Iced Out Chains With Real Diamonds

These are the bigger lab-grown house necklaces, one of each, all graded E color and VS1 clarity.

The 30 ct round lab necklace at $8,950 works out to under $300 a carat including the gold. Lab-grown diamonds have made full coverage far cheaper than it is with mined stones of the same size and grade.

Fake iced chains use cubic zirconia or glass on plated brass. They can look sharp at first, but plating wears through and the stones scratch and cloud. Real iced chains use diamonds, which rate 10 on the hardness scale and stay bright for life, set in karat gold that is stamped with its purity. A seller who will not state the stone type and the gold karat in writing is telling you something. Our iced out buying guide walks through the checks, and what iced out means covers the terms.

Iced chains are heavy, so length matters more than on a plain chain. At 20 inches the chain sits on the collarbone and the stones face forward. At 24 inches it hangs lower and can twist. Many buyers wear an iced chain at 20 to 22 inches and a longer plain gold chain under it. If you plan to hang an iced pendant, put it on the plain chain, not the iced one: a pendant bail rubbing across diamond settings wears the prongs. Weight is the other thing to plan for. A full iced necklace sits heavier than any gold chain its size, so try it on for a few minutes before deciding on length. For stacking ideas, see hip-hop jewelry.

Every iced chain in this group is lab-grown. Lab diamonds are real diamonds, and FTC rules require sellers to say so. The upside is size: lab stones let you buy a fuller chain with whiter stones at the same budget. If you want natural stones, a natural build can be quoted through custom, and the other house pieces are on diamond chains. Price benchmarks are in how much an iced out chain costs.

• Check that the clasp has a safety latch. The weight of an iced chain makes a single catch risky.
• Clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, working behind the stones where lotion builds up.
• Store it flat or hung, apart from other chains, so diamonds do not scratch neighboring gold.
• Check the settings every few months for loose stones.

1. Are the stones diamond, moissanite or cubic zirconia? Get it in writing.
2. If diamond, lab-grown or natural? US rules require lab-grown to be disclosed.
3. What color and clarity grade are the stones?
4. What karat is the gold, and is it solid or plated?
5. What is the total carat weight?
6. What clasp does it use, and does it have a safety latch?

Every house piece here answers the first five on the listing: lab-grown diamond, E color, VS1, karat gold, and carat total. Ask about the clasp in the showroom. A seller who dodges any of these is selling you a look, not a diamond chain.

Want a specific link style, color or carat total? The custom process runs idea, then design and exact price, then the piece is made and delivered insured. House pieces are in the showroom at 7900 NW 27th Ave, Unit 506, Miami. Call 954-504-5640 to check one before you come. For iced pieces beyond chains, browse iced out jewelry and the plain gold side at chains. Planning a diamond Cuban? Read the diamond Cuban guide.