It seems almost impossible to watch television or open a newspaper without seeing something about man-made diamonds. For hundreds of years, science has tried to create the perfect synthetic diamond. Finally, 21st century technology has made that perspective a reality.
There are many reasons to buy synthetic diamonds instead of the mined variety. The prices charged for mined diamonds are, to the best of verbiage, wishful thinking. To put it bluntly, Cecil Adams, in his award-winning newspaper column “The Straight Dope,” says, “Diamonds are a scam, pure and simple.” Diamond prices are largely controlled by the DeBeers diamond cartel, and are not a true reflection of diamond scarcity. Additionally, studies show that one in three diamonds sold in the US today have been altered to artificially increase their value. Other studies have shown that, on average, a couple pays 40% more for their diamond engagement ring.
Beyond the deceptive prices, there are the problems of “blood diamonds,” forced child labor, and a myriad of other disturbing facts about diamonds.
Recently, socially conscious celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Minnie Driver, and Angelina Jolie have made a vocal theme of wearing only synthetic diamonds at the many black-tie events they attend.
Good synthetic diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the mined variety, without the baggage, and cost thousands of dollars less to boot. But which synthetic diamond is the best option?
There are many types of artificial or synthetic diamonds available. The options are numerous, but unbiased information is scarce. Here is an overview and comparison of synthetic diamonds that are not currently available on the market:
cubic zirconia
The grandfather of simulated diamonds, zircons are widely available. In their best examples, CZs are actually a pretty decent diamond replica. Unfortunately, commodity-like availability and vast differences in quality have made the stone synonymous with low-cost fashion jewelry. Maybe it’s a good choice for cheap jewelry, but not for fine jewelry. There are many sources available, a decent one is: http://www.czfantasy.com
russian diamonds
Including Russian Brilliants, Russian Stars and others, they are in fact nothing more than high-quality cubic zirconia. This is not prominently mentioned on their websites and they will only copy it when pressed, but that is the fact. Russian diamond simulations are priced at around $280 per carat.
Russian diamonds are a fine jewelry selection and are usually set in quality precious metal settings.
Russian Brilliants is one of the oldest and best sellers of “Russian Diamonds” available at: http://www.russianbrilliants.net
moissanite
Moissanite is a lab-created mineral that is a very good diamond simulant. Moissanite has been on the market as a fine jewelry option since the early 90’s and has gained quite a few admirers. Moissanite is a hard mineral that, like diamond, cuts glass. However, there are a couple of minor downsides to moissanite. First of all, it is quite expensive (although still cheap compared to diamonds) usually priced at around $500 per carat for good specimens.
Second, moissanite does not have the same optical qualities as diamond and there are several indicators that make it easy for an experienced practitioner to spot with the naked eye. It is difficult to produce a pure white moissanite, and they often appear slightly green when viewed in natural light. Additionally, moissanite has significantly higher luminosity and brilliance factors than natural diamond, making them appear “too bright” to some. In general though, moissanite is a beautiful synthetic diamond option.
“Moissanite From the Sky” at http://www.fromthesky.com is a good source for fine moissanite jewelry.
diamond nexus
Diamond Nexus gemstones are the result of a relatively new scientific advancement in processing technique and have only recently become available in the United States.
Diamond Nexus gemstones are excellent diamond simulants and come very close to the properties of mined diamonds on many different benchmarks. They cut glass, being virtually identical to diamond on the Mohs scale (hardness). They refract perfect “hearts and arrows” and have brilliance and brilliance readings extremely close to that of a flawless diamond.
Best of all, they are currently at an introductory price for the US market and are a steal at $79 per collation. Diamond Nexus gemstones are only available in solid gold and precious metal 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, second only to diamond. They are, unlike the others in this review, a natural stone. However, its brilliance and brilliance are not up to diamond standards. However, quality white sapphires priced 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 near perfect diamond replicas. Unfortunately, they are not available in a transparent white color, so they are not a good choice for traditional diamond settings. However, if it’s a yellow, orange or pink diamond you crave, Gemisis offers amazing options in beautiful precious metal settings and fine jewelry.
Gemisis Cultured Diamonds are only available at: http://www.gemisis.com
Summary:
Synthetic diamonds offer many advantages over the mined variety. You can shop with confidence, knowing that you are getting exactly what you paid for and that you have not been the victim of diamond price scams. If you care about the world around you, you can have a clear conscience knowing that your money has not contributed to the support of an abusive and unethical industry.
However, there are many options for synthetic diamonds, with varying degrees of quality. Take some time to review the seller’s information to get a clear idea of the science behind the gemstones he is purchasing.
For my money, I think the best options are quality Moissanite stones or the newer diamond-simulating gemstones available at Diamond Nexus Labs.