A couple years ago, my husband and I decided to sell my engagement ring and buy one with a man-made diamond instead. We had paid $2000 for my ring, and sold it for $1150. We then bought a new one from Diamond Nexus Labs for $231. I’ll be honest and say that the number one reason I sold the ring was money – I didn’t like wearing $2000 on my finger, and felt that we could put it to much better use elsewhere (we ended up putting it into our HSA and and an IRA). My husband agreed, and so it was done.
I liked the claims that DNL made on their website about environmentally friendly, and ethically produced jewelry, but money was the primary reason behind our decision. Mined diamonds have no intrinsic value other than their usefulness in industry. Neither do synthetic diamonds, but I like the price of the synthetic ones a lot more. I’ll never buy another mined diamond, although I can’t imagine ever buying another synthetic diamond either. That said, I didn’t do any digging around to find out the scoop on the claims DNL makes regarding ethics and the environment.
I got an email today from a lady who has apparently done quite a bit of digging regarding the various claims that DNL makes. She has compiled her data here on her website (Moment Of Choice), and it’s absolutely worth a read. Given the fact that it looks like quite a few of the articles out there in cyberspace about DNL are pay per post or written by people who are affiliated with DNL, I wanted to make it very clear that I have no association with DNL what so ever, other than being a one-time customer. They have never paid me to write any posts, nor have they ever purchased links on my site. I paid full price for the ring I bought from them, and I have no idea if they are aware of my blog or not. The gift card that I gave away to a reader last year was sent out to all customers – giving it away on my blog was my own idea.
There’s a lot of not-so-flattering stuff about DNL out there. And since I have no knowledge of the workings of their company, I can’t say whether any of it is true or not. I can see how the negative reviews could very well be true. But the skeptic in me can also see how DNL might have some very powerful enemies (all those companies that would like to convince people that it’s perfectly rational to blow tens of thousands of dollars on mined diamonds). And spreading rumors online is even easier than spreading rumors in a 6th grade classroom.
All I know for sure is what I experienced as a customer. I tried on several cz rings before I found DNL. For the most part the bands were silver (or in some cases just a cheap plated metal). None of them could be resized, and all that I tried on were available only in whole sizes. The rings I tried on were much less expensive than the one I got from DNL, but they looked and felt cheap, so I kept looking.
I ordered my ring from DNL using the piece of string method to size my finger. I came up with 5.5 and placed my order for that size. When the ring arrived, it was beautiful, but huge. I went to a local jewelry store and had them measure my finger using a ring sizer, and they got 4.5, which would explain why the ring I ordered was so loose. I called DNL and they told me to just send it back and they would resize it. Within a couple weeks, I got my ring back, and it fit perfectly. As far as customer service, I have nothing but good things to say about DNL.
I have been wearing my DNL ring for nearly two years. It still looks as good as it did when I got it, and I still get compliments from strangers about how pretty it is. I am not a jewelry expert, and I have no idea what the stone is actually made of. But I know that the setting is solid and secure, and the ring itself perfectly matches the white gold wedding band that we bought at the Shane Company when we got married. I have no complaints at all about the workmanship of the ring.
Moment Of Choice has raised some issues that do deserve a second look, and she’s obviously done a lot of research (edit: and judging from the links on her sidebar, she and I have a lot of views in common). Concealing the identity of company officers and having employees write “reviews” isn’t particularly appealing behavior. As far as the incorporation issue, I do know that when my husband and I incorporated our business a few years ago, we read all sorts of stuff about the benefits of incorporating in other states. We were blatently told that one of the primary values of incorporation was that the corporation becomes a separate entity from ourselves, under a concept known as corporate veil. We did incorporate in our home state, but many companies do not, and this is not in and of itself a sign of anything untoward.
I doubt I will buy any more jewelry from DNL or anywhere else. I just don’t wear jewelry other than my engagement and wedding rings, and some funky pieces that people have made for me. I decided to write this post as a clarification, in case there are readers out there who are trying to figure out whether DNL is on the up and up. To reiterate: I have no idea of the validity of the DNL claims about environmental and ethical standards. I have no idea whether the company is shady in terms of business practices that don’t directly impact the end consumer. I have no affiliation with DNL (or any other jewelry company). I have been completely satisfied with my own experience with DNL, both in terms of customer service and product quality.
If you’ve had experiences with DNL – good or bad – please feel free to share.
