Buying Good Quality 1 Carat Lab Grown Diamond

For this topic, I will mainly be referring to IGI graded lab diamonds. So for IGI, the top grade diamonds will be:

1. Ideal in Cut.

2. Excellent in Polish.

3. Excellent in Symmetry.

In layman term, we can assume this as IGI equivalent of GIA Triple Excellent. Don't ask me why the Cut is "Ideal" instead of "Excellent", I don't have an answer for you. But if you want me to give you my guess, then I will say this is how other labs try to differentiate themselves from GIA. IGI does have a cut grade called "Excellent", which is one grade below "Ideal". With this so-called IGI "Excellent", it may make GIA "Excellent" looks equivalent to it. Then, with an higher "Ideal" grade, it is possible that some may think that IGI "Ideal" is more superior to GIA "Excellent". So, to sum it up, to me, this is just a marketing gimmick, which I will just thrash it away, and simply focus on finding the top possible grades for a diamond, regardless of their naming convention.

So as far as Malaysia is concerned, I can see that lab grown diamond trend is picking up. Many brick-and-mortar chain stores as well as some upcoming jewellers or private labels are offering lab grown diamonds. What actually surprised me the most is actually the price - super ideal jewellers such as WhiteFlash actually sell 1 carat diamond at a more competitive price then local jewellers. A quick search at one of the local jewelllers show that it is actaully a few hundred ringgit more than WhiteFlash, considering the 4Cs and fluorescence are the same. The Precision Lab diamond that I am comparing is this 1.01ct E VS1 IGI Ideal Lab Grown Diamond. I can't say that this diamond has the best Hearts, but it certainly has a cut precision that is much higher than most typical diamonds. If you want an example of a extremely well-cut diamond, then here look at this 1.52ct G VVS2 Precision Lab diamond. However, at these 4Cs, WhiteFlash price will be more expensive compared to typical lab grown diamonds. My observation is that colourless and VS/VVS at 1 carat Precision Lab diamonds should have a price that is competitive enough to compete with local jewellers. Of course, don't take my word for it, try compare it yourself! To convert to local MYR, do use WISE to make the conversion. I also highly recommend them for wire transfer due to the ease of use.

If you want to know where can get incredible value for lab grown? Then Ritani is the place to go! You will have to spend some effort to browse through their not-so-friendly interface. I highly recommend you to use List View and then use Quick View:

Ritani search interface

When I say incredible value, I really mean it. It is below 1k for a 0.3ct D VS1:

F**cking affordable lab grown

There are 2 ways to create lab grown:

1. HPHT

2. CVD

Personally, I prefer HPHT because it is more similar to the way diamond is formed in nature. Refer to these 2 articles:

Article 1: https://finercustomjewelry.com/blog/the-difference-between-hpht-and-cvd-diamonds-what-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=A%20lab%2Dgrown%20or%20man,the%20interaction%20of%20chemical%20components.

Article 2: https://diamondtraces.com/site-page/HPHT_Diamonds_Vs_Non_HPHT_Diamonds.html#:~:text=An%20HPHT%20stand%20for%20High,environment%20in%20which%20is%20formed.

And with that being said, HPHT created lab grown usually command a higher price compared to its CVD counterparts.

One main reason I don't like CVD is because I can't know whether the diamond has been treated before. Most CVDs graded by IGI will show something this statement in the grading report: 

Comments: This Laboratory Grown Diamond was created by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) growth process and may include post-growth treatment.

Sample CVD IGI Grading Report

So yea, we won't know whether that diamond has gone through any treatment process or not, something which I don't prefer.

Now, let's take a look at a sample of IGI graded HPHT diamond:

Comments: As Grown - No indication of post-growth treatment. This Laboratory Grown Diamond was created by High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) growth process.

Sample HPHT IGI Grading Report

Now, there are other labs that grade lab grown diamonds as well, and one of them, is of course - GIA. If you still want a diamond that is graded by the world's most reputable lab, I will be considering Brian Gavin Diamonds.

Their Premium Lab diamonds have superior cut quality and their newly cut diamonds are all graded by GIA instead of IGI. Their GIA report also consist more information compared to other lab grown diamonds that are graded by GIA.

This is a man-made diamond produced by HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) growth process. No evidence of treatment was detected.

1.07 D VS2 BG Premium Lab Round

If we compared to other GIA graded lab grown diamonds, for example, this GIA 1.07ct D VS1 diamond from Ritani, we can see that Brian Gavin Diamonds' Premium Lab offers more information.

Ritani GIA 1.07ct D VS1

As you can see, the one sold by Ritani is just using LABORATORY-GROWN DIAMOND REPORT - DOSSIER, while the one from Brian Gavin Diamonds is using full-fledged LABORATORY-GROWN DIAMOND REPORT. Heck, that 1.07ct D VS2 Brian Gavin Premium Lab diamond even has an AGS Ideal Report!

AGS Ideal Report... for lab grown!

Now, the one down side of Brian Gavin Diamonds is that they don't offer free shipping. Their default shipping value to Malaysia is approximately USD 150. I am not sure if this is negotiable or not, but I highly recommend you guys to consult their online consultant via their chat system. Nonetheless, let me just add in the additional USD 150 to the wire price of USD 1241.60, making the total to become USD 1391.60, which converts to RM 6,503.10. Well, if you compared to local jewellers, it is slightly expensive... BUT... it is graded by GIA and it has superior cut quality (I assume that's the case even without the Hearts & Arrows image because, well, it is a Brian Gavin production). So is it worth it? To me, a few hundred extra is worth it, and you have to make your own judgement.

And by the way, Brian Gavin Diamonds is throwing promotion:

Brian Gavin Diamonds June Promo

So, we can take additional USD 100 off the diamond earlier, making the price to be USD 1291.60, which converts to RM 6,035.94, which is actually slightly cheaper compared to some local jewellers.

Now, I have to stress that while super ideal jewellers like Brian Gavin Diamonds are competitive in terms of prices compared to local jewellers, but if you opt for a standard IGI graded lab grown in Ritani, it is possible to end up with something decent - decent cut, decent colour, decent clarity at a price below RM 4000. Do check out my Instagram for a sample of such diamonds. Now, at more than 50% savings, it certainly is something worth considering. The diamond in my Instagram is one of the diamonds I have chosen for my colleague siting next to me in office.

So, to sum it up:

1. Prices for 1 carat lab grown diamonds from super ideal sellers like WhiteFlash and Brian Gavin Diamonds are quite competitive compared against some local jewellers.

2. Ritani offers to best value for money (at least this is what I have seen so far) as far as lab grown diamonds are concerned. In fact, 2 of my colleagues, Mr O and Mr F, and a friend of my colleague did engage me to help them find their lab grown diamond on Ritani.