Michael Gabriels Lab Created Diamond Jewelry

Photo: Alyssa Figgins - Michael Gabriels lab-grown diamond ring

Diamonds over 2 carats increase in price exponentially, not linearly, because eye-clean, bigger diamonds are rarer and in demand. The jewelry industry uses the term magic sizes to describe the price jump at round numbers that occur at .05, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00 carats and up. If you buy a natural diamond ring slightly below the round numbers, for example, at 2.95 carats, you’ll pay less but get the same effect as a 3.00 carat diamond ring.

Nowadays, people who desire bigger carats are considering lab-grown diamonds for 50% less than the cost of natural diamonds of the same size and quality. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. Just like natural-grown diamonds, lab-grown diamonds are pure carbon arranged in a crystal lattice. They have the exact same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds. The difference between the two is their origins. Natural diamonds are created over billions of years in the earth, while lab-grown diamonds are created in weeks in a laboratory using advanced technology that mimics the natural geological process of diamond formation. 

Do you want to know how lab diamonds are created? Two methods are used: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT), which mimics the Earth’s mantle, and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), which uses carbon-rich gas to grow diamond crystals atom by atom. Both methods produce 100% real diamonds. HPHT produces high-quality, often larger crystals and intensely colored diamonds with strong, consistent crystals, while CVD offers greater control, producing exceptional clarity and larger, high-quality, colorless stones such as pure type 2a (IIa) diamonds (i.e. diamonds without metallic inclusions, which are very, very rare in natural diamonds). Only an expert with a spectroscopy in a laboratory can tell a natural diamond and a lab diamond apart. Natural diamonds usually contain small amounts of nitrogen gas that become incorporated into the diamond structure. UV light (fluorescence) can highlight the growth structure of the diamond being tested. Lab-grown diamonds can also be identified by the types of inclusions they might show. CVD, HPHT, and natural diamonds will all have their own distinctive inclusions. Type 2a diamonds produced by the CVD method are the most chemically pure type of diamond, containing no measurable nitrogen, boron, or metallic impurities. They have exceptional transparency and brilliance, comprising less than 2% of gem-quality diamonds. Of course, that would add to their expense.

Often, you pay 50%-70% less for lab-grown diamonds, which usually have better color (D-F) and clarity (VS1) than natural diamonds. In other words, customers get a bigger, cleaner stone for less money. Natural diamonds fetch a higher resale value. But jewelry isn’t an investment, and you should only think of it as a luxury buy, since you’ll usually lose money by selling your jewelry.

Lab-grown diamonds are lowering the price of both natural and lab diamonds as more retailers enter the market and more people buy them.

Michael Gabriels, a 3rd-generation New York jeweler (at 46 Howard Street in Soho), specializes in lab-grown diamond jewelry with stellar craftsmanship, beautiful design, and a reputation for attentive customer service. Good craftsmanship is vital. You want to buy excellent cut diamonds. In a tennis bracelet or necklace, you want all the diamonds to have matching color and clarity. With regular promotions, you can also score a deal.

Lab-grown diamond jewelry isn’t cheap, but it’s sustainable and considered a better value because you can get more carats and better color and clarity for a lot less moola! We no longer have to spend 5-figures to have a bigger carat diamond ring, bracelet or pair of earrings!

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Celebrities In Diamond Stud Earrings

Click to enlarge photos you want to see.

A luxury item I covet but will never buy is a relatively huge 4+ carat pair of diamond stud earrings. 4-carat diamond studs can cost anywhere from $30,000 - $50,000+ for natural diamonds. Prices are determined by cut, carat, color, and clarity. Customers might consider G-H/SI or F-G/VS, which are of decent quality.

Well, that’s a lot of moola for a single piece of jewelry, isn’t it? Obviously, I was born into the wrong class in society! But, you know what? I will still indulge my love of diamond stud earrings on this blog!

Let’s do a roundup of celebrities who are lucky enough to either work in lucrative fields, or are born into families of wealth, or can borrow their jewelry from famous designers. I’d be fine and dandy with borrowing jewelry! Wearing diamonds without having to buy them is a fabulous deal!

