While popular culture from the west has pushed our societal mindset into the longstanding trend of diamond proposal rings, the specifics of such purchases can be very daunting to those who are just planning out the next step of their life's journey.

You might often hear the usual advice that's often shared by relatives, and sometimes their private jewellers. The "two months' salary rule" as most would call it, advises that a ring's value ought to be somewhere around twice the monthly salary of the groom to-be. Some may agree, others might not. This simple rule tries to adapt itself very generally to the financial situation of the couple, so that at the very least they don't overspend or underspend, but does it really make the most sense?






It really depends. The purchase of an engagement ring should be more of a sentimental endeavor, rather than a necessity. Some people see it as an investment, others see it as a symbolical heirloom, and some even feel like its should be one of the biggest purchases of their lives. No matter who you ask, answers will always be subjective at their core. (Photography Credit: Jean Dousset Jewellers)

If you're earning a six or seven figure salary, then two months worth of funding can be quite substantial for buying a diamond of one carat size or higher. People earning slightly less may be tempted to dip deeper into their savings for a large stone, but balance of budget should always be kept in mind. Know that if in case you need to liquidate in the future, don't expect a pawnshop to pay the same price as you did to the jewelry store in return for your precious jewelry. Retail prices and pawnshop offerings are often very far apart in value.



In 2019, many Filipinos and Chinese-Filipinos are deviating from the normal expectations of what an engagement ring should be like. Cost may sometimes be a factor, given that diamonds are quite expensive, but alternative gemstone choices such as white sapphires and lab-grown diamonds are indeed options to some part of the consumer market. Others who prefer the standing of natural, earth-mined diamonds, can opt for multiple smaller stones to be mounted on their ring. There is simply no governing rule for the type of ring you should choose to represent your feelings for the person you love.

Did you know some people even choose to use tatoos for their rings instead of buying actual bands? Others think of creative themes to personalise their proposal jewelry- such as rings that are cast from the sound-wave graphs of each partner saying "I love you" in their natural tone. It's not the biggest spender that wins in the end. While a larger diamond can indeed command the attention and awe of everybody in the room, the only attention you need to capture is that of your partner's. Tradition is there to guide us, but not define who we become, even in simple choices like this.

Choose your engagement ring and stone, based on what you and your partner want. Take note also of your financial situation, so as not to prioritise bling over budget. Make it a ring that symbolises love rather than impression, and you'll never go wrong.

Our laboratory's current setup of instruments allow our gemological staff to properly test *most diamonds for natural identity confirmation without requiring removal from setting. There may be rare exception cases where certain types of mountings or settings would cover the stone too much- however for the vast majority of natural diamond jewelry, yes we can perform identity detection tests on stones without the need for unmounting procedures.



Our spectrometric instrumentation is supplemented by microscopic evaluation, color-master comparison and many other applicable instrumental tests such as LW and SW UV observation. Lab-grown (or man-made) diamonds by the way, are not the product of gemological labs. They are called 'lab-grown' because they are manufactured by private companies through joint factory lab projects that require high grade machinery to artificially grow the stones. Gemological labs do not grow, buy, sell or endorse lab-grown diamonds, our only function is to detect them using existing research and scientific instrumentation, in order to help the public gain better knowledge on their item.



Both natural and lab-grown diamonds are chemically diamond. They are both essentially made up of carbon, and the main differences that the trade is concerned with is the proper disclosure of one from the other. Natural diamonds cannot be grown, and can be separated from man-made diamonds. Their value is different (higher) on virtually all international markets, but the value of lab-grown diamonds is still significant as well. CVD and HPHT lab-grown diamonds are much more valuable compared to diamond simulants such as moissanite and cubic zirconia.

Standard pen-hold jewelry testers, diamond testers (thermal conductivity testers) and moissanite testers will not be able to separate lab-grown diamonds from natural diamonds. It is important to note this when dealing with the purchase or sale of a diamond from absolutely anyone, including friends, pawnshops and jewelry establishments. Have the proper testing done to make sure your diamond is exactly what a seller describes it to be (whether that be a natural stone or a man-made stone, both are valid products of the jewelry trade).

Objectively speaking, lab-grown or man-made diamonds are a neutral product. They're neither good nor bad, and reception of them as a gemstone really depends on a person's own opinion. As we've stated before, these artificially made products, do possess the same essential chemical composition and crystal structure as natural diamond. They are indeed different from 'imitations' or 'simulants' such as cubic zirconia, moissanite and glass. The problem only lies when they are sold as 'natural' diamonds, as this is a different product class with different value points.

Despite this established differentiation, it seems a lot of people still (perhaps by habit) call these items 'fake' diamonds. Here at the laboratory, we try to refrain from using the word 'fake', as it promotes negativity towards any item type. A lab-grown stone is just a man-made counterpart of a natural stone.



On the other hand, a simulant or imitation stone, is indeed a lookalike counterpart of a natural stone, that does not share its composition or structure. Please note the difference between usage of the words man-made & lab-grown versus usage of the word simulant.

The monetary values and prices of lab-grown diamonds are not the same as those of natural diamonds (like the natural specimen pictured above, featured during a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong). The latter is usually around 30% higher in price at the retail level, and 40-60% higher in price at the wholesale level, based on our own observations speaking to members of the trade from around the world (2018).

