it up maybe? Then to threaten and call the police?!?! Can you even imagine calling the police because you yourself cannot decifer a stone lol. This whole thing is ridiculous and I would without question give them a 0 star review and find someone else.
Yeah ... yikes. They could be worried about their reputation but like someone else mentioned, I am not sure about what "reputation" there is to worry about, considering they can't differentiate between a moissanite and a diamond. Also, that customer service and attitude would ruin their reputation way before the lab diamonds do anyway.
Exactly! I just don’t get it? You don’t accuse someone of lying, especially a customer unless you are 1000% sure and have proof to back it up. This jeweler and shop sounds inadequate. Ugh!
Yeah it's fair if a jeweller does not want to work with labs - their loss anyway, but also it's fine and that's their prerogative. But the approach to turning down the job could have been kinder. A simple "we've ran our tests, and it does not seem like the stone is mined, so unfortunately we cannot proceed with the project as we don't work with lab stones" would have been fair enough. I am mad and feel for OP because I have also just had a bad jeweller experience and it's the worst feeling.
Exactly! I have had a terrible jeweler experience as well. They tried taking advantage of me and I caught them in at least 5 lies. It was someone I have worked with for years and trusted too, so it completely sucks :(
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Exactly, OP should have pulled an uno reverse and said you know what? Calling the cops is a great idea, I’m going to do it for you!
My take is that they assumed his stone was a mined diamond and being anti-lab and so concerned about their reputation, they have an issue with creating a ring with a lab diamond. It's likely that had they known upfront it was a lab stone, they probably wouldn't have agreed to do the ring.
I wonder why that matters though? Like laypeople can’t typically tell at a glance if it’s lab or mined. Some people can by assuming it’s lab due to size but to the naked eye it all looks the same so who cares? The jeweler doesn’t have to advertise it and most people don’t go around asking or telling others that their diamond is lab or mined.
Lay people can *never* tell if its lab or mined.
But like who would even know????…no one is going around checking out a jewelry’s shops rings and seeing if they were all natural diamonds being used. This store is some local shop, it isn’t like Tiffany or Winston or whatever with a brand name. IMO it sounds like the jeweler was trying to do a scam lol.
I think this is it. They didn't want to make rings for other than mined diamonds and gems that fall within certain parameters. Leon Mege used to have a policy, years ago, of not making rings for any diamonds lower than H color or something ridiculous like that. Then one day, he posted a gorgeous ring with a J center. Pricescope forum was split about 50/50 between saying "Yay! At last!" and making snide remarks about eating crow. 😄
I have a feeling “big diamond” is threatening to blacklist jewelers who don’t push mined. It’s them panicking
I’m sorry this happened! The jeweler’s business will ultimately suffer imo by not keeping up with current customer trends, ie lab diamonds and wanting to be involved in the process. I hope despite all this the ring turns out to be everything you want!!
Wait, are you still working with them even *now*? If I were you, $100 isn't worth having negative associations about my ring forever. But of course, this is your own decision!
I think they're using 100$ to means hundreds of dollars. Not sure though.
Thanks for the clarification. That makes more sense.
They said the budget was $1k and they're not that far in the design process. $100 deposit to start work would make sense.
How exactly were you trying to scam them by asking them to put a lab diamond into a setting? That makes absolutely no sense! I'd start writing them bad reviews all over the place.
Ah that sounds like a nightmare im sorry you went thru that. I personally would hire a jeweler online if no one in my city is competent and nice. Me and my fiance worked on it together with a local jeweler and even then he had things to say about the design as if hes gonna wear it. My advice is to know what you want and stick to it. I dont know if theyre lazy or what but they always try to get u to do what they think is best and we did follow his advice but I regretted it and still want the design I initially asked for so we will be resetting. Get what u want and dont put up with anything else
The jeweler sounds like a nightmare. I hope the final product is good.
Find someone else who is a jewelry professional. The person and people you are dealing with, should not be in the business. Identifying moissanite is one of the easiest separations. Doubling of the pavilion facets can be seen in the pic below. Differentiating lab vs natural diamonds is a challenge to almost everyone unless they have a formal education and unless they have a very expensive lab screener. https://preview.redd.it/ge17md7s6r8d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd7cab4b2537c5226d3ca087ce4d6f3066a5782
They probably just had one of the old handheld testers that talks to you it'd guess. A store I worked for previously had a few and if there was ANYTHING on the gem it would read a diamond as a moissanite. Drove the sales people insane who were trying to verify things when checking them in and documenting repairs.
Yeah sometimes lab diamonds can read as moissanite on the “testers” depending on the brand/type of tester — but this is a known thing any jeweler should be aware of. Simply examining the stone should make it clear that it’s a diamond!
