Buying a Moissanite Engagement Ring š in Singapore
- Aye Mon
- Dec 14, 2020
- 17 min read
Got engaged! š Then immediately dished with an assignment - finding my own engagement ring. ššš
To think I used to be adamant that guys should surprise girls with the ring - on hindsight, me being part of the š hunt worked better. Iām definitely way more thorough at researching (and guys being greenhorns in the department of ladies jewellery, might be fleeced by vicious salespeopleā¦:ā)).
To help you out, ladies and gentlemen, this post is a little repository of resources and reviews that I came across whilst researching, sprinkled with my honest thoughts based on my experience!~ š¤ (Nothing here is sponsored, just donāt wanna waste my research huehue)
Hereās the gist of what Iāll be covering (you can just jump to the sections of your interest :p):
1. The traits I wanted in my ring: Function, Aesthetic, and Value
2. Ring research!
Ring designs
The holy 4Cs
Choosing a diamond
Rough diamond truths
3. What are moissanites?
More on moissanites and comparisons to mined diamonds / lab-grown diamonds (including some of my own comparison videos!)
Why I eventually went with moissanite
My moissanite engagement ring from LeCaine Gems
4. Engagement ring shops in SG
Reviews of shops I patronised / heard about from friends / researched on š¤
5. Closing thoughts on selecting The One
Cultural norms & conflicting views with fam
Making a decision that you can be at peace with
Before we dive in, hereās a little teaser - can you find the diamond in this video? š¤š¤
And now let's dive right in!
1. Firstly, have an idea of what you want
Honestly, my initial thought was - yea duh, imma get a diamond. Cultural norms are potent. But as I try to adult, I often get exposed to adult content (get your mind out the gutter) on social media that advises me to be financially savvy (the boring kind of adult content okay š) and open to the less conventional alternatives too. So I bore in mind that I didnāt have to do what everyone else was doing, and instead started by noting the things that were important to me.
Story from The Woke Salaryman, an inspiring page I absolutely love :)
I realised that finding the perfect one boiled down to the balance of these three factors:
Function
Aesthetic &
Value - both monetary and emotional value.
I think Function might be oft neglected since the purchase is usually quite an emotional one, but bearing in mind that itās just an accessory will keep us rational in making decisions. Some functional aspects I considered were:
Durability - gotta get material thatās long-lasting
Flex-ability - admittedly, one of the functions of the engagement ring is flexing (flexes aren't said out loud but itās subtext that we hear ok). On the two aspects that I think can be flexed - wealth/status (āahem my ring is a diamond worth X monthsā of salary ahemā) vs the aesthetic, I initially thought I wanted both but eventually found myself quite happy with the latter. xD
Since I decided to flex Aesthetic, in this arena the traits I wanted were:
Sparkly white gem - this helped me narrow the search to diamond or moissanite (never heard of them? More on this below!).
A good size - preferably not too small of a centrepiece cuz, I like it big š
Fancy design - I wasnāt really digging a classic design, and luckily for me I fell in love at first sight with these infinity designs early on in my search, and hence kept looking in that direction :-)
In the department of Value - I certainly wanted a ring that was:
A bang for my buck - i.e. the sweet spot where maximum function and aesthetic meets a decent price tag that makes me willing to part with my cash - yes my fiancƩ bought the ring but his money is now my money so. :-) We also set a budget (I poked around to see what my friends spent to get a gauge :p) which we could inform jewellers when visiting the stores, so they know the range of designs to present to us.
Meaningful - the emotional value part :) I personally found the infinity design (symbolism of everlasting love) meaningful! Other than that I wasnāt big on getting any customised designs, and I donāt assign any meaning to specific gems, but I do know some folks who assign more meaning to mined diamonds, whilst everything else is deemed as fake and for lowlife peasants. š
A socially conscious purchase - albeit a small factor to me, I still bore this in mind, and therefore was quite open to lab-grown gems instead of mined gems. Something you might wanna consider depending on your values - are you particular about getting an ethically sourced gem? (Reckon most brands would probably tell you theirs are ethically sourced, but I wouldnāt bet on that as the truth cos Iām inherently cynical.) --> More about why mined diamonds might be ethically questionable: The Truth About Diamonds
Disclaimer: I definitely didnāt magically know everything I wanted from the start. I had a rough idea, but my opinion was moulded as I went along my research journey - some of which I will now be sharing. :)