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Hi FB,
Your post has prompted me to possibly go back in and re-write some of my post (when I have some time) to clarify some reasons why I included/highlighted certain bits of info, such as the incorporation stuff…and also because new info has recently come to light that is definitely worth adding in.
I have a problem in general with the corporate veil – and am frustrated that anyone going into business is encouraged to look for ways of cheating the system or cheating other people, whether it’s their intention or not. I guess that bit was more to highlight the website of the company with which DNL/Lautrec chose to incorporate. You’re right, it doesn’t always prove anything untoward about a corporation but it also doesn’t make me feel very comfortable about business ethics. I don’t know if anyone has seen the film “The Corporation” (excellent film). http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=2 Certainly helps one to understand some of the reasons we are in this economic mess…
Thanks for this post. It’s absolutely fair for anyone who did happen to have a good experience with this company to indicate so, and I appreciate that you acknowledge there are definitely some things about them worth investigating. Looking into this company has been a great learning experience, being a recent import from Canada to the States, in terms of what sort of regulations are in place to ensure corporations are forced to be upfront with customers about their products/services. Not many from what I can tell.
I was very fortunate to find a woman who really didn’t care about getting a diamond ring.
We bought simple, silver rings at a shop when we were on a trip before our marriage. Our rings, because of their uniqueness, have started many conversations over our 9.5 years of marriage with people.
It was about the money, but we also wanted something semi original and more connecting than just a diamond.
I guess it might also be worthwhile to point out, my husband and I didn’t bother to get rings at all. I’ll always advocate for challenging the norm.
And more importantly, considering the implications of our decisions on other people and the planet.
If my husband and I were to go ring hunting now, I think we would make much different decisions than we did six years ago (obviously, since we went the traditional diamond route that time), and even than we did two years ago when we bought the synthetic diamond ring. Don’t get me wrong – I really like my ring, and I like the fact that it was only a couple hundred dollars. But today, I would probably choose something more plain, maybe an antique ring, or just a plain wedding band. Our bands are very simple (mine was $40 and his was $90), and that’s really our style anyway.
Neither of us have any particular attachment to our wedding rings. My husband takes his off when he lifts weights, and half the time it’s in his gym bag for days on end. I had no problem selling my original ring and putting the money in savings – we both know that our rings have nothing to do with our relationship. But since I like my ring, I continue to wear it. Who knows – maybe ten years from now we’ll replace our rings with something funky that we find on a trip to Mexico.
I don’t wear jewelry other than my ring. My ears aren’t pierced, and my favorite necklace is a chain with a washer on it that my sister made for me. So we won’t be contributing to the diamond or fake diamond industries in the future
thanks for that update
I’m still very much in favor of CZ but can’t seem to convince my husband 2b that it’s a good idea
it’s like beating a dead horse at this point
my engagement ring is pricey and a questionable diamond which they claimed was conflict free
I’ll check out the company you mentioned to see if they have the kind of style I’m going for since we plan to wear bands also
sigh…nevermind.
Thanks for posting this! My SO and I are looking at engagement rings right now, so this a was a great eye opener. It is so difficult to find good information on companies & their practices, particularly when it’s such a touchy subject. I’m leaning towards one of these two companies (unless we decide to just not have rings at all):
http://www.artisanweddingrings.com/index.php
http://www.touchwoodrings.com/index.html
They both have absolutely beautiful rings, and it’s pretty easy to find out more about their backgrounds if you click around on the site.
Thanks again!
I am currently looking for an engagement ring for my g/f, I love her with all of my heart and want her to have a nice ring, something she can show off to her friends. However I can’t afford to buy, at this time, a huge ring. I was actually looking at the DNL site earlier today and was curious to get a woman’s opinion on the subject. If I got her a simulated diamond ring do you think that she would view it as me taking the “cheap” route instead of the tried and true diamond? I want this to be a surprise for a trip we are taking in the fall. just looking for an honest opinion.
Hi “Potter”
I’m going to suggest that if you don’t know your girlfriend well enough to know if she’d think you are taking the “cheap” route instead of the “tried and true” diamond, then you might want to reconsider this decision and get to know your girlfriend a little better so that you can answer this question yourself. No one else can answer the question on behalf of your girlfriend.
Whatever you and your girlfriend decide, my advice is to research any company thoroughly before purchasing off the internet. If people choose not to do this, it’s their fault if they get scammed.