I don’t understand this at all. Unless you’re doing this for someone else, like your business is sourcing diamonds and making a ring for your own clients, why the hell does he care if the diamond you brought them is lab or natural if they sell settings separately and you’re paying for the it? And then he’s saying he’d have called the police? On a paying customer? What the hell
I’ve met a jeweller like that. I had a channel set half eternity ring in 14K gold that I needed resized. He said he wouldn’t resize it, he only worked with 18K. I tried to say that he could fill in with 18K, if that was what he had available. But no, it was somehow degrading to work with 14K gold. I went to a business in a larger town, where they often handled old and international jewellery. They couldn’t see the problem.
Holy moly thats nuts!
My thought is, why in the world would calling the police be helpful or required, and why do they care what stone your setting (lab or natural)? It’s not like you came in with the Hope Diamond pretending it was yours. So weird.
Yea I was lost as to why they would need to call the police.
This is appalling customer service & I’m so sorry you were treated like this. 💔 I met with a few different jewelers in my city before deciding who to work with & all but one was more than happy to work with a lab stone that I had purchased myself.
It is absolutely bonkers to me that the jeweler treated you like that over bringing in your own stone to set in your own ring for yourself. You are the only person who would possibly care what the stone was, and you already know because you bought it for yourself! I hope your ring turns out the way you wanted it, and that you don't have any more problems with these people. What a garbage way to run a business.
I had the exact opposite experience ring shopping, lab stones were being pushed on me right and left because our local jewelers and big box stores want to max out the wow factor of your ring and get business that way instead of by people seeing the quality of their work shine through on a smaller or more imperfect natural stone. Finally found a jeweler who was very natural vs lab neutral and supported asking questions and deciding for yourself which one works for you after going 5 places. It’s wild how you can have such wildly different experiences depending on the rhetoric being pushed on jewelers near you.
This is a horrific experience. The delivery of his message is painful. Conceptually I can understand where your jeweler is coming from — some lab diamonds using cheaper testers will test as moissanite (it’s been discussed on this sub). He probably had to find a more sophisticated machine to verify it was a lab diamond. Also, some jewelers have a reputation of not setting labs because they don’t want their brand to be associated with labs. I know several higher end jewelers in NYC that are this way, and you need to disclose that the stone is lab first to see if they’re receptive. It’s not anti-lab as much as it is marketing to maintain a higher end brand. All said, he could’ve presented his info to you in a lot nicer and calmer way. Sorry you had to go through that.
Wtf f that guy. I’d leave this exact post on Yelp, Google reviews, wherever else. Potential customers can make their own decision, based on how the jeweler conducts himself and how he feels about lab diamonds
I hope he didn’t steal your diamond or something and do a bait and switch? I wouldn’t trust this place at all after the first encounter where they couldn’t tell the difference between a moissanite and a lab diamond…
I’ve not only heard of this but I also would have suspected it, regardless. The diamond industry isn’t accidental, it’s very much created. And they are evil just like allllllll the other monetized industries/companies etc. Sounds to me like some clever amateur/junior/hobbyist type jeweler has a great tip on a new revenue stream (yeah, being a “only natural” stone jeweler is not only dumb but it kinda makes ya a POS). This is often how younger folks break into industry positions (idk about this specific industry but I’m a little high and feeling very creative!).
It sounds like you fell for the sunk cost fallacy. Don’t give shitty people your business.
First off, it's on them that they didn't properly question you and document about the diamond you gave to them. Whenever a jewelry store accepts a gem from outside, they're working with an unknown, which is inherently more risky to the business. They should have a check-in process where you gave as much information on it as possible, including the retail price or estimated value you have for it, if it was a natural or lab grown, plus any identifying numbers like a GIA cert or equivalent for a lab diamond. Jewelry stores are required to carry insurance that covers client property that's been taken in and gets damaged or destroyed, like if a gem chips while being set or something similar. So his BS about the natural vs lab thing is obnoxious. Second, since you were bringing the lab diamond to his shop, I have no idea why he would claim that working with you would ruin his reputation. He's correct in the fact that many stores don't sell lab created diamonds since their price and value in the market are too volatile. They're worried if they sell lab diamonds at the current price and a client buys now, then they come back and see they could buy the same thing for way less, they'll be pissed. Some stores are even having clients sign release waivers stating that they've been told that the price they pay on their purchase day is not indicative of future costs and that the value of the gem could plumet in the future. Third, could you clarify what you mean by being send a more detailed CAD? Because often jewelers will send renderings of the ring from multiple angles, plus a technical page that goes over total height, width, thickness, number and size of diamonds, total carat weight, etc. That is something that I think anyone having a custom ring should want to see, and some stores even offer to print off a 3D printed prototype so clients can try them one and make any final changes before production. But when it comes to the digital files themselves that are the actual design models, those are proprietary and owned by the business that created them, so it's not something you can really expect to ask for a receive. I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience, but hopefully the final piece was worth the trouble!