Not all these famous ladies are wearing the biggest diamond studs. Some may even be lab-grown diamonds or not diamonds at all. Only they know.

I wonder if Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie borrowed their diamond studs to attend an awards show? Kelly Clarkson may have treated herself for all the shows and TV spots she does.

Michelle Williams, Michelle Obama, Judge Judy, and Simone Biles likely own the diamond studs they're wearing. All have had enough success to buy them.

Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber

Diamond studs of all sizes look great on everyone of all ages in all professions. What’s more, lab-grown diamonds are making diamond stud earrings more accessible to average wage earners, and the technology is improving all the time. Still not cheap, but diamond prices, both natural and lab-grown, are falling! Since 1st on the market, lab-grown diamonds have decreased by as much as 75%! Lab-grown diamonds are physically, chemically, and optically identical to gemstones formed over billions of years in the Earth. The only difference is their origin ... they are created in a laboratory, and only a jeweler using a special loupe can tell the difference.

Diamonds over 2 carats increase exponentially in price. Lab-grown white sapphires in 925 silver are a winning substitute for diamonds if you covet bigger stones without breaking the bank.

It’s all beautiful eye candy to us glitter-lovers!

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Should You Buy Fine Jewelry Today?

Don’t get me wrong, I like quality and looking polished and coordinated, but I’m not a luxury bag, shoes, or apparel maven. Fine jewelry is my luxury temptation of choice, which is just as much of a luxury buy as a Hermès handbag. Therefore, who am I to judge? We don’t buy luxury goods because we need them, but because we want, ummm, love them, and they are not true investments like a stock portfolio.

Fortunately, I have a small capsule (not a collection) of fine jewelry, gifts I got for a special birthday or graduation, or a few pieces I saved up to buy as a wage earner over the years.

But would I advise buying fine jewelry at today’s prices? Sadly, I don’t think so. Like Chanel bags, Dior frocks, or Christian Louboutin heels, fine jewelry is significantly marked up in response to demand, and let's call it, created perceptions of greater value. Additionally, today we are being charged thousands of dollars for not a lot of gold. Skimpy chains, bands, and bracelets have gotten shockingly expensive!

IMHO, these 3 bracelets from Brilliant Earth are gorgeous ... what a classy stack! Would you like to know how much it would cost a customer to buy them? Here’s the breakdown in US dollars ...

Sol Starburst Diamond 7” Bracelet (1/8 ct. wt) in 14k yellow gold. Cost: $3,595

Diamond Flexible Tennis Bangle Bracelet (1 1/3 ct. tw.) in 18K White Gold $3,595

Sol Slim 6.5 In. Bracelet in 14K Yellow Gold. Cost:$2,350

Total cost before taxes: $9,540 

Such a tidy sum is not practical for an average wage earner, despite the lovely aesthetics. The individual bracelets are not the thickest!

In fact, the price of gold has hit record highs of over $4,700 per ounce at this time. Driven by geopolitical tensions and central bank buying, gold has experienced a sharp long-term upward trend. 

THE SAVVY SHOPPER will continue to feature fine jewelry as it’s too pretty not to, but as a value shopper, I can’t in good faith tell anyone to splurge on it. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not to empty your bank account. 

Oh, my goodness, 6 bangles would double the tab! If I were to spend $9,540 - $19,080+ on jewelry, I would spend it on a single piece with the biggest single diamond I could buy, rather than a stack with multiple single diamonds, because a bigger diamond would be easier to sell on the pre-loved market if the owner absolutely needed money.*

With graduations and weddings in the future, what are your thoughts on buying fine jewelry at today’s prices? Is it worth it?!?

*BTW: Bigger gemstones are rarer (so cost more) than small diamonds. Tennis bracelets are pricey because of demand + the price of gold + the color of the diamonds must match, and a ton of diamonds are sifted through to find matching colors. {Clean Origins is known to own its own diamonds and offer above-average customer service. This blog is not sponsored.} 

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Admiring 2 Harry Winston Diamond Rings

Another day, another eye candy blog. Let's browse: Here are 2 gorgeous Harry Winston diamond rings average wage earners can admire, yet likely not afford to buy. Even if consumers have the money in the bank, it would be unwise to spend it on luxury items like high-end jewelry rather than on necessities, emergencies, or retirement. But looking, ooing, and ahhing are free. So here we go!