2. Donāt scrimp on š... research!
Ring design
Do check out some of the big online stores and platforms that house a plethora of designs (James Allen, Etsy, Pinterest etc.) to explore your interests. Also do get to know the various components of the ring - well newsflash: there are quite a lot of components in that tiny little ring! Hereās a comprehensive all-in-one guide, and below are some pretty good videos and articles explaining each specific component (Jann Paul YouTube marketing really A+ man):
Type of gem: Beyond just diamonds, do remember there are several beautiful gems out there :)
Cut/Shape: Engagement Ring Diamond Size Comparisons for All Shapes: Oval, Round, Princess, Cushion & More
Donāt stop with these, and do keep finding out more from other sources. :)
The holy 4Cs
Do remember that the 4Cs could apply to other gems too, not just diamonds. Learn more about the 4Cs from a legit source here, but if youād prefer the quick layman guide by yours truly:
Cut - how the gem is cut to optimise its brilliance (most say this is the most important in making a diamond shine)
Clarity - the amount of inclusions i.e. flaws in or on the gem (sometimes you canāt see them cuz of the ring design so low clarity doesnāt mean itās bad; but if it's a chip in the gem, it might affect durability!)
Colour - the gem colour, ranging from colourless to yellow (graded from D to Z, with D being the most colourless and expensive)
Carat - a unit of weight used to measure the size of the gem (pretty much just how big it looks)
Remember I said I started off in the duh, diamond camp - so I did conduct quite a bit of research in this area, which Iāll just put down here, donāt wanna waste it yea.
Choosing a š
Big fan of Jann Paulās...YouTube channel! Hereās a super handy video that summarises the six key points to look out for when choosing a diamond.
Hereās my own summary of the six key points:
Flat Carat Weight - basically avoid āround numbersā like 0.5, 0.7 - go for 0.53, 0,74 etc.
Proportions - every diamond has a GIA cert that comes with it. Key the proportions on the GIA cert into the HCA Tool - the lower the score, the better the diamonds. But only use this tool to eliminate bad diamonds, rather than pick the good ones.
Light Performance - learn how to check this with an ASET scope
Optical Symmetry - this is apparently important for balance of brilliance, fire and scintillation (flash or sparkle of light! wow learnt a new word) - you can check this with a hearts and arrows scope.
Inclusions - these might affect durability :o
Hue - view diamonds under white light to see their accurate hue~ Yellowish ones are supposedly the best, though most diamonds in the market are brownish (~50% of them).
Didnāt go with a diamond in the end, but hey the geek in me was still glad to have all this new found knowledge! š¤
Rough diamond truths
Always good to know the different facets of the product that youāre buying, so do check out the articles and videos linked below to learn the truths behind the š before your big purchase:
More on daddy De Beers - marketing genius whose catchy messages will live on in our minds for generations, probably. (āDiamonds are forever!ā āDiamonds are a girlās best friend!ā āHow else could two months of salary last forever?ā)
Did you know: diamonds depreciate 50% in value once you leave the shop with themā¦
Adamās take on engagement rings - a hilarious video that's easy to watch, blunt and quite true š
Also some cute propaganda posters from the past that never get old:
And now, time to introduce the gorgeous new gem I found through my research! Just like me a few months back, perhaps many of you have not heard of this beautiful gem called moissanite, which checked all the boxes of my ideal ring. :)
3. What are moissanites?
Moissanites are a type of gemstone, just like diamond, sapphire, ruby, emerald, etc., but they happen to bear high resemblance to diamond in both quality (so yes itās durable) and appearance (their sparkle is extremely beautiful š). So factually, it is a gemstone of its own and not an "imitation diamond", but sadly those who have strong emotional attachments to diamonds or are less educated on gemstones may call it that. š After quite a bit of research, reading of reviews, and seeing moissanites in person, I was absolutely convinced that it was a brilliant choice! (More on the deal breakers later :D)
More on moissanites
Some resources on moissanites have been linked below, but it's recommended to read widely beyond these. :) When researching, do check the sources - is it a neutral source simply writing about different types of gems, or a brand that sells both moissanite and diamond, or one that only sells diamonds/moissanites, etc. - each type of source might frame things differently, but just make sure you sieve out the facts and come to an objective decision youāre comfortable with. :)
A good explanation on mined diamonds vs lab grown diamonds vs moissanites
A neat little comparison table!
