It seems nearly impossible to watch TV or open a newspaper
without seeing something about man-made diamonds. For hundreds
of years science has tried to create a perfect synthetic diamond.
Finally, 21st-century technology has made that prospect a
reality.
There are many reasons to purchase synthetic diamonds instead of
the mined variety. The prices charged for mined diamonds are, in
the very best verbiage, an illusion. To put it more bluntly,
Cecil Adams, in his award-winning newspaper column "The Straight
Dope" says: "Diamonds are a con, pure and simple." Diamond prices
are largely controlled by the DeBeers diamond cartel, and they
are not a fair reflection of diamond scarcity. Additionally,
studies show that one out of three diamonds sold in the US today
has been altered to artificially increase its value. Further
studies have shown that on average a couple pays 40% too much
for their diamond engagement ring.
Beyond deceptive pricing, there are the issues of "blood
diamonds", forced child labor, and a myriad of other disturbing
diamond facts.
Recently, socially conscious celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow,
Minnie Driver, and Angelina Jolie have made a vocal issue of
wearing only synthetic diamonds to the many gala events they
attend.
Good synthetic diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the
mined variety, but without the baggage, and additionally, they
cost thousands of dollars less. But, which synthetic diamond is
the best choice?
There are many types of man-made or synthetic diamonds available.
The choices are numerous, but unbiased information is scarce.
Here is an overview and comparison of the synthetic diamonds
currently unavailable on the market:
Cubic Zirconia
The grandfather of simulated diamonds, Zircons are available
widely. In their best examples, CZ’s are actually a fairly
decent diamond replica. Unfortunately, the commodity-like
availability and vast differences in quality have made the stone
synonymous with low-cost fashion jewelry. Perhaps a good choice
for cheap bling, but not for fine jewelry. Many sources are
available, a decent one is: http://www.czfantasy.com
Russian Diamonds
Including Russian Brilliants, Russian Stars and others, they are
in fact nothing but high quality cubic zirconias. This is not
mentioned prominently on their web sites and they will only cop
to it when pressed, but that is the fact. Russian diamond
simulates are priced around $280 per carat.
Russian Diamonds are a fine jewelry selection and are usually
mounted in quality precious metal settings.
Russian Brilliants are one of the best and oldest sellers of
"Russian Diamonds" available at: http://www.russianbrilliants.net
Moissanite
Moissanite is a lab-created mineral that is a very good diamond
stimulant. Moissanite has been on the market as a fine jewelry
choice since the early 90s and has picked up quite a few fans.
Moissanite is a hard mineral that, like diamond, will cut glass.
There are a couple of minor downsides to moissanite however.
First, it is quite expensive, (though still cheap compared to
diamonds) usually priced about $500 per carat for good samples.
Secondly, moissanite does not have the same optical qualities as
diamond and there are several indicators that make them easy to
spot with the naked eye for an experienced practitioner. It is
difficult to produce a pure white moissanite and they often
appear slightly green when viewed in natural light. Also,
moissanite has significantly higher radiance and brilliance
factors then natural diamond, causing them to appear "too
sparkly" to some. Overall though, moissanite is a beautiful
synthetic diamond choice.
"Moissanite From the Sky" at http://www.fromthesky.com is a good
source of fine moissanite jewelry.
Diamond Nexus
Diamond Nexus gemstones are the result of a fairly new scientific
advancement in processing technique, and have only recently been
available in the United States.
Diamond Nexus gemstones are excellent diamond stimulants and come
very close to matching the properties of mined diamonds at many
different comparison points. They cut glass, being virtually
identical to diamond on the Mohs (hardness) scale. They refract
perfect "hearts and arrows" and have radiance and brilliance
readings extremely close to flawless diamond.
Best of all, they are currently introductory priced for the
U.S. market, and are a steal at $79 per caret. Diamond Nexus
gemstones are only available in precious metal, solid-gold
settings.
Diamond Nexus is only available from Diamond Nexus Labs at:
http://www.DiamondNexusLabs.com
White Sapphire
Sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral on the Mohs scale,
surpassed only by diamond. They are, unlike the others in this
review, a natural stone. Their radiance and brilliance are not up
to the standards of diamond however. Nevertheless, quality white
sapphires priced at around $220 per carat are a good diamond
alternative.
A quality source is: http://www.TheNaturalSapphireCompany.com
Gemisis Cultured Diamond
Gemisis diamonds are beautiful and almost perfect diamond
replicas. Unfortunately, they are not available in a clear, white
color, so they are not a good choice for traditional diamond
settings. However, if a yellow, orange or pink diamond is what
you crave, Gemisis offers stunning choices in beautiful precious
metal, fine-jewelry settings.
Gemisis Cultured Diamonds are only available at:
http://www.gemisis.com
Recap:
Synthetic diamonds offer many advantages over the mined variety.
You can buy with confidence, knowing that you are getting exactly
what you paid for, and have not been the victim of diamond
pricing chicanery. If you are concerned with the world around
you, you can have a clear conscience, knowing that your money
has not contributed to the support of an unethical and abusive
industry.
However, there are many choices of synthetic diamonds, with
varying degrees of quality. Take a little time to review the
seller’s information to get a clear idea of what the science is
behind the gemstones you are buying.
For my money, I believe the best choices are quality Moissanite
stones or the new diamond stimulant gemstones available from
Diamond Nexus Labs.
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