I've sold three diamonds over the last eight years — two natural, one lab. Here are the exact numbers.
Natural diamond #1: 2016
Bought: 0.72ct F-VS1 GIA Excellent, paid $2,900 at a local jeweler
Sold: 2019 via Ido/Estate buyers at $980
Loss: 66%
Natural diamond #2: 2020
Bought: 1.05ct G-VS2 GIA Excellent on Blue Nile, paid $5,200
Sold: 2023 via Worthy.com (online auction), received $2,100
Loss: 60%
Lab diamond: 2022
Bought: 1.80ct H-VS1 IGI Excellent, paid $1,800
Sold: 2024 via local estate buyer, received $200
Loss: 89%
The reality:
Natural diamonds lose 55–70% of retail value when resold through secondary channels. Lab diamonds lose 80–90%+. Neither is an investment.
The resale market for natural diamonds exists (Worthy, I Do Now I Don't, estate buyers). The resale market for lab diamonds is essentially non-existent because new lab diamonds keep getting cheaper every year.
What this means practically:
- Don't buy a diamond thinking you'll break even if things don't work out
- The "natural holds value better" argument is true but both lose money
- Buy the diamond you WANT, not the diamond you think you can sell
If someone tells you to buy a natural diamond "as an investment," they're either misinformed or selling you something.
This should be mandatory reading before any diamond purchase. Everyone thinks it's an asset class. It isn't.