Bravely dive into one of the most controversial topics in the jewelry world: lab-grown, synthetic, man-made, artificial diamonds.
- What are we supposed to call these stones anyway?
- And how similar are they really to natural diamonds?
- And are they really more sustainable?
- How much should you really still be paying for something you can make a million of?
- Plus, Jack Lewis Jewelers doesn’t currently sell them, so why not?
Lots of questions and strong thoughts in a powerful episode that is sure to cause a ruckus.
It’s the pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun. This is the CarterCast, filmed on location at Jack Lewis Jewelers in Bloomington, IL.
An aerial view of the new Jack Lewis Jewelers location at 3011 Galena Road, near Biaggi’s and Ancho & Agave on Bloomingon’s east side.
The project will be designed locally by Kyle Glandon and Paul Scharnett at Hewn Architectural Studio (the new entity formed at the start of 2024 by the merger of Workbench and SAA), and be built locally by Catalyst Construction, led by the team of Andy Kaufmann, Britt Steffen, and Josiah Koch.
It was an honor to have a crowd of family, friends, and colleagues join us for the celebration.
Flanked by co-owner Missy Ranney and wife Ketti, John Carter kicks-off the ceremony with opening remarks.
Father Schultz from St. Patrick Catholic Church of Merna leads the group in prayer before blessing the ground.
L to R, Seth & Missy Ranney, and John & Ketti Carter officially break ground at the site of the new Jack Lewis Jewelers on June 13, 2024.
The Ranneys and Carters officially throw the first dirt.
Jack Lewis Jewelers owners Missy Ranney and John Carter pose at the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
An aerial view of the crowd arriving.
The new store will be designed locally by Kyle Glandon and Paul Scharnett at Hewn Architectural Studio. We’ll be sharing the renderings in the months to come.
The new store will be built locally by Catalyst Construction under the direction of project superintendent Josiah Koch.
Carter welcomes the crowd to the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
Carter makes remarks during the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
Carter makes remarks during the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
John Carter and wife Ketti during the opening remarks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
Father Schultz leads the crowd in a blessing of the new ground.
John Carter and wife Ketti pause for a moment of prayer during the blessing.
Missy Ranney and John & Ketti Carter prepare to throw dirt.
The project team includes Paul Scharnett of Hewn Architectural Studio (far left) and Josiah Koch of Catalyst Construction (4th from right).
Lab Grown Diamond Discussion
What topics did we discuss in this episode? What to jump straight to the points you care about most? Click below.
- 0:34 – Most Controversial Topic Ever
- 01:10 – Defining Terms: “Laboratory Grown”
- 02:30 – Fake is Insulting
- 03:33 – What is a Laboratory Grown Diamond?
- 04:39 – The History of Lab Grown Stones
- 05:42 – The Tech Behind How They’re “Grown”
- 06:49 – FUN FACT!
- 08:22 – They Are NOT “The Same” as a Natural Diamond
- 10:14 – How a Synth-Detect Machine Can Tell the Difference
- 12:07 – Does a Lab-Grown Diamond Need a Grading Report?
- 15:45 – The Struggle to Price Lab-Grown Diamonds
- 17:13 – Could Lab-Grown Diamonds End Up Being Worth Zero?
- 18:10 – An Overly-Cynical Rant About Why These Exist
- 19:34 – The Importance of Competitive Natural Diamond Options
- 20:30 – Sustainability? Why Lab-Grown Diamonds are NOT “Green”
- 23:51 – Why Jack Lewis Jewelers Doesn’t Sell Lab-Grown Diamonds
- 25:33 – What the Price Should Be
- 26:39 – Carter’s Advice if You’re Considering a Lab-Grown Diamond
- 28:56 – The Symbolic Case for Natural Diamonds
- 31:55 – The Final Facet
