Diamond Dilemma — to Buy or is There an Alternative?

Valentine's day is just around the corner with heart-shaped postcards and sweets in every shop window. But for those who plan to engage this day (this is the most popular day for such an event), there can be some worries about – an engagement ring. Traditionally, it is a diamond ring and if you are still thinking of making a proposal, it can hit your pocket greatly. But are there alternative options that would cost less? Continue reading to find that!

1. A ring with a heirloom diamond. Diamonds are everlasting and they are known as handed-down things in many families. So if you have such a diamond you can have it set into a vintage ring. It won't cost as much but this gift will indeed be priceless. It's like having a ring with its own history. There's a website “Turtle Love” offering vintage rings, so you can hunt for one if you want.

ManMadeLabDiamonds — Diamonds or Simulants?

There is always a misunderstanding between 'diamond simulants' and 'man made diamonds'. With this, some companies only obfuscate the situation instead of clarifying it. So when we come across new names of companies offering diamond jewelry, we believe it is our duty to make it clear are those diamonds real or not.

For the start, let's remind what man made diamonds are. You will find many names for man made diamonds: synthetic, lab grown, created and cultured diamonds. 

Though different, all of them characterize real diamonds created synthetically in the laboratory conditions. Notion of synthetic diamonds usually refers to diamonds aimed for industrial needs while the rest are normally associated with diamonds of jewelry quality. So, synthetic diamonds are 100% diamonds with a wide range of properties inherent to this solid stone. These diamonds shouldn't be mixed with diamond simulants, which only visually resemble diamonds when first seen. They are usually cubic zirconia or moissanite accurately treated to acquire diamond-like 'make-up'. Now let's get to ManMadeLabDiamonds.

Even though the name makes a customer think of real diamonds, as well as their high price looks persuasive, but the truth is that jewelry offered by ManMadeLabDiamonds is artificial. Though the gems are supposed to be of superior quality, they are simulants but not real diamonds. The company offers you to save money on diamond engagement ring but will that ring stand a test of time and last as long as your marriage?

When opting for man made diamonds, you will find they come with the certificate (on demand) confirming the diamond you have is real. This document is given by one of the world-known gemological institutions such as GIA, EGL or AGS. While buying artificial jewelry you get nothing but for a jewel.

So, be caution when buying 'man made' diamonds, not all of them are real diamonds and be it your first question to clarify are the jewelry you want to buy real or not.

Synthetic and Simulated Diamonds: Are They the Same?

Many people nowadays are turning from mined diamonds to cheaper alternative such as man made and simulated diamonds. But there can be a misunderstanding between these two terms, because they are not quite the same. To clear up the discrepancy, let's have a closer look at each of them.

Synthetic or man made diamonds are also known as created, cultured or laboratory grown diamonds. They are normally produced by two different ways: applying high temperature high pressure ( HTHP) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Regardless of the method you choose, the result is the same – the most solid material in the world known as diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are hard to differentiate from natural diamonds due to their similar properties, and they especially fit the buyers who are on a tight budget, because their price is far from being exorbinant. Apparently, a number of new-married couples would rather spring for a man made diamond ring and save for their honeymoon trip, than spend a huge amount of money on a ring only. The most known manufacturers producing these high-quality synthetic diamonds are Gemesis, New Age Diamonds, Apollo, Chatham and DNA2Diamonds. For mode detailed information about the price of created diamonds or find the answer to any other question you may have, you should better visit their official websites.

Simulated diamonds, or simulants, are not diamonds at all, so you should not mix these two seemingly alike notions. Moissanite and Cubic Zirconia are referred to this category of gems, but they are not as close to mined diamonds as lab-grown ones. Simulated diamonds lack all those unique properties natural diamonds are praised (and priced) for, including solidity, durability, fadeless and everlastingfeatures. The starting price for simulated diamonds can be as low as $10 only, thus they are normally associated with cheap junk jewelry rather than fine jewelry. However, CZ and Moissanite are nice for decorating your clothes, handbags or hairpins, where there is no need to use expensive natural or created diamonds, yet to have a nice shining effect.

Hope, this information gave you a clear idea about the discrepancy between simulated and lab-grown diamonds.

Real or Fake? - How to Identify REAL Diamond

Diamond is the most thought-after gem: so unique, amazing and long-lasting. To possess it one should pay a good deal of money. But there is always a risk to be cheated for there are enough fraudsters who would like to give fake diamond for real one in order to earn on you.

There are some tips that could be useful for your diamond jewelry shopping. They are easy-to-apply tips and there is no need to purchase special devices or something like that to identify real diamond. They are intent to help you check whether the diamonds offered to you are real or not.

One: This method works only with loose stones. Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a dot there. Place a stone table down on the top of the dot. If you can't see a dot through the stone (because the light inside is dispersed), then this stone is real diamond. In case a dot is visible through the stone, most likely you are holding cubic zirconia but not a real diamond.

Two: Breath on the stone to fog it up. It's like you would breath on the mirror. If the stone becomes clean instantly, this is a real diamond. One of the diamond properties is thermal conductivity, it means diamond disperses heat immediately. If the stone remains foggy for some time, this is cubic zirconia for sure.

Three: Use a loupe. You may ask a jeweler to give it to you for a minute and if the jeweler has nothing to hold back he will let you take it. This loupe may be useful for you to help you inspect the stone for little scratches or scuffs. If there are some, then it is a simulant. Don't forget that diamond is the most solid material in the world and can be scratched only by another diamond.

Four: Read through it. Take a newspaper and try to read it looking through the diamond. If you can do it, then you are dealing with a fake diamond. Real diamond disfigures the image and print so that it is impossible to see anything through the stone.

Five: Observe the setting if the stone is mounted. There are stamps inside the setting used to identify it. Diamond is an expensive gem and diamond jewelry is much more expensive due to the setting material: real gold or platinum of high quality like 18K gold and higher karat.

These are most common and simple ways to identify the stone. But you are also recommended to ask for a certificate. The latter should be issued by reputable gemological laboratories like GIA, EGL or AGSL. Or you can also find some reviews about the retailer you are going to buy diamonds at especially if you buy online. Though most of the diamond retailers are honest, still you will be more prepared with these five tips and have more chances to buy real diamonds.