🥂 5 and Fabulous! Laine Limited Celebrate its 5th Anniversary✨

As much of a cliché it is to say “time flies”, it does indeed… and in the blink of an eye, it’s 520 again – Laine Limited is 5 years old! Laine Sparkle Lab, its “little sister” specialising in lab grown diamonds (LGD) also turns 1 year old on the same day~

I always think these special milestones, such as anniversaries, is a good time to look back and reflect, and also to savour the moments for which we are grateful, so that we can learn from our experiences, make progress, and continue to improve moving forward In today’s ever-changing world, we must keep pace with the market and constantly learn about market trends and the latest technologies in the diamond industry, so that we could bring our clients the most suitable and cost-effective diamonds.

To mark the 5th anniversary of Laine Limited, which is also my 13th year working in the industry, I would like to share with you 5️⃣ key development and changes in the diamond market, as well as some tips👀

1️⃣ Lab Grown Diamond Technology is Becoming More Mature and LGDs are Increasingly Popular

I began to pay attention to lab grown diamonds (LGD) in 2016, and then attended GIA lectures. It is obvious that in the past 5 years, LGD technology has evolved a lot and has become increasingly mature. For example, it can also produce LGDs in high-quality D colour and VVS clarity, and even near-perfect diamonds.

It is true that the current market still favours natural diamonds when it comes to engagement rings, but many customers, especially the younger generation, tend to accept lab grown diamonds for personal use, because of their great value for money. The difference between natural and lab grown diamonds cannot be distinguished with the naked eye, and with a huge price difference which could reach 10 times to 20 times or more, LGDs have become increasingly popular, particularly larger stones of 1 to 3 carats.

In fact, lab grown diamonds are also real diamonds that are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds. However, LGDs do not take billions of years to form in the earth's crust like natural diamonds. Instead, they are created using advanced technology in a laboratory setting to simulate the natural conditions (i.e. high temperature and pressure) required for the formation of natural diamonds.

Read this blog post to find out more about the formation of lab grown diamonds.

2️⃣ Price Trends of Diamonds and Gold in the Past 10 Years... The Price of Gold Has Doubled in the Past Decade?

The price of gold has doubled in the past 10 years, peaking in particular from 2020 to 2024 and is still on the rise now. 18K gold and platinum are both precious metals. Platinum used to be relatively expensive, but now it can no longer keep up with the price of gold. However, in terms of durability for setting diamonds, 18K gold is safer and harder, while platinum is softer.

As for the price of natural diamonds, it has been declining recently. The peak period was 2021 to 2022, and it has since been slowly declining from 2023 to 2024. Natural diamonds have a relatively better value in the second-hand market, and simply put, they preserve their value better, while lab grown diamonds do not fetch a good price on the second-hand market. Due to the continuous advancement of technology and mass production, the price of LGDs will only become cheaper and cheaper.

3️⃣ Price of Lab Grown Diamonds Lacks Transparency and the Quality Varies

Lab grown diamonds are becoming more and more affordable overall, but their prices are still fluctuating and not very transparent. For example, the market price of a 3-carat LGD could range from less than HKD$10,000 to HKD$60,000.

At present, the quality of lab grown diamonds is also relatively inconsistent. Some manufacturers produce LGDs in large quantities and quickly, so the quality cannot be guaranteed. Lab grown diamonds generally come with IGI/GIA certificates, but some quality issues cannot be reflected on the certificate. For example, among diamonds of the same colour and clarity, some are not as brilliant, and some are even slightly dull, grey, or even blue. These discrepancies may not be distinguishable by regular consumers, so it is up to reliable jewellers to help customers choose.

4️⃣ Choosing Value-for-Money Diamond with Care

As a personal jeweller, I take it upon myself to ensure that customers can buy diamonds of good quality and great value. Therefore, I have founded 2 companies – Laine Limited and Laine Sparkle Lab which source natural diamonds and LGDs for customers respectively. Regardless of whether natural or lab grown diamonds, I will first understand the customer’s needs and other requirements, and then search for suitable and value-for-money diamonds on the international market.

I will first make a comprehensive comparison to select diamonds that meet the customer's requirements, and then introduce 3 to 5 suitable choices to the customer, instead of giving them an extensive database of thousands of diamonds for them to choose from. We hope that customers can find the diamond that suits them without pressure or hassle.

5️⃣Teling the Difference Between Natural and Lab Grown Diamonds

Although lab grown diamonds are also real diamonds, if you pay a higher price to buy a natural diamond, of course you should get a genuine natural diamond. So, how to ensure that the natural diamond you buy is truly natural and not lab-grown? In fact, the 2 types of diamonds cannot be easily and accurately differentiated with the naked eye or even with a magnifying glass.

In addition to checking the weight, colour, and clarity of the diamond against the certificate number, other instruments will also be used for verification. In addition, only look for jewellers that you can trust for making jewellery. Before customers collect the jewellery, they will also be shown the laser number of the corresponding certificate.

One more thing – if the price of a “natural diamond” is too low, you may want to pay attention to whether it is an authentic natural diamond or a lab grown one.

🎁 2 Exciting Offers to Celebrate Our 5th Birthday!

To celebrate our 5th anniversary, Laine Limited has launched 2 exclusive offers:

1. From now till 20 June 2024, enjoy 15% off on all Ready To Ship products.

1. Enjoy a one-off HK$520 discount upon a single transaction of HK$10,000. Customers may use this offer once per transaction. 

I offer free consultation services every Friday at my studio at One ifc, bookings required. Interested parties please make a reservation through Whatsapp or Laine Jewellery’s Facebook page!

Whatsapp: +852 6819 2038

https://wa.me/85268192038

Email: info@lainejewellery.com

Elaine 💌