CarterCast

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.   Jump to whichever part sounds most interesting to you: 00:34 – 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   To listen to the audio-only version of this episode, search for the CarterCast on your favorite podcast player and subscribe (Apple iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, iHeart, TuneIn, and more).   FOLLOW Jack Lewis Jewelers for the strongest original jewelry-based content you'll ever see:   https://www.facebook.com/jacklewisjewelers https://www.instagram.com/jacklewisjewelers https://www.twitter.com/jacklewisjlrs http://bit.ly/JackLewisAppointment https://www.jacklewisjewelers.com/   MUSIC "Get Tough" by Nu Alkemist (Licensed via SoundStripe)   CREDITS: Star & Executive Producer - John Carter (Owner & CEO, Jack Lewis Jewelers) Host & Executive Producer - Joshua Shull (Owner, JoshuaOneNine) Producer & Editor - Nick Fetty (Content Creator, JoshuaOneNine)

Diamonds and designs often steal the engagement ring show, which means we don't often hear about the metal. What's your ring made of, anyway? Gold, platinum, titanium? There are pros and cons to consider, and this episode points you in the right direction. Jewelry metal matters, so put on the leather pants, fluff-out your mullet, plant yourself front row center, and throw up the horns for a five-octave conversation about metal.   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.

Tempted to buy a diamond online? We get it. After all, isn’t it cheaper, with a bigger selection, where you can go at your own pace without being pressured and intimidated by an icky salesperson who wants to exploit your ignorance and swindle you into a bad decision? That’s the narrative. But is any of that really true? Actually, some of it, yes. But some of it, no. Come on inside as we do our best to help you make sense of whether you should buy a diamond online.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.[Premiere Date: Monday, February 10, 2020]

Do you like documentation? Are you militant about millimeters? Do you prefer paperwork that displays metrics out to the thousandth decimal? Then you’ll love this episode on Grading Reports, because nothing says I love you like math. Truth is though, when it comes to diamonds, you deserve to have confidence in exactly what you’re buying. We kick off Season 2 with a surprisingly entertaining conversation on grading reports, what they are, and why you should care.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. [Premiere Date: Monday, January 13, 2020]

Float around the Internet for 5 minutes, and you’ll be bashed with snarky posts, sarcastic memes, and cynical threads about diamonds. The most popular attack? That diamonds are worthless. It’s all a scam. They have no real value. It’s all just marketing hype. But…is any of that really true? In our Season 1 finale, Carter and Josh have a blunt and sometimes surprising conversation about the value of diamonds and whether the whole thing is just manufactured smoke and mirrors. If you’re on the fence about diamonds, this episode is for you.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. [Premiere Date: Monday, December 16, 2019]

After discussing which gemstones to avoid as the center stone in your engagement ring if you don’t want a diamond, we shift into positive gear and spread the good news about which gemstones you should choose. As with the ones to avoid, most of it centers around hardness and toughness factors, but we also tell jokes and come up with the greatest jewelry pickup line of all time. It’s our rundown of the Top 3 gemstones to choose if you don’t want a diamond, on 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. [Premiere Date: Monday, December 9, 2019]

We love diamonds around here, but…we also realize that, for various reasons, not everyone wants a diamond in their engagement ring. Maybe you are that person. And that’s perfectly fine. But if you’re gonna go with an alternative gemstone, there are some that we strongly suggest you skip. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a bad time. In this episode, we rundown the Top 3 gemstones to avoid if you don’t want a diamond. 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.[Premiere Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2019] 

Today we conclude our conversation on the 4C’s as Carter goes into thrilling detail about Carat and Cut. When you think Carat, do you think size? If so, you'd be wrong. Find out why. Mostly though, this episode is about Cut because Carter believes Cut is by far the single most important of the 4C's, and that you always should prioritize Cut when spending your money. Josh makes him defend that position, so take a listen and see if his argument is persuasive. If you’re shopping for a diamond, this is the episode you don’t wanna miss. It’s the pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make diamond engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun…this is the CarterCast. Live from Jack Lewis Jewelers in beautiful Bloomington, IL. [Premiere Date: Monday, November 25, 2019]

Today we dive into the 4C’s as Carter tries to sell Josh a diamond. Even if you don’t know a thing about diamonds, you’ve probably heard of the 4C’s, or at least seen them come up when you Googled diamonds for the first time. But what are they? And are they really that important? In part 1 of our conversation, Carter talks about the first 2 C’s: Color and Clarity, the extent to which each one matters, and why smart shoppers know these are the areas where you can save a little money. After this episode, that smart shopper will be you. It’s the pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make diamond engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun…this is the CarterCast. Live from Jack Lewis Jewelers in Bloomington, IL. [Premiere Date: Monday, November 18, 2019]

The pre-proposal show for dating couples designed to make diamond engagement ring shopping easy, understandable, and fun. This is the CarterCast. Live from Jack Lewis Jewelers in beautiful Bloomington, IL, the star of the show is Jack Lewis Jewelers CEO John Carter, and along with host Joshua Shull, the series premiere gives you lots of typical first episode things like introductions, upcoming episode previews, and harsh awkward jokes at the other’s expense. Primarily, you’ll learn what this is, who it’s for, why it exists, and why –if you’re a dating couple starting to think about engagement rings- you need this show, because it’s been designed with you in mind. [Premiere Date: Monday, November 11, 2019]