Try googling the company name + the word “scam” or “fraud” in the search field and see what comes up… look for proof of a company’s claims on their website… if you see anything odd, contact the company first before purchasing. If they don’t respond, or deflect your questions, red flags should go up. It should be clear who owns the company, who the company officers are, where their business/manufacturing facilities are located, what their products are made of and proof of all of this.
As you’ll see from the few ‘female’ responses above, jewelery is not always important to females. Ask your girlfriend.
Potter – Best wishes on your upcoming engagement! I hope that everything goes well. I would echo moment of choice’s views: only you know your girlfriend well enough to know if it would bother her if you buy a simulated diamond instead of the real thing.
My own thoughts on this have evolved quite a bit over the years. Six years ago, when my husband proposed with a $2000 ring that we picked out together, I was thrilled to wear it. Two years ago, when I switched to the DNL ring that cost a fraction of the price of the original ring, I was just as thrilled to wear it, and happy to tell people where we got it. These days, I still wear the DNL ring and my plain wedding band, but I really don’t care anymore about people seeing them, or what anybody thinks about my ring. As I mentioned above, I’d be just as happy with a funky wooden ring as I am with my DNL ring.
I think it’s sad that so many people spend such a huge amount of money on diamonds. You mentioned that you can’t afford a diamond. If your girlfriend loves you for you, the ring will be an afterthought – what will make her happy will be you asking her to spend the rest of her life with you. I wish you all the best.
I convinced my then-fiance that we should go the Diamond Nexus route when we were looking at rings. I didn’t want us (him) to spend thousands on something simply because the diamond industry has fooled everyone into thinking it’s necessary or “forever”. Truthfully, I don’t need mine to last forever – just ’til I’m dead!
I didn’t want to have to worry for one minute about “conflict” diamonds, either.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with our decision. My ring is perfect, and I still get compliments on it frequently. Waitresses, cashiers, people at church, a male police officer, the guy handing out free newspapers at the drug store – the list is long! It is a lovely ring and I have absolutely NO complaints about it. I get tired of seeing the unfounded and scathing comments on a particular diamond website. I am NOT associated with DNL in any way other than loving them and hoping to purchase more sparkly things from them in the future.
I went to the actual DNL store in Wisconsin. The jewelry looks and feels exactly like a real diamond. Am I a scientist? No. Do I know for sure if the things are diamonds or CZ? No. But I tried on a bunch of rings, and picked one out that I loved. I am so excited to actually wear the thing when my boyfriend proposes!!!
I don’t work for DNL and I’m not affiliated with them at all. All I know is that it makes me sick to my stomach to think about spending more than $1000 on a ring, and I am glad my boyfriend didn’t.
At the same time, I wouldn’t want my boyfriend to just give me a DNL ring instead of a “real” diamond if he didn’t know that I was cool with it.
My fiance proposed with a DNL ring in June and I love it! He ordered the Dreambook back in April and we looked at rings that way… I just went through and circled the ones that I liked.
I have to say that I read a lot of negative reviews on DNL and became a little anxious about buying from them. Of course after being so excited about the whole thing, I just figured that if the ring was horrible that we could just send it back.
My only complaint is that it’s too perfect! I get compliments on it all the time, and I’m honestly a little embarrassed by all of the attention that is drawn to it. A few of my friends know that my ring isn’t real, but my fiance told me not to mention it to anyone (of course that was before I knew about it).
At any rate, I’m very happy with my ring and I’m glad that we’re able to spend the money on things more important! My personal feeling is that it doesn’t matter what the stone is actually made of (some people are saying that DNL’s stones are plain CZ), it looks great and people think it’s real.
I am so curious about what amomentofchoice had to say, but her blog isn’t open for reading.
I have a nexus diamond. I haven’t decided if I am going to wear it (getting married next month, at city hall, no guests). It is 2c and I feel like it sparkles too much. I think because it is so big, more attention will be drawn to it, which will make more people wonder if its real. If I don’t wear it, I will probably wear nothing, especially not a real diamond. I am considering just a plain band.
Anyway, I can’t stand reading most of the “reviews” for nexus online because I feel that they are just as fake as the rings. I took my ring to be sized in the mall and he asked me if I wanted a real diamond while I was at it. He only looked at it for one second. Then he held his device up to the smaller “diamonds” on the side of the ring, and he tells me that they are fake too. I was embarrassed and I didn’t even know him. The thought of people thinking that my husband bought me a fake behind my back or something, this is what makes me not want to wear it.