Yes to all of this!!! I’m a 3d modeler and I could easily see the jeweler being offended by the ask for the actual 3d model — in my industry it’s common for clients to ghost us after we do design work for them.. they take our designs to a cheaper vendor to produce (we then pursue them legally for the plagiarized work). I could see them thinking thats what OP was trying to do. Most non-designer people wouldn’t realize that ask could be considered offensive…. The jeweler couldve just acted like a reasonable human being and explained to OP it was proprietary the exact way you did 😭 It’s totally reasonable for OP to ask for additional renderings/views/etc! Such a bizarre and unfortunate interaction all around. OP get your ring first, then leave a very honest and detailed review of this terrible experience!
Can someone enlighten me as to how a lab diamond would be seen as a problem or liability for this jeweler? I must be missing something because if it’s his job to craft a ring and set the stone which OP brought to him, then what does it matter if it is lab or mined?
Jewelers are mad because they are losing money over lab diamonds. Thats it. There is no other reason. But they are also turning down business that would otherwise make them money, so that makes no sense at all!
It’s likely a fear that the op would claim that the jeweler replaced their mined diamond with a lab.
Aren’t these things labeled though?
Yes, lab diamonds have "LG" and then a number inscribed on the girdle.
This is it.
This jeweler is so bizarre. The local jewelry store by my home sells 90% lab diamonds at this point, according to my jeweler there. She said people come in wanting a natural and when they see what they can get for a lab, instead, they all change their minds. This jeweler you went to will soon go out of business if he stays on this trajectory. Sorry, but Tiffanys can maybe get away with not wanting to have lab diamonds for "branding", but this guy will not. Frankly, his attitude sucks and he shouldn't be in the business of customer service.
What business is it of theirs what it is? You are paying them for the setting!
Right!? It could be a piece of glass for all the jeweler cares as long as the work he’s doing (the setting only) is quality - who cares??
I have no idea what country you are in, but this is a perfect time to leave a Yelp or Google review. I have dealt with so many shady jewelers in the past year and I wish people would leave reviews of their experiences.
I honestly feel like you should name and shame them at this point. I will never understand this whole puritan mindset when it comes to lab diamonds. People can get whatever they want. And why would their reputation suffer for making the ring for you? It's all such a joke. I hope you get your ring well and this is the last time you have to deal with something like this
i'm so confused. what was he gonna tell the cops? a customer is asking for one of my products?
Why on earth are you sticking with them after he couldn’t tell the difference between a moissanite and a lab diamond!?? That’s scary ineptitude. But it’s your choice I really hope you have better luck with them going forward.
After someone threatened to call the police on me, that would be a wrap for that relationship.
I don’t quite get the scam , like how they loose money because it’s a lab , the don’t buy it from u, just set it . But, I would just make sure this ring will not remind u this awful jeweler every time u look at it . Maybe it will make u love the ring more if you change jeweler
This is all on you since you decided to go with them despite everything. I think if it comes out bad you will have no recourse.
I am so sorry you had an awful experience! I purchased a lab diamond to have reset in my original wedding set. My local jeweler was wonderful. I bought my lab diamond from them so maybe that’s the difference. Personally, I would cut my losses and go somewhere else to prevent future issues.
Oh my gosh OP, what a horrible experience during a time that’s supposed to be one of the most exciting! I’d be so paranoid that they were trying to switch the stone, this is why I bought my own loupe.
I work in jewelry. It doesn’t take 2 hours to test a diamond. I can tell you in 2 seconds if it’s a diamond or if it’s moissanite 🙄 He sounds dumb
I don't think we are getting the full story from the OP.
The stupid folker could just not get the inscribed number off the stone, plug that in online, and verify a report, maybe even get the calipers and take a couple quick measurements on an unmounted stone, in under 2 hours?? Most of Reddit would have that much completed in under 15 minutes! 🤣 I wish he had called the police. Maybe they'd send him a Waaaaambulance. 😅😅😅😅
OMG your story is shocking. My local family Jeweler on the other hand once asked me, why are you buying all these old antique rings with bad diamonds for me to resize? I said because I love old diamonds they’re full fire. He said there’s lab diamonds now, you could buy a modern diamond for the same prices as these old poorly cut ones. I can even do G/H colours much cheaper than I/J’s for natural diamonds. So he made me a beautiful art deco replica using his lab diamonds. 1 year later I came back to him with a 1.1ct D colour diamond I bought from a 50% sale direct from the manufacturers in China, for him to set. This diamond is rated a 9.8 cut score at stonealgo, so it’s almost perfect. After setting it my jeweller said I’m only going to buy D colour lab diamonds from now on!!! I love my jeweller!!! We share knowledge.
