Natural or Lab - What's the Story?

I have been doing this, making jewelry, running a gallery, for over 35 years. I have seen lots of changes, and I certainly have my opinions. I have been asked what I think of Lab created diamonds a number of times now. This is just my opinion... I have always been a snob about stones. I prefer natural. That's God's artwork, right? And there's an infinite variety, but never an infinite supply... in fact, most are one of a kind. I remember when cubic zirconia- CZs- first appeared. I didn't buy them. The claim was that they were just like diamonds but cheaper (NOT cheap, to start with). Then, pretty soon, everyone was selling CZs, and well, actually, they really weren't just like diamonds, and people started to figure out they could just make more, so scarcity wasn't a thing. Why do I bring that up? Yup, lab created diamonds. Think about it. The marketing is the same, the distribution is the same. Literally EVERY wholesaler has bought into it, and every one of them wants ME to buy Lab created diamonds, so I can sell them to YOU. Woohoo, here we have a high profit item, and every woman wants a bigger stone, right? When they first hit the market, 1 or 2 sources had them and no diamond tester could tell the difference. Within months, there was an instrument that could, (for an exorbitant amount of money, granted). A couple years down the road and I can get an accurate diamond tester for under a thousand, and the price is dropping. So- an infinite supply, lots of competition, concerns about the labs and what happens to the value? It drops. But like anything else, if what you want and what you can afford aren't on the same page, you can take that shortcut. And they will always be better than CZs! Just be aware that natural diamonds will hold their value, man made, not so much. Would you really rather have a big stone hot off the assembly line that's likely not worth what you paid for it, or a smaller stone (made by God) that will hold it's value? I know what I choose! Oh, and there is a 3rd option. If you are settling for lab created, Moissanite is something you should look into. It has never claimed to be a diamond- different specific gravity, for one, higher refractive index, for two. That's right, more rainbow sparkles than diamonds- even I admit they are pretty awesome... (for man made). Look for the truly exceptional cut and clarity in a top maker and remember, if you end up going for the lab created- all labs are not created equal, either!