I guess I just wish I got a smaller diamond, so it would draw less attention.
Monica,
I know exactly what you’re talking about. Most of the jewelry pictured in the DNL catalog and on their website includes huge stones. The ring I have was advertised with a 2 ct stone, and I felt that would be way too big. I went with 1 ct, and it seems just right (that was about the size of my real diamond that we replaced). I get compliments, but nobody questions my ring because it’s not too flashy (just a basic solitaire). I often wonder if the people who buy the 3 and 4 ct rings and pendants from DNL attract more attention than they want!
If anyone would like to read the entry about DNL, email me for temporary access to the site: momentofchoice at gmail dot com
Formal complaints for greenwashing and other misrepresentation have been filed with the FTC.
A few weeks ago, I bought my wife a great looking antique ring from DNL for her birthday called the Lyonette. My wife and I got their catalog a few months ago and really got hooked by their marketing. We thought their gems were special, not CZ but more diamond like. Later my wife said she found her DHL ring on another place online for $29!!! I paid DHL $195 for the same ring! I’m super mad with Diamond Nexus Labs. I bought the $29 ring off the other site to see if it was the same, and it is. I returned her ring to DNL to get my refund.
Compare for yourself. Diamond Nexus Labs sells CZ stones, plain ans simple. While beautiful, they need to be honest and upfront on what they are selling.
http://www.DiamondNexusLabs.com
Item: Lyonette
Same ring for $29
http://www.almostdiamonds.com ITEM: b23828z
Eric, the “Lyonette” ring at almostdiamonds that I pulled up is only available in a 3 c stone, where the diamond nexus ring has a center stone of just over 1 c. Is it just the setting that is the same? In looking at the two, it doesn’t seem possible that they are the exact same rignt because of the carat weight. I’m just curious. Thanks.
Just for the record, I don’t work for DNL nor do I have any association with any jeweler or anyone in the diamond business. I ordered a stone from DNL to replace the one I had lost out of my mother’s ring. The stone was fairly large and a real diamond replacement is not in our budget right now. I thought I had fairly thoroughly researched simulated/synthetic stone and made an informed decision and now, after purchasing and receiving the stone (and reading all of the comments), I’m beginning to wonder. The stone arrived beautifully packaged. I could not have been more pleased in it’s presentation. There was documentation that looked like the type of certification you receive with a real diamond, a beautiful box, another nice box that actually contained the stone, and mounting and warrantee information. The stone looked very vibrant, clear, and when held up to the rest of the ring looked just great. We took it to the jeweler to be mounted and they were also quite impressed with the appearance. They did put some sort of machine on it and said that some of the fakes test true; but this one did not and they were somewhat surprised.
We pick up the ring on the 9th and I will report back. The ring that the stone is being set in is over 70 years old and is a really high quality ring that the jeweler said was worth over $4,000 without the center stone, so this should be a good test of how these stones stack up. I will let all of you know how this turns out.
I bought from DNL… i looked around for the setting, sizing and ensuring it was 14k and not gold plated. The experience from beginning to end was great. Yes I did pay more, but when I rec’d my rind it had a scratch and when I called DNL, the replaced it immedately. Also, if your stond ever came off accidently, DNL will replace it for free. I am not affiliated with DNL… but I didn’t mind paying a little more for the ideal setting…I couldn’t find elsewhere.
Gee
Reporting back and it’s not good news. We picked up the mounted stone at the jeweler and it looked beautiful. I used a local, very reputable, jeweler because I did not want to send my ring off and take a chance on losing it. I knew that DNL claimed no responsibility if they did not set the stone, but I trusted the jeweler and assumed that if the stone was as good as they stated it was, there would be no problem. There was no problem with mounting the stone and it looked great. I saw it under huge magnification and it looked just perfect, no cracks, chips, or damage due to the mounting. I wore the ring for six weeks and last week I dropped the ring. The DNL stone chipped. They won’t stand behind it because they didn’t mount it even though the mounting had nothing to do with the stone chipping. The claims about the hardness of these stones is completely untrue.
Don’t waste your money. Just get a CZ.
Thanks for the update Terri. What a bummer about the chipped stone – are you going to replace it with a CZ, or just wear it as is?