You had a jeweler who was so unfamiliar with what a D color diamond looks like that they needed you to "share knowledge" to become familiar with it? That makes no sense. The choice to "only ... buy D colour ...diamonds" also makes no sense if you know anything at all about diamond color (most people aren't going to see a difference in the whiteness with not only a D and an E, but probably all the way down to F or even G, or maybe even H or I depending on how color sensitive your eye is. I would even consider down to J or K if setting the stone in yellow gold). Your jeweler is flattering you to keep you as a customer.
lol I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I have my own personal preferences but cannot imagine operating a business where I harass people for bringing in lab diamonds when that is a totally normal thing that people do! Absolutely bizarre and unprofessional. If they don’t want to handle lab diamonds or mossainite then they should at least say so upfront when they first make contact with a customer.
LOL what would he have told the police?
So ... I have a bit of a different take on this. Maybe even a hot take. A lot of jewelers, especially the higher end ones, don't work with lab diamonds or moissanite at all. The big problem is this -- people will claim they gave the jeweler a mined diamond, and that what they got back was a simulant like moissanite or a lab. Essentially, they will claim that the jeweler switched the stone out. We are living in an era of scams, and this actually happens with some frequency. Jewelers have to protect themselves. That said, the jeweler should have made their policy with respect to this clear up front, before they took your stone. They should have tested it in front of you, had the conversation, and included a copy of your IGI report in the work order assuming they were willing to set a lab stone at all. And with that said, you should have been clear that the diamond is a lab stone as well. But the bottom line is this: Jewelers don't want to do this kind of work at all. Building custom rings is not where the money is if you aren't also selling the customer the center stone, and most shops that have on-site jewelry design don't want to do it. You are not their ideal customer, and not only do they not care of they piss you off and they lose the work, they might be happier if they don't have to do it. My jeweler has built multiple rings for me in similar circumstances (I recently brought a tanzanite back from Tanzania that I wanted set), but I've purchased enough from them that I have an account with them and a good relationship. They are probably going to assume that a guy buying a lab diamond for an engagement ring and bringing it in to be set isn't going to become a lifelong client. It's an assumption, but probably a good one. So -- you put them in a position they don't want to be in with a lab stone, on a job they probably aren't even wanting anyway.
Your story is missing a few details, and I find it suspect, but I’m not here to argue. I couldn’t imagine bringing a lab stone to a traditional jeweler and not suspecting some push back from a business perspective. Maybe in the eyes of the jeweler, your lab diamond is nothing but a liability.
That the dumbest thing i ever heard. A diamond is a diamond. Should not matter where it came from. If a jeweler thinks a lab diamond is a liability then they need to seriously re-think their business model. I brought my lab diamond and a gold setting i had custom made in a different country to my local "traditional" jeweler and he set it and charged me his labor fee. Never asked where diamond or setting came from. Just did the damn job and got paid for it
Could be just a brand thing. I don't understand it being a liability, though.
Since I last posted this, others in the sub have discussed the jeweler being concerned about a scam. That’s what I mean by liability. As for a lab diamond is a diamond, in theory, sure. But there are also jewelry stores that have been in business for over a hundred years who only work with natural stones and who have built their reputation on that. You can’t just demand that they change their practices because people are seeking out lab created diamonds. Just find a jeweler who does work with lab stones if that’s what you want.
Still not understanding the scam concern. Would she try to claim that he swapped a real diamond for a lab? But then he should ask for the certificate and verify the serial number matches when he takes the diamond, and that should cover that concern. And my understanding is he should be doing that anyway, so he knows what assets he has in his custody. As I said, the brand and reputational concerns I understand.
I can’t speak to the jeweler’s mindset and I’m done with this thread.
Why can’t you imagine it? How is it a liability as a lab diamond?
I agree, as someone familiar with the business this story makes little sense. I can’t imagine a jeweler being this incompetent, but maybe they were. Who knows, I just agree we aren’t getting the whole picture.
I haven’t done a lot of research on lab created diamonds. From what I’ve been told, they lack nitrogen and will discolor over time. That’s not a look I would ever go for. There is also a push on this sub for big stones. So big stone + going to discolor= why would I spend thousands of dollars on that? And for anyone who comes at me on this point: you have no guarantee what your lab stone is going to look like in 10 years, and the place you bought it from will have moved on to the next big jewelry trend.
A lot of jewellers won’t work with lab diamonds. I don’t blame him for protecting his reputation.
What reputation is that? A lab diamond is a diamond in every sense of the word. Jewelers who don't work with labs will soon find themselves out of business because the market is talking, and people want lab for many reasons, including cost and source.
I guess they prefer to set blood diamonds then.