Hi has anyone proposed with a lab-grown diamond and regretted it? It saves a lot of money but it just feels like it’s not the real deal.
I know how it is literally the same thing (except for a certificate which labels them as “natural” and “lab-grown”) and how diamonds are actually intrinsically worthless and made expensive because by the industry players, but we’re still proposing with diamonds because it is a social norm right?
I am afraid that one day I will regret not paying that few thousand dollars and getting a natural diamond for this once-in-a-lifetime moment of my life (unless I marry again lolz)
The short answer: Don't propose with lab-grown unless she is perfectly okay and in fact, requests for it
The long answer to this question ultimately lies in whether the person you are proposing to is okay with anything else other than natural diamond. I have a friend that proposed with Sapphire, but only because the GF loved the gem.
If you have no clue what her preferences are (like most of us), always better to be safe than sorry.
After we propose, her friends will see the ring, and the comparison will begin. "Wah so nice! How many carat? How much? Buy from where?". From there, her peers may find out that it is a lab-grown diamond and possible bad comments may surface. Even if she didn't mind at first, there may be some peer pressure and make her feel bad.
Of course, this is pure speculation. But if you are afraid of regret, then don't get lab-grown. Just get a natural diamond within your budget.