Alternative investment in unique rare gemstone jewelry

Russian miners Alrosa extracted a 98.8-carat diamond from the deposits of the northeastern region of Yakutia. It is an octahedral stone – a part of the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit extracted on February 17. It is a rough transparent gem with inclusions that cause yellow shades. Earlier, the mines had extracted a 51.49-carat stone in October. 

Its reserves are expected to provide such gems for more than 20 years, where it will be able to produce 1.8 million carats in a year. The production of natural stones was highest in 2005, but in the last decade, the resources are depleting, and demand continues to increase in India and China.

Comparing natural diamonds to the lab-grown ones

Natural diamonds and lab-grown appear comparable, but these are different in physical growth structure, whereas the natural ones have inherent values created through hundreds of years of geographical processes under extreme conditions more than 100 miles under the earth, and no two such stones can be same in all aspects. 

A synthetic one has a different physical structure where manufacturing processes can lead to creating a certain mark or colour variation that cannot be found in the natural ones.  A synthetic product can be offered at 50 per cent lower prices compared to a natural one.

A recent study on such investors found that 44 per cent are not aware of the real difference between the two, where they are unable to make informed purchasing decisions. 

Some are unaware that a few online shops provide lab-grown at the same price as natural ones, and without a trusted supplier, one may not get the best value for their investment.

Ethical and unethical

Many different strategies are adopted by diamond investors where. Millennials may buy a lab-grown for a personal occasion, but those who want to have a collectable will have to get the natural ones as the lab-grown pieces do not get higher values on secondary sales.  

A statistic by Type IIA diamond maker ALTR claims 70 per cent of surveyed millennials preferred lab-grown, which can be formulated every 60 to 120 days and can be graded in the same way as a natural gemstone.

Millennials believe such alternative gemstones can save the earth from the harsh impact of natural mining stones, such as poor mining conditions, child labour, unethical trade, emissions, etc.

There are various funding and conservation programs organized by the producers as mining is considered hazardous to the environment. The carbon reduction efforts can play a positive role in reducing GHGs and accelerate the production of ethical gems.

How to select the appropriate piece for investment?

The setting of the stone in the metal or the base should be appropriate where an improperly set stone can fall out. The gem should not be very fine or too heavy and should be set in the center to allow the lights to enter and get reflected to make it shine.  

Investment in such items should be made carefully, and those from dubious origins should be avoided. It is not easy to identify unethical gemstones, but supporting documentation and certain details can provide a lot of information or take expert advice before investing.

To find out more about rare gems investment, check 99 Alternatives at (http://www.99alternatives.com).