The first ring is crafted in platinum; set with a 12.55-carat step-cut emerald, in a D-color that is internally flawless. The main diamond is flanked by 2 tapered baguette diamonds. The cost depends on the carats, color, and clarity a customer selects if buying it directly from Harry Winston. Both rings are available, with consumers choosing their center diamond.

Ring number 2 is crafted in platinum; set with a 6.01-carat pear brilliant-cut diamond, with E color and VS2 clarity; and it is also flanked by two baguette-cut diamonds. Once again, it’s available and customizable at Harry Winston’s, but Fortuna auctioned this 6.01-carat diamond ring for $187,000.

Oh, what if an average earner loves, loves, loves these beautiful diamonds as much as I do, but could never justify a Harry Winston purchase?

As I always say, "First a dreamer, then a realist!" Use the Harry Winston rings as inspiration and be willing to make some compromises to fit your budget! So what is a practical person who isn’t one of the new billionaires in our country to do?

Consder lab grown diamonds costing considerable less! Lab-grown gemstones are physically, chemically, and optically the same as gemstones that form over billions of years in the Earth's mantle. Be flexible on carat size, color, and clarity, and switch from platinum to 18k or 14k gold to lower costs. The benefit of gold over platinum is that the ring can be resized to fit a changing finger size over time. The 👆lab-grown pear-shaped diamond on the left is 2 carats in 18k gold, priced at $2,424.10, and it, too, is gorgeous!

For the emerald cut ring, this lab-grown diamond ring to the right👉 is without the side baguettes for $1,979.25. Still, if you yearn to dupe the Harry Winston design at a higher price, another option is here. Research all sellers thoroughly before making any purchases.

On a jewelry budget, perhaps rings are the best splurge, because you can admire their beauty while you wear them, unlike a necklace that requires standing in front of a mirror. You catch the sparkles of a ring as you toss your hand around!

Angara

Although much less than Harry Winston, $2,000+ for jewelry isn’t exactly cheap either, is it? If you’re simply looking for bling to wear without investing weeks of salary, there are yet more compromises you could make. You could buy lab-grown white sapphires, which are inexpensive and crafted in 925 sterling silver, which is still categorized as fine jewelry. Sterling silver is softer than gold, so you wouldn’t want a sterling silver engagement ring that you might wear daily, banging it around. Do. Not. Accept. That fiancée of yours must work a little harder! Sterling silver is a fine metal for necklaces, earrings, and rings you wear mindfully when you have few chances of banging it. Moreover, it's wise to take lower-priced jewelry that you can afford to replace on vacation.

Italo rings

Italo is one of several jewelry companies making lab-grown white sapphires in 925 sterling silver. With its ongoing deals, a buyer can score Harry Winston dupe rings at $70 - $100. Decent quality for the price.

Even so, I’m thinking if my ☆・*Fairy Godmother☆・* were to ever appear, she’d procure those 2 Harry Winston rings for me. I know she would, and I’m waiting! Are those fast twinkling lights I see, you know, the kind when a body holding a wand👤👗 materializes out of thin air?😛

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Harry Winston’s Sunflower Collection

Brrr, Manhattan is experiencing a deep freeze, forcing us to stay indoors. So today, let’s get our sunshine in an indirect way.🌞 Without leaving your home, come with me to Harry Winston to admire his Sunflower Collection. It’s for diamond lovers, although a customer could select the pieces set with several colored gemstones that feature rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or yellow diamonds!

We, ordinary wage earners, can’t afford the collection, but we can be inspired by its beautiful design when occasionally buying or being gifted more affordable jewelry.

1st up: The Sunflower Graduated Diamond Necklace is set in platinum with round brilliant-cut diamonds. The so-called small necklace has 429 round brilliant diamonds weighing 20.60 carats. That’s the small?😳 I could live with “small,” --  little puny 20 carats of diamonds in this necklace! Could you?

What’s more, the collection has matching watches, rings, earrings, and bracelets! So let’s continue our blog shopping spree, shall we?