I’ve been wearing my DNL stone for almost three years now, and have smashed it many a time. I ran into a door frame a few weeks ago and gave myself a huge bruise on my hand, but the ring was unscathed. I’m hoping that my stone keeps holding up, and so far so good.
The band isn’t doing quite as well though. I was lifting weights without gloves last month (I know, I should have taken off my ring or worn my gloves, but I didn’t), and I damaged the band a bit on the underside. It’s a little bent now, and not quite round anymore. It still fits on my finger though, so I haven’t gotten around to getting it fixed. I’m leaning towards just taking it to a local jeweler and seeing if they can bang it back into a round shape. We’ll see how it goes…
I really enjoyed reading everyones comments. My boyfriend and i have been talking about getting engaged for a wile now but he just doent have the money to go out and get a real diamond. I am ok with a fake one as long as it looks real. i was really interested in the DNL rings. Im looking into it to make sure im not getting something bad. It seems as though that i have never heard anyone say that they look fake. It seems to me that everyone loves their ring. I am aware that they are paying more than other places but i cant seem to find any other CZ websites that have any comments about them. If you know of a place that has cz’s that look just a real for cheaper set in real gold please let me know.
Thank you!!!
If you have read my blogs, you obviously know that I won’t be replacing my broken DNL stone with another. I do, however, want to share another observation. When I wore the ring prior to loosing the real diamond I received compliments constantly. After replacing the lost stone with the DNL, which was the same size, although I thought it looked great – nothing. No compliments whatsoever. I think there is just something intangible about a genuine stone. I had said I would opt for a CZ, but I am not going to go that route. I’m parking the ring until I can replace it with a genuine gemstone of some sort. I’m going with a simple band, made out of something real.
Has anyone else had this experience?
Terri,
My experience was exactly the opposite. My first ring had a real diamond – it wasn’t a flawless stone, but it was nice. Other than the initial compliments that I got when we first got engaged, I almost never got any comments at all about my ring. The DNL stone got far more compliments than my real diamond ever did. And I like DNL ring better than my old one.
I agree with you about wanting a good, simple band. Mine is just plain white gold, and I love it. I looked at some CZ stones at local stores, but none of them were set in real gold, and the rings felt cheap (and might have turned my finger green!).
Terri,
Sorry to hear about what happened. From the discussion I had with a DNL rep, they mentioned that if a jeweler sets the stone using excessive heat it can weaken it…so maybe this is what made it softer and caused it to chip later. (heat is used to set mined diamonds but there are other techniques for simulants and other stones)
I am sending them my ring so they can mount one of their stones for me.
just got engaged and recieved a dnl ring. it is gorgeous! it is the pomp and circumstance in the 1.5 ct center stone. it sparkles like a real diamond, the weight of the gold is substantial, and it looks awesome on my finger. i think the true way to keep the “fakeness” less noticeable is to keep the carat weight of the center stone to 1- 1.5 cts. also the simpler the setting the more elegant it looks. no one knows it’s not a real diamond except me and my fiance. i’m buying the matching band for our wedding. the best part is that it was 10 times cheaper than a diamond, it is set in your choice of gold or platinum and it looks really great
Hi there, my bf and I are getting engaged and I just wanted to let you guys know that out of ALLLLLLLLLL the online info there is about DNL, asha diamonds, etc, this blog has helped me make my decision! DNL it is, lol. Thanks to everyone
I found your post about a week ago the day after my gf proposed. And I want to thank you for it and the comments that followed, it helped me be ok with the ring I recieved. I have DNL ring. I love it, its gorgeous. I’m glad my gf didn’t spend ridiculous sums on a ring. But that doesn’t mean that when my curiousity got the better of me and i started investigating the ring I didn’t feel a bit sick wondering if my gf had been ripped-off.
After comparing similar rings all over the place, I’m comfortable with her choice for the most part. When all things are taken into consideration I think it is worth what she paid for it, and I’m not shy to tell anyone else that its not a real diamond.
I am planning on proposing to my GF sometime this summer, and wanted to thank all of the above contributing writers. I found all of the comments to be informative, and for all appearances, unbiased. I have done weeks worth of research on DNL, and haven’t read or learned anything that has dissuaded me from purchasing an engagement ring from them. My GF actually suggested it, because we are both opposed to the idea of overpaying for a real diamond, monopolized, and often tainted as they are. I can only hope that our results with DNL, are as positive as many of the ones read above. I will be sure to re-post following receipt of the ring, and include my GF’s response as well.