Imagine da Vinci with a 20% Off Sale on Mona Lisas

It’s Florence in the early 1500s. Leonardo da Vinci, after much suspense, unveils the Mona Lisa. The people gather. Whispers fill the air about the mysterious woman with the half-smile.

And then…

He announces a sale on factory copies.

“Get your own Mona Lisa poster, 20% OFF this week only!”

Of course, that would never happen. Back then, an original was just that, a valuable, meaningful, one-of-a-kind original. Today, technology enables us to create inexpensive copies of virtually anything, from works of art to diamond jewelry. At least with art, no one is trying to pass it off as anything other than what it is: a cheap knockoff.

Welcome to the World of Big Name Designer Jewelry

So-called big-name designers create a design and then mass-produce thousands at a time, mostly in overseas factories. They are then shipped back and placed in a special box with the famous name, accompanied by a huge designer price tag. And most are using lab-grown diamonds now, which cost them literally next to nothing (not that you are ever likely to see that reflected in a lower price.)

This is why when we hear about a “20% off sale” on designer jewelry, we have to laugh. It should be 80% off, and even then, it’s still a cheap copy.

Real Stories Deserve Real Originals

A real love story deserves a one-of-a-kind masterpiece – designed for one person and worn by one heart.

Our custom jewelry is created right here in our shop. Every stone is hand-selected from the top 5% in each grade, bought directly from our vetted and trusted diamond cutters. Every setting is custom-designed and crafted. Every piece is a hand-crafted House of Diamonds original, not a factory-made copy..

And unlike the big labels, we’ll never sell you a lab diamond just to pad our margins.

We Never Have Sales

We don’t play pricing games. Our everyday pricing is already what the other guys call a “sale.” No gimmicks. No designer markups. No sudden “surprise” discounts when you tell them you want to shop around (because they know what you’ll find when you come here.)

So when you see and hear about designer jewelry sales, just remember:

Real art doesn’t go on sale. And real love stories don’t come in bulk.

Come see us at House of Diamonds, where for over 30 years we’ve been designing one-of-a-kind jewelry for one-of-a-kind love stories at the southeast corner of College and Quivira.

Natural Diamonds vs Lab-Grown: Let Me Count The Ways

We recently received a note attacking our position on lab diamonds. It was loaded with misinformation, bad conclusions, a few personal insults, and a lot of agenda. Frankly, I feel bad for the author and hope it was not the venting of another lab diamond victim.

Anyway, it made me wonder how many other misinformed people might be out there. Out of an abundance of caution, I happily provide the informative links below and invite you to share them with your friends. Friends don’t let friends become lab-grown diamond victims.

When It Comes To Synthetic, Lab-Grown Diamonds, “Never” means “NEVER.”

My feelings about unnatural, synthetic, man-made, lab-grown diamonds are not a secret. I detest them. I detest them because they represent everything that can be dishonorable about the jewelry business and represent the opposite of why our family is in it. First of all, the name “lab-grown” is bogus. They are not lovingly hand-made in some pristine laboratory. They are mass-produced in large, energy-sucking factories, most of which are in Russia and China – two countries not exactly known for environmental care. But their mislabeled production method is the least of their deception.

Simply put, apart from the chemistry they are not the same as a natural diamond, and many jewelers who sell them have sold out their integrity for huge, and I do mean HUGE profits.

And I am not alone in my opinion. Martin Rapaport, one of the jewelry industry’s most respected voices and an international expert on diamonds and diamond pricing had this to say in his recent New Year Message for 2023.

Synthetic, man-made, laboratory-grown diamonds (LGD) are the Bitcoin of the diamond trade. In fact, they are worse than Bitcoin because they lack any element of scarcity. The value of these diamonds is consistently falling. Despite their lack of natural scarcity, they are sold as comparable to natural diamonds without full disclosure as to their inability to retain value.

And he added…

Many — if not most — in our trade are operating dishonestly and unethically by failing to make a full disclosure about the value retention of synthetic diamonds.