Identifying moissanite vs diamond: 9:10 timestamp shows that for round cut, it is very hard to tell apart moissanite from diamond :o
An example of an article thatās critical of moissanites
How much do moissanites and diamonds resemble each other? Remember the teaser from earlier on - itās a comparison video I filmed of the moissanite and diamonds I have at home. :)
My moissanite ring vs diamond rings
Can you see any differences between them? :) Personally I can't, lol.
Index finger: D colour 1-carat VVS1 diamond, ~$40,000.
Ring finger: D colour 1-carat VVS1 moissanite, ~$700. (Note the price differenceā¦)
Middle finger: donāt really remember but I think itās smaller than 1-carat, and a lower colour grade than D for sure. Also in the 5-digit range.
Disclaimer: The point of the comparison is not to say, āYou can totally pass off moissanite as diamond!ā - this is discouraged as experts will know (you never know which of your friends might be a secret gem geek), and being a cheat ain't nice.š The point is that we donāt have to be too fixated on cultural norms, and to remember that there are other gems out there you can also consider because they are extremely beautiful too without costing you a bomb! :)
What I love about moissanite, and the deal breaker
Moissanites had everything a diamond could give me, and more!
Durability - yes. It scores a whopping 9.25 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness (diamond scores 10, which is not much difference), making it suitable for daily wear.
Sparkle - yes. Its high refractive index of 2.65 (higher than diamond) makes it shine more brilliantly, but this also makes it possess slightly more rainbowish hues than diamond - thatās one way to distinguish the two gems apart, but the difference is only apparent in larger carat sizes (>1 carat).
Socially conscious - hell yes! Moissanites are rarer than diamond, hence most in the market are all lab grown, and hence conflict-free.
Bang for my buck - hell yes! The overall affordable cost of the moissanite gave me flexibility to choose a fancy design, a large carat size with high colour grade, clarity and cut that shines like crazy, as well as to customise the ring however I liked! e.g. my desired prong design/orientation, engravings, etc.
Flex-ability - yes. Can flex wealth? I'm personally quite upfront in stating that it's not a diamond so nope, I've given up the wealth flex. š Can flex aesthetic? Hell yes.
Meaningful - yesss. I really liked the infinity loop design cuz of its symbolism of everlasting love, and I guess I kinda liked that this design as well as the choice of moissanite were both less conventional compared to classic solitaires and diamonds, which gave us a sense of uniqueness. :)
The deal breaker for me was viewing moissanites and diamonds side by side in person. Seeing how similar they were in both appearance, and knowing their resemblance in durability, it just no longer made sense to pay about 10 times more for one compared to the other, especially since I did not attribute more meaning to one gem over the other.
Were there things that held me back from buying moissanite?
I certainly did think for quite a while before deciding on moissanite.
The first point of hesitation was more practical reasons - moissanite was a fairly āunknown territoryā to me as I didnāt have any friends whoād purchased it before, and it didnāt seem to be highly marketed in Singapore (I later realised this is for fear of it cannibalising diamond sales). Hence I wondered things like: Is it really durable? What exactly is the market rate and how will I know if Iām being overcharged? But these were easy answers to find online as there were lots of online sites to compare prices. I also checked plenty of online reviews, even from the YouTube comments section of informative moissanite videos (this video's comment section has a few)! Many who had worn moissanites for years gave great reviews on its appearance and durability, leaving me pretty convinced.
I did experience a slight fear of social stigma (voices in my head saying people will think Iām poor! or cheap!), and was particularly fearful of disapproval from my mum. Emotional hurdles can sometimes be hard to overcome, but I did manage to, with a reminder of the tons of benefits. Also I watched this YouTuber's video and felt pretty inspired to be less concerned about stigma. :) Thus far, my friends have all been marvelling at how gorgeous my ring is, so my worries were really quite unfounded. x)
The Chosen One: My Moissanite Ring!