The Harry Winston Premier Sunflower Automatic Watch is 36 mm in size with a yellow mother-of-pearl dial and a pearly yellow alligator leather strap. It comes in blue, red, and green also, but we’re focusing on sunshine yellow today. The Sunflower Diamond Two-Motif Twin Ring, set in platinum, has 36 round brilliant diamonds totaling 3.58 carats; its center stones weigh 0.70 carats.

The Sunflower Diamond Earrings on Wires in small, set in platinum, have 18 round brilliant diamonds weighing 3.73 carats. The center diamonds are approximately 0.70 carats. The platinum Harry Winston Sunflower Earrings on Wires in medium have 18 round brilliant diamonds that weigh 4.43 carats, and the center stones are 1.00 carats. Ooh, la, la, these resemble the Sisi’s Stars I covet!

Now we’ve arrived at selecting a bracelet: The Sunflower Diamond Bracelet in small has 198 round brilliant diamonds weighing 9.70 carats, and the large has 165 round brilliant diamonds weighing 16 carats. Both are set in platinum.

Visiting Harry Winston on my blog is much friendlier than going in person to the 5th Avenue flagship store. The shop is not welcoming to browsers, unlike Tiffany down the street, whose associates are fantastic to tourists!

17 round brilliant diamonds weighing a total of 1.72 carats, with a center stone of 0.70 carats conprise the small, set in platinum

Still, I will always be grateful to the jeweler, Harry Winston, for buying and donating the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in Washington DC in 1958, so it’s on public display. The story is, he sent the Hope Diamond there in the US Mail!!😲

I hope you've enjoyed your Harry Windson stop on THE SAVVY SHOPPER! Before we know it, the weather will turn into a warm sunflower-growing season again. Let's never lose our love for summer, Mother Nature, or her jewels!🌻

Meanwhile, stay warm, my lovelies, in these frigid temperatures! 

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Pretty LeVian Couture Emeralds

LeVian is a jeweler known for its chocolate diamonds and use of bold, vibrant, slightly-off-the-beaten-path colored gemstones like blueberry sapphires and passion rubies. The family run retailer since the 15th century has also maintained its Persian orgins in some of its designs. Personally, I don’t own any of its commercial-grade jewelry sold at Macy’s, Saks or Belk department stores.

Still 2 pieces from LaVain’s High Jewelry Platinum Collection really caught my eye! I (not my bank account😛) can envision wearing them as they are classic and gorgeous!

The Dora is a pair of earrings featuring 9.22 carats of pear-shaped Costa Smeralda Emeralds™ interlaced with 2.65 carats of marquise, pear, and round Vanilla Diamonds™ crafted in 18k Vanilla Gold™.

The Aelia is a 13.53 carat Costa Smeralda Emerald™ in 18k Vanilla Gold™ framed by .86 carat of Vanilla Diamonds™ in a floral pattern.

You may wonder what exactly are Costa Smeralda Emeralds™, Vanilla Gold™ and Vanilla Diamonds™? I had to look it up:

"Le Vian uses Vanilla Gold to describe its unique 14k or 18k white gold alloy, which is designed to be very white and often eliminates the need for rhodium plating. Vanilla Diamonds are Le Vian's branded, specially selected, high-quality white or near-colorless diamonds chosen to sparkle against their colorful, food-named gold and gemstone collections.” 

"Costa Smeralda Emeralds are high-quality, natural, and untreated emeralds ethically sourced from Zambia and Brazil, exclusively marketed by Le Vian.” The hue of the emeralds are a deep forest green.

I think of the terms as more of a marketing tool but once you know their meaning you do understand what you’re getting.

It’s unlikely and impractical for us average wage earners to buy high jewelry, and yet it’s great fun to see! For one, the stones are rare as they are usually big with fewer flaws. Super ogle-worthy!!

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Effy on its website and Macys

Effy sells its jewelry on its own website, by appointment at its headquarters in New York’s diamond district and at major retailers like Macy’s, Saks 5th Avenue, Belk, JC Penny and Nordstrom Rack. They also set up international boutiques on cruise ships where I suggest you don’t make impulse buys on big ticket items you may regret later!