This gets to the heart of my personal problem for YEARS with these synthetic stones and the reason that you have never and will NEVER see a lab-grown diamond for sale at House of Diamonds. Unlike natural diamonds that retain and even grow in value, the value of a lab-grown diamond begins to plummet the moment you leave the store with one. Why? Because the jewelry store that just sold you a lab-grown diamond for $10,000 can buy another from its wholesaler for a fraction of that and prices are crashing as we speak. In fact, lab-grown diamond prices recently plunged nearly 20% in a single month.

So the diamond you thought you were getting a deal on is only a deal for the guy that sold it to you. And if you ever want to trade up or a family emergency creates a need for cash, that traditional investment is worth nothing.

It’s basic economics. Lab diamonds are a technology just like your old cellphone or that 4K TV you paid thousands for only to see it now priced at Walmart for $499. And they improve the technology not by making the diamonds better but by being able to make them faster. What used to take months, now takes weeks, and will soon take only days. Factories that produced hundreds of diamonds, now produce thousands in the same amount of time. So instead of scarcity that maintains or even raises the value of your diamond investment, there is a growing glut that forces the value of your investment down.

Mr. Rapaport continues:

Ultimately, the trade in synthetics will come crashing down as prices for synthetics continue to fall. This is what has happened to synthetic rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Retailers beware: Consumers who have spent thousands of dollars on diamond engagement rings only to find that their value has shrunk to hundreds, or even tens of dollars will remember the names of the companies that sold them the synthetics.

When you buy a natural diamond from House of Diamonds, it comes with a lot of guarantees.

Quality – we hand-select each natural stone from the top 5% in each grade. Our natural diamonds are noticeably superior to lab diamonds and even to the supposed “same natural diamonds” at another store. Maybe it’s because they are selling the other 95%.
Price – We guarantee our natural diamond prices to be the same or less than you will find at another store or online in an apples-to-apples comparison.
Value – If you ever want to trade up at House of Diamonds, we guarantee a trade-in value of 100% of the price you originally paid us.

Our family’s customers are an extended family to us. This isn’t a transaction, this is a relationship.

Please don’t become a lab-grown diamond victim. Even if you don’t buy a diamond from us, insist on a natural diamond and let those guys know that you are not there to line their greedy, short-sighted pockets.

Learn more about “Lab Grown Love” in my previous post and FAQ from a few years ago.

Want to learn even more? Read Mr. Rapaport’s detailed concerns about the misleading nature of lab-grown diamonds. And share with your friends.

Love Conquers All

In 2020, we all came together to support each other during crazy times. We drew strength from love. Love for families and friends, love for our neighbors that brought us closer in common purpose, and love for our country that still gives us the freedom to love and pursue our dreams, and care for each other.

When two people marry, often the vows include the expression, “In good times and in bad.” We believe that when real love is at the center of any relationship, it can be “good times and better.” We sensed an extra something with the couples we were honored to serve over these many months. We shared challenging moments and found ourselves dialing it up an extra notch to make their experience with us an oasis of sanity in an otherwise crazy world.

While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the world can still be a little loopy so we’ll continue to dial it up and look forward to welcoming you to our family oasis in Overland Park. And while the masking and distancing requirements have been lifted, be assured that we are still maintaining elevated sanitizing precautions to assure a safe shopping experience. And if you prefer to shop at home, no problem. We can accommodate you completely – from in-stock jewelry to custom work. Yes, we can even do 100% custom work with you online.

All of us are humbled by your ongoing support of our local, family business. Please be assured of our prayers and continuing gratitude.

Here For You In These Challenging Times

I woke up at 3:00 am and like many of you, I struggle to get back to sleep. As I check on our three girls, tucking them under the covers, the feelings and thoughts racing through my mind are dizzying. I contemplate the different scenarios that may play out in the coming days. My heart aches and my soul pleads with our Father for guidance.

As I pray for those around the world that are affected by this hideous virus, and for the strength and knowledge to navigate through these times, I’m comforted by a simple fact. We are Americans and we are blessed to be united by that fact. We will overcome this and will be better for having done so.

I want to assure our House of Diamonds family that we are still here to serve you. We have taken elevated precautions to assure a safe shopping experience. And if you prefer to shop at home, no problem. We can accommodate you completely – from in-stock jewelry to custom work. Please know our family is still here for you and we’re eager to help you in these challenging times.

Gene and Karen