Man-Made Diamonds, A Buyer's Guide

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.

The Trouble With Moissanite

Natural mined diamonds have been coming under a lot of heat recently. Award-winning journalist Cecil Adams sums it up the best in a recent article: “diamonds are a scam, pure and simple.” Most people in the new millennium understand that between the DeBeers diamond cartel, the issue of child labor in Third World diamond processing operations, and “blood diamonds” used to finance oppression and genocide in Third World African countries, not to mention your snooty and pretentious local jeweler, diamonds are just not worth the hassle, guilt, and let’s not forget thousands and thousands of questionably spent dollars.

Lately, new synthetic diamonds have come on the market that have all of the look, appeal, and glittering beauty of natural diamonds, but without the baggage, and at a fraction of the cost.

Since moissanite burst upon the scene in the late 90s, it has created quite a stir. Moissanite is gem-quality silicon carbide. The production of moissanite is a proprietary process and it is available only from C3 Inc, a division of Cree Research.

When moissanite was first introduced to the market it created a great deal of publicity. This was due to the fact that moissanite would often fool a jeweler into thinking it was a natural diamond. Both the Nova and 20/20 TV news shows did segments featuring hidden cameras showing jewelers fooled and embarrassed by moissanite. What was actually happening though was not quite so simple.

Jewelers generally rely on something called a “thermal-probe” to detect a fake diamond. Thermal probes work well with cubic zirconia, for instance. Moissanite, however, has a thermal conductivity that is very close to diamond. They were able to fool the older thermal probes. The fact of the matter is though; moissanite really just does not look that much like diamond. The two substances have radically different optical properties. These differences are clearly visible to the naked eye. It was obvious in both the Nova and 20/20 segments that the jewelers were clearly confused. They kept looking at the stone and then testing at and saying things like, “Well, I guess it must be real.” What they were really saying is “Well, I guess it must be real, but it sure is a weird looking diamond!”

Problems with Moissanite as a Diamond Stimulant

Anisotropy

Unlike natural diamonds, or some of the better quality synthetic diamonds like those available from Diamond Nexus Labs, (http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com) moissanite stones have an optical quality known as “hexagonal polytypic.” What this means is that moissanite is doubly-refractive. And because of this they create a strong visual effect known as “birefringence.” This is visually seen as a doubling of the stone’s back facets that creates a marked “drunk-vision” effect.

Dispersion

Moissanite has a dispersive power nearly 2.5 times greater than that of diamond. This creates what’s known as the “disco-ball” effect. Some think that this excess fire is beautiful; others think it cheap and fake looking.

Color

It is impossible to produce a pure white moissanite. The stones have a quality known as “fluorescence” that causes them to appear slightly green or gray. This effect is much greater under natural light. In the jewelry store a moissanite dealer will always show the stones under a pink tinged light, as this tends to cancel out the fluorescence. Many people say they loved their moissanite ring until they got it into the sunlight.

Cost

Due to its relatively extensive manufacturing process and the fact that it is only available from one source, moissanite tends to be quite expensive (though still cheap when compared to diamonds) good quality moissanite stones run around $520 per caret.

Better Synthetic Diamond Alternatives

In the last two years there have been almost miraculous breakthroughs in the science of synthetic diamond creation. There are several new processes that create gemstones that are virtually indistinguishable from natural diamonds. One of the best I have found are the gemstones available from www.DiamondNexusLabs.com. I recently did independent research for several synthetic diamond companies and found their products to be among the best.

Diamond Nexus gemstones cut glass, they have brilliance, dispersion and radiance factors that are very close to mined diamond, and best of all, as they are new in the US market, they are priced at an incredible $79 per caret. This is a bargain that probably will not last.

Conclusion

Moissanite stones are beautiful in their own right. They offer great sparkle and flash. However, if you truly are trying to purchase a gemstone that comes as close as possible to the properties of a natural diamond moissanite is not the best choice

Iced Out Watches: The Fad Of Diamonds

Okay, let’s start with the basics. Iced out watches are watches that are gleaming with awesome sparkle from diamonds. They are often some of the most sought out in the hip hop fashion world. In today’s markets, there are all sorts of designs and features offered in iced out styles. There is no doubt that those who are after an iced out look can find it available to them right on the web. Let’s talk about iced out watches though.

Iced out watches are encrusted with gorgeous diamonds. They are literally lined with them. But, don’t worry. The watches that you see in your favorite videos and on your favorite stars are probably real, but you can get the same look for much less. That means that anyone that is looking for iced out watches can have them. They look just as cool, shine just as bright but they are easier on the wallet.

That is where it all started. The hip hop artists are known for wearing some of the most outrageous designs, jewelry and clothing. It is through their videos and their appearances that hip hop clothing got its name. What is good for you, though, is that these looks can be yours without all that much work.

Throughout the web, you are going to find a wide selection of awesome looking iced out watches. They glare with bling bling fashion. They gleam with bright light. And, they are designed in the most popular hip hop styles. Need something specific? Go ahead and have it custom made. Want something that says just what you are all about? You will find it. There are some excellent websites online right now where you can easily purchase the iced out watches that you have been waiting for. They are offered in just the look you want, to look just like what your favorite hip hop artist is wearing. Stop watching it happen on the television and get with it! Iced out watches are only the start of what you can own, at awesome prices on the web.