So yes, hereās my engagement ring, ladies and gentlemen. :ā) I teared when I first saw it, and I still look at it everyday and marvel at how beautiful it is. āŗļø
The deets: the centrepiece is a D colour 1-carat VVS1 moissanite; the band is 18K white gold, lined with 14 little gems (7 on either side), and it cost us $748 after discounts. :)
LeCaine Gems: Our Experience
I had learnt through a forum that in Singapore, jewellery stores tend not to offer moissanite, as it is pretty similar to diamond in appearance but at a fraction of the price, so it would cannibalise diamond sales. Ć So I thought Iād look into stores in Singapore that only sell moissanite, since thatād make the most business sense for owners. A google search proved futile, only surfacing Moiss Jewelry - a store with subpar reviews. Then I tried the Instagram hashtag, #moissanitesg. And behold, I found LeCaine gems! The day I found it also happened to be two days after the opening of its official store at Milennia Walk, so I felt like it was a sign. :-)
LeCaine Gems is an established store with worldwide reach - when I saw that they had 18k Instagram followers, a great site and 5 star reviews on Google, I was pretty sold and knew they were gonna be good. I looked through their designs on their website and their Instagram page, which were really gorgeous! But mostly importantly, they had THE INFINITY DESIGN I LOVED. I booked an appointment to visit their store that very weekend. :)
About LeCaine Gemsā Moissanites
Carats: Come in denominations of 0.5 i.e. 0.5, 1, 1.5, etc. Each increase in 0.5 costs about $100 extra, but the price increase becomes steeper for the larger carats
Colour and Carity: Their moissanites are all D or E colour, VVS1 :)
Cut: Brilliant cuts! Youād be able to view it under scopes, and the moissanite certificate ascertains that as well
Customisation: They only charge for the materials that go into the ring, so you basically get free customisation! e.g. you can customise the setting, prongs, band material, add engravings, etc. - all at no cost (bear in mind that most stores would almost definitely change for such personalisation)
Waiting time: It took about a month (from the day I placed the order) for the ring to arrive, as we had made the purchase during a peak season (apparently most people get hitched around the end of the year...)
Service
Their store was our very first stop for ring shopping. :) When we got there, Michael promptly tended to us promptly and showed us some products that I was keen on. Unfortunately, the Felicia entwined loop ring design I liked was not in stock, so I tried on some others to have a look and feel of moissanites. Here's a video I took in store! (slight rainbow-ish hues apparent due to their high refractive index, as these are large carat sizes.~)
I still preferred the Felicia design, so I left the details that were required for the customisation (ring size, prong design, band material, etc.) and we decided to ponder a bit more. Overall, both Michael and Ashley were really sweet in telling us more about moissanites and showing us lots of designs (more reviews on Google here that are testament to their wonderful service!).
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We then headed to Love & Co. to see both the lab-grown and mined diamonds, and also heard the quoted prices (detailed review below!). One key thing the salesperson said struck me - sometimes you should just go with the first impression, donāt overthink! Right then, I realised that the final decision was quite a no-brainer. Iād fallen in love with the infinity loop design time and again ever since Iād first seen it, so the design by LeCaine Gems was pretty much my number one; meanwhile the rational, budget-conscious part of me had a pretty easy answer too (recap: 1-carat D-colour VVS1 moissanite is $700+ while a diamond with the same traits is $40,000+ā¦). We placed our order with them that night via WhatsApp! :D
4. Engagement ring shops in Singapore
Before deciding on LeCaine Gems, I searched up on quite a lot of stores too. Here's what I did:
Ask around & search for reviews - I asked with friends whoād bought engagement rings before, and checked out those stores for online reviews, etc
Look at their designs & prices - good to check the storeās website to see what they have to offer, and the price range of their designs. But not all shops advertise prices online - you can check this with friends who have patronised the store before, or check out online forums.
Shortlist a few stores and book appointments to visit (if you wanna see the bling irl) - We decided on shopping physically to see the real deal instead of making an online purchase. For appointments, most sites should have reservation forms, or you could always DM them on social media. Stores like Jann Paul are popz so you gotta book about 2 weeks ahead. Also note that year end is a peak season for š shopping!
Reviews of some stores :)
Here Iāve listed some other stores that Iād like to share some reviews on - these are my own experiences and thoughts, as well as those of friends whom Iād consulted. :)
I shortlisted Love & Co. as I was curious to see lab-grown diamonds irl - desktop research had shown that they were one of the few retailers who sold them. Bear in mind the staff will upsell these quite a bit too.
Service: The service was pretty good - they showed us products all well within our budget, and there was no pressure selling. They mainly pushed the lab-grown range to us, after I expressed that Iām open to those over mined diamonds. So they say that about 4 out of 5 groups walk out with lab-growns instead of mined diamonds - guess these guys are gaining popularity.
Price: For this design above that I liked the most from here, the quote I got was that this 0.76 carat, I-J colour, VS2-SI clarity, well cut lab-grown would cost $2968. Thought it seemed a tad bit pricey for a lab-grown, considering that can be kinda mass manufactured... (but I didn't look much into this market so don't take my word for it and do your research if you're interested okie :p). You canāt really customise the parts either - e.g. I didnāt like the prong design, but if I wanted to change it, my ring would be considered a ābespokeā one and that customisation costs an extra few hundredā¦kthxbai.
