If you are in the market to sell diamond, or buy diamond, please contact us as we do not sell or buy synthetic diamonds. There is a big marketing effort at this moment which aims to promote synthetic diamonds. This effort tries to sell synthetic diamonds under the guise of an eco-friendly and responsible approach to this most wonderful natural gemstone. As a member of the jewelry trade I feel a measure of responsibility to clarify the issues with synthetic diamonds and inform the buying public accordingly.

• Merriam-Webster defines synthetic as something resulting from synthesis rather than occurring naturally, especially a product of chemical synthesis. This straight definition of the word synthesis encapsulates the main problem with synthetic diamonds, they are not natural. As such, synthetic diamonds can be, and that is endlessly, produced in factories which have hundreds of synthetic diamonds being produced at the same time. This means these diamonds are very much like anything else made in a factory, cheap and without intrinsic value.
• Marketing and Actual Value: Synthetic diamonds are being marketed as eco-friendly. This is actually not true as it takes an inordinate amount of electricity to produce each diamond and then another large amount of electricity to treat them after they are manufactured. Synthetic diamonds are produced through two distinct processes; High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both of these processes yield diamonds which are generally not colorless and have poor clarity grades. After the initial process, diamonds have to undergo a secondary HPHT treatment to reduce color or exposing these diamonds to radioactive environments to change their color into a fancy color. This process also consumes a great deal of electricity and therefore is not eco friendly. Another marketing ploy being used is the statement that no humans have been exploited to produce these diamonds. This is a complete lie as the process eliminates the human factor from mining and eliminating jobs for some of the worlds neediest. Natural Diamonds are valued because of their rarity and because of how difficult they are to mine. Synthetic diamonds being factory made are not rare or difficult to create. Thus, the value of synthetic diamonds is equivalent to other synthetic gemstones which are valued at fractions of the value of natural gemstones.
• Purchase and Resale: Purchasing a synthetic diamond is easy as there are many sellers online. Synthetic diamonds are graded by national gemological laboratories and assigned a Man-Made label. In many instances the cost of the certificate exceeds the value of the synthetic diamond. A one carat synthetic diamonds which has an actual cost of $200 per carat will carry a grading report which cost $140. While it is relatively easy to purchase a synthetic diamond, it is very difficult to resell one in the event of a divorce or cancelled engagement. There is no resale value for a synthetic diamond. When most jewelers are asked what they would do with a synthetic diamond the answer is almost always, nothing.
• Choosing Correctly: Synthetic diamonds are not always the wrong choice. If you budget is not very large and you want to give her a diamond, then choose synthetic with the full knowledge that it has very little intrinsic value. The problem with choosing synthetic is that many sellers charge incredibly large markups and base the price as natural diamonds and not what they are. Thus, they create the illusion that these synthetic diamonds have actual value. This has been addressed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in their latest ruling detailing that synthetic diamonds must be marketed as synthetic and not with any other names, or marketing campaigns which would depict them as anything but synthetic, man-made, factory created replicas of natural diamonds.

My advice to everyone who is out to purchase a diamond is always the same. Purchase within your budget and always take the logical step of waiting to have enough of a budget to make a purchase which will be meaningful instead of settling for the smallest possible budget at this time. The purchase of a diamond is a special occasion. This gemstone is going to be worn by your bride for a very long time and it should be of the best quality possible. Never trade quality for budget as the temporary sweetness of a good deal is often followed by the eve- lasting bad taste of a poor choice. Come to us and let us help you choose wisely. Let Regent Jewelers be your friend in the jewelry industry. Call us today to make an appointment and buy diamond or sell diamond.