Filipinos that visit the facility as we've noticed, tend to feel scared when the issue of lab-grown diamonds comes up. The fact that all man-made diamonds cannot be checked or separated by thermal diamond testers, adds to that growing fear. Spectrometric / luminescence-spectrometry testing is now needed to confirm an informed opinion as to whether or not a diamond is a natural type 1aAB stone. Lab-grown stones can also possess inclusions, so do not depend on the absence of inclusions as a solo test for checking them. Some older HPHT grown stones though may show characteristic metallic flux inclusions that would help in their identification, but these should be judged by a gemologist who is already familiar with their appearances.

Relatively recent news of diamonds with false laser inscriptions and switched reports caused worry amidst even the local trade. These occurrences may be uncommon, but the fact that they happen (for both enhanced / treated and lab-grown diamonds), calls for an air of caution when purchasing expensive stones. You can find one of our articles on the matter here. The Diamond Loupe also writes about a similar instance, which you can read through this link too.

Do note that lab-grown diamonds are beautiful products in their own right, as long as they are sold with the proper transparency and ethical disclosure required of them. People should know that what they are buying is not a natural gemstone mined out of the earth, but rather is a well-made crystal grown from machines using a repeatable process. Marketing adjective-terms like 'cultured' are sometimes used by sellers at their own discretion, probably trying to relate their products more to the cultured pearl industry. Here at the lab though we only choose to use the terms "man-made or lab-grown" for this type of product.



It is up to the buyer to do his or her due diligence regarding the complexities of the man-made diamond trend, and decide whether or not the purchase of one would be applicable for his or her purpose.

There are some buyers out there though, who do prefer lab-grown diamonds due to the absence of the possibility of them being involved with the funding of wars in diamond-mining countries. This basically rules out the fear of 'conflict diamonds'.

Feel free to ask about lab-grown gemstones during your appointment visits with our G.G. / gemologist here at the lab as well.

*Gemcamp Laboratories does not buy, sell or recommend specific traders for both natural and lab-grown diamonds (and gemstones). We do this in order to maintain no vested interest in the items that we examine and share our opinions on.

Gemcamp recognises the growing threat of undisclosed man-made (a.k.a. lab-grown) diamonds in Southeast Asia. Values between natural VS lab-grown or man-made diamonds are distinctly different, and therefore a clear separation is key to proper purchasing or selling.




The issue lies with the advancement of technologies used to create these artificially-grown diamonds, which essentially are also made up of carbon atoms crystallized in diamond's characteristic mineral structure.

Older kinds, may faintly show tell-tale signs of their manufacturing process (hourglass zoning, remnant evidence of cuboctahedral growth, specific metallic inclusions, certain surface markings etc.), as we have previously seen in some specimens brought to the laboratory. These can be used by gemologists as aids for the detection of man-made stones, yes, however the diamonds being produced by companies today are getting much better shrouding themselves from gemologists.

People can now produce nearly strain-free specimens of D-colored, clear diamonds through developments in newer chemical vapor deposition processes and proprietary research.

There are now man-made diamonds that can look indistinguishable from natural stones to the naked eye, and to the microscope. The only differences lie in minute, but measurable reactions to the electromagnetic spectrum- such as phosphoresence and selective absorption, often within invisible wavelength ranges. This has worried a lot of our visitors, who look to their jewelry not just as luxuries, but as investments for the future.

(Note that standard "pen-hold" or thermal-conductivity based testers, as well as electrical-conductivity type testers [i.e. moissanite pen testers] will not be able to separate man-made diamonds from earth-mined ones. This is because their essential chemistry and crystal structure properties are the same with that of a natural diamond's. The complicated job of detecting one from the other is beyond the capability of these testers.

We here at the laboratory neither sell nor buy gemstones or gem-set jewelry, and so our only mission is to purposefully provide the Philippine public with the ability to discover the identities of what it is they are buying or already own.



At Gemcamp, we make use of spectrometric instrumentation, advanced detection software, and other gemological equipment imported from GIA in California, System Eickhorst in Germany, and many other reputable brands from around the world- leaders in the field of man-made diamond detection.

We now add GIA's latest instrument released, to our lab's expanding roster of technical lab equipment. Our G.G.'s will make use of its additional capabilities, to further help the Filipino jewelry buyer gain certainty about his or her item's authenticity as a natural gemstone.



As described by the Gemological Institute of America -The device uses sophisticated spectroscopy technology to distinguish the vast majority of natural diamonds—either loose or mounted—from man-made counterparts and simulants.

Again also, we would like to reiterate that there is nothing wrong or unethical about man-made diamonds on their own. They are beautiful and valuable products that cater to a fast growing international market. Many reputable jewelers in several countries also make use of man-made diamonds in their original designs.

Problems only arise when man-made diamonds are sold as natural diamonds, or without proper disclosure. As of our most recent research trip to the Hong Kong Jewelry fair, our gemologists have surveyed that man-made diamonds are being sold for about 40-60% the prices of equivalently graded natural counterparts. This is just data we've gathered on our own however, and we do not claim that it represents all valuation tables used worldwide. This is merely from our own observations and notes.

We urge the jewelry-buying population of the Philippines to have care and awareness for the items they seek to purchase. Because many kinds of man-made diamond are nearly undetectable by most visual methods as of late 2018, they are a favorite product-class of interest for potential fraudulent sellers.