Poh Kim
A quick check with friends revealed that this place was pretty popular for delivering quality without breaking the bank. Prices are kept prices low due to low overhead / marketing costs e.g. the store is in an industrial area rather than a retail store in a mall. Also heard that the uncle who runs the store is really nice and honest. Check out one extensive review here.
You can make an appointment with them via their Instagram page before heading down. I was going to check them out and made an appointment, but cancelled it eventually as I made my decision fairly quickly.
Price: Only information I have is that my friendās 0.46carat (not sure about the other Cs) was quoted to be around $2k~.
Jann Paul
Made an appointment here too but gave up cuz of the early decision I made. Heard mixed reviews for Jann Paul. One of my friends absolutely stood by the brilliance of their cuts, and the thoroughness of their diamond education during your visit. Apparently thereās no pressure selling too! :) On the other hand, some lament that they are a tad bit overpriced, likely due to their high marketing costs. Their YouTube channel has seriously awesome videos with great explanations, do check them out to learn a thing or two.
Service (over email): Their customer service was really sweet in their replies. They also asked us of the following via email:
Before your visit, it would be great if you could share with us your diamond preference. This would allow us to prepare a selection of diamonds for you during your appointment with us.
1. Carat weight range (Eg. 0.4 - 0.6ct) :
2. Color (Eg. D - G) :
3. Clarity (Eg. VVS1 - VS2) :
4. Estimated date of collection :
5. Price range (so we can prepare a selection of diamonds in various combinations for your viewing) :
In fact, I think these would be good to prepare before you visit any store!
Price: The only intel I got was my friendās 0.53carat (once again not sure about the other Cs) quoted to be around $4k~. There are additional fees that come with customisation as well.
Orro
This brand touted to offer affordable diamond simulants, and their rings were really cheap (in the $200-300 range), which made me very curious about what materials were being used. The website didnāt seem very transparent about this (what exactly are lab-grown diamond simulants? Iām guessing they arenāt lab-grown diamondsā¦?), and I read on a forum that they use cubic zirconia, which is a less durable material than diamond or moissanite, and also dulls after some time. Disclaimer: I am unsure if what this dude on the forum said is true and I really donāt wanna debase any brand, just wanted to share that I personally was more hesitant to check them out after hearing such a review and finding out that cubic zirconia might not be that lasting.
Also found some other brands selling moissanite! Only after I had made my purchase. š But I reckon Iād still have gone for LeCaine in the end.
The day my fiancĆ© passed me the engagement ring, I passed by this store at The Centrepoint, and realised that they sold moissanites too! Was glad that theirs appeared to be a little pricier than what I bought, hah. :p But a store you can still consider if youāre thinking of getting moissanite!
Saw an insta ad for this store sometime after my engagement ring arrived. xD However it only operates online so I likely would not have gone with it. Price point seems quite low, likely because it has D-H colour moissanites. Could consider if you donāt mind making the purchase online/getting a lower colour grade. :)
5. Closing thoughts on selecting The One
āDiamonds are forever - how could you not get one for your engagement ring!ā
-probably most mothers, since the inception of DeBeers š
In some ways, coming to this decision was not super easy, especially not in a diamond revering society filled with humans who might judge you for being diamond-less, and particularly not with a mother who is an absolute diamond fanatic and owns quite a few big pieces. De Beers, you evil genius. Your legacy lives on, and my mumās quote up there (pretty much verbatim) is every proof. When I showed her my ring and told her itās a moissanite, she said I should just dump a guy who wouldnāt get me a diamond. š (she wasnāt joking...) But thankfully that episode has passed.
At the end of the day:
Remember FAV: function, aesthetic, value. A balance of all these should more or less be the sweet spot.
Choose not just what makes you happy, but what you can be at peace with. Are you extremely concerned about what your family/people think of you? By all means, be a bit more conventional. Do your circumstances require you to be more financially prudent? Then act accordingly bruv. And even if you're doing well doesnāt mean you gotta max out the budget set aside for your engagement ring; cost savings could be transferred to other more exciting activities like your honeymoon! /0/
Truth be told, š is the least of your worries. :-) You need more time and energy for the wedding (if you have one) and to get a roof over your head.
Hope you all make wise decisions that work for you, and happy shopping! āŗļøšš
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