Effy has an eye for beautiful design on commercial grade fine jewelry. Customers are not buying or paying for top-grade or heirloom quality diamonds, sapphires, rubies or emeralds. You do get real nature-grown or lab-grown gemstones and real 14k gold at reasonable costs that people with jobs can save up for to purchase. Certainly not cheap, but mid-priced fine jewelry.

You’ll get the most attractive prices at Macy’s and Belk as these two department stores frequently offer the best promotions. You can put a piece of jewelry on a wish list, then wait for the higher discounts of 25% - 30% off -- the ideal time to ponce!

Two causes increased the price of jewelry in recent years: The price of gold rose, and the Trump tariffs put a tax on diamonds. 

Consider lab-grown gemstones if you want gemstones bigger than 2 carats because the price of over 2 carats increases exponentially. Lab-grown gemstones are physically, chemically, and optically the same as earth-grown gemstones. They cost less partly because presently people will pay more for natural-grown gemstones. In the future with wider acceptance, this will likely change, and well-known jewelers have began setting their collections in gemstones of both origins. Never buy jewelry for its resale value as jewelry is a luxury buy and not a true investment. Usually we lose money by reselling jewelry.

Along with 14k gold, Effy sets some of its jewelry in 18k gold and with gemstones over 2 carats for high rollers with deep pockets. In mid November Effy annually has a trunk show at Macy’s Herald Square featuring its higher priced biggest gemstones. I attended one year, and it was fun trying them on! I advise customers to shop mindfully at such special events. Don’t break the bank because large, gorgeous gemstones are sparkling in your face!

Bracelets, earrings and rings cost less. Necklaces tend to be the most expensive piece in a set because more gold and/or gemstones are used to make it. On a budget, you can usually buy the earrings and matching ring for less than the cost of a necklace. You’ll get just as much if not more joy out of wearing the sparklers that fit your budget!

Finally, if you buy classic pieces that are versatile, you can wear them daily ... and to fancy galas. Signiture pieces tend to stay in a box. After you splurge on a luxury item like jewelry, you should get a burst of endorphins every time you look at it on your neck, wrist, finger, or ears. Get your money’s worth by tossing out the box and wearing any jewelry you buy!

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The 3 Other Precious Gemstones In The Raw

Recently I wrote a blog about raw rubies before they are cut, polished and turned into jewelry. Today I’m posting images of the 3 other precious gemstones in the raw. When we visualize gemstones, mostly we see them as the sparklers they become after craftsmen and jewelers get their hands on them like the above Harry Winston diamond ring. Not how them start or grow in nature, but how they are finished, right? So let's look at a few images of gemstones as they are found in nature.

I. Diamonds are a single element. Formula: C. A diamond is an allotrope of the element carbon. Its structure is a rigid three-dimensional lattice where each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. A diamond’s atoms are arranged in a crystal structure called a diamond cubic. The gemstone rates a 10 on Mohs Hardness Scale. BTW: Graphite, charcoal, and diamond are all allotropes of the element carbon.

⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧

The Aga Khan Emerald brooch and the Chalk Emerald ring

II. Emeralds - are beryls, a mineral. Its formula, Be3Al2(SiO3)6, is colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium. On Mohs Hardness Scale emeralds rate an 8. They were formed under the most violent of geologic conditions, which is why less than 1% of the world’s emeralds are eye clean. Unlike diamonds, inclusions and surface breaking fissures called  jardins are common and accepted in emerads. 

⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧

The Swedish royal family's Leuchtenberg Sapphire tiara and an unheated Kashmir 9.38 sapphire ring sold by Christie’s

III. Sapphires - are a variety of the mineral corundum. Its formula, α-Al2O3 consists of the elements aluminum oxide with trace amounts of iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. Sapphires register a 9 on Mohs Hardness scale. Blue is the most in demand color. When sapphires are yellow, orange, purple, pink, or green they are called fancy sapphires. When corundrms are red, they are rubies, not sapphires.

Gemstones take millions of years for the Earth to produce, or nowadays they can be grown in a lab, but it takes the artistry of human hands to turn these majestic crystals, beryls, and corundums into gorgeous pieces of jewelry. The next time you see a gemstone think of its journey and how many hands went into crafting it into a thing of beauty.

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