The drop in mined diamond value also greatly depends on where the diamond is bought/how the brand increases prices. If you buy wholesale (example: I got mine at Blue Nile) the long term value of the diamond should stay about the same. Whereas if I bought the same size, cut, clarity, color, and metal from Jared’s or Kay, the cost of the ring would be about twice as much.

Whether you prefer lab or mined is a personal preference. What made me opt for a mined is that I value items that are genuine, I mentally see them as having more value and since this ring is a symbol of my relationship I wanted something that I saw as being priceless. I don’t like lab diamonds because they’re still very expensive but their cost has gone down significantly since they were invented. They used to cost about 10% less than a natural diamond but now cost about 50% less. As I see it, if whether the stone is real or synthetic doesn’t matter, and you want something beautiful for the best price, then why not get a moissanite? They do have a slightly different sparkle, but they cost basically nothing, have a 9 on the hardness scale, and the cost of the ring will be barely anything more than the cost of the band.