Tiffany Dubin, Art jewelry specialist, Sotheby’s
Frankly, I don’t have a preference for mined diamonds over lab-grown or synthetic diamonds, as my interest lies in jewelry design as opposed to stones. The most valuable jewels are those created with great inspiration and artistry. I would rather have a wood necklace created by somebody like Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, who I consider a revolutionary, or a meteoroid necklace by Jean Vendome, than a large diamond that only serves to show off my wealth or the wealth of the person who gifted it to me. When receiving a gift of jewelry, I want the piece to reflect my personality.
That being said, I do love sparkly stones that highlight the face, but you do not need an authentic diamond to achieve this. I have a pair of amazing morganite earrings made by James de Givenchy, and when I put them on, women do a double take because they look like 10-carat diamonds. In fact, a close girlfriend was getting remarried recently. She always dreamed of having a ring with a 6-carat, emerald-cut diamond, so I gifted her one of cubic zirconia. To this day, she continues to wear it instead of a real diamond ring. With the money they saved by not purchasing a diamond, her husband spent it on another gift for her. Therefore, I am the perfect candidate for a lab-grown diamond, since I am all about the look, not the value.
Shelly Purdy, Owner, Shelly Purdy Fine Jewellery
Diamonds are my favorite gemstone. And for good, practical reasons: They are strong enough to survive generations of wear, go with everything, and have a fire beyond compare. I can polish my client’s diamond engagement ring that she’s been wearing for decades and hand it back to her looking brand new.
I recently purchased a gorgeous yellow-gold lab-grown tennis bracelet on a whim, and it looks amazing. Diamonds excite me. But Canadian diamonds are my true passion. My beautiful Canadian diamond ring, on my right hand, evokes powerful memories of my career, and to me, it represents the integrity of my business.
I can appreciate lab-grown for many occasions, from fashion to bridal, but for me? Well, I’d like a big fat Canadian diamond, please.
JB Jones, Co-founder, NYC Jewelry Week
I would absolutely buy lab-grown. Simply because of the accessibility of it — because I would absolutely be buying it for fashion. Lab-grown diamonds allow us all to buy into the world of diamonds, [including] those of us who have been previously hindered by cost. Because that buy-in, of course, revolves around the size of a diamond; we want it big.
But that isn’t to say it’s all about commitment or engagement rings in this scenario. With celebrities like Beyoncé donning gigantic diamonds by Glenn Spiro or Lorraine Schwartz, snagging “real” jewelry that mimics this opulence is on the minds of many. So basically, I’m holding out for a fine-jewelry piece with a fashion sensibility. In all truth, I’ll be waiting for the lab-grown pavé curb chain. And if it’s proven to be sustainable by the time that happens, I’m all in. If anyone’s doing that already — let me know.
Images from left: Jordan Doner; Shelly Purdy Fine Jewellery; JB JONESArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2022. To subscribe click here.