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 simulant. 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 simulants 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 simulant gemstones available from Diamond Nexus Labs.

Gary La Court is a technical consultant, an expert in refractive dynamics and a frequent author. He has recently done research for several synthetic diamond manufacturers including http://www.DiamondNexusLabs.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_La_Court

We have a Choice?

Why have we been taught that a white diamond is our only choice? The reason we have not been told the complete story is because the large diamond cartels want people to buy white diamonds. Why do they want us to purchase white diamonds, you ask? Because white diamonds are more plentiful than fancy colored diamonds. This makes colored diamonds more rare. In regards to white diamonds, it means there are plenty to go around for everyone and the prices can be maintained in a stable but ever increasing range. More customers can then be serviced when enough supply exists to sell every man, woman and child in this world a diamond many times over.

Colored Diamond Supply:

In reality, there are far less “fancy” colored diamonds ever discovered in relation to white diamonds. Since colored diamonds in the hues that are the most desirable, are by far rarer than white diamonds, they could not possibly match the demand created for white diamonds. This is why you won’t see colored diamonds featured in much advertising. You will have to actively look for fancy colored diamonds, which by the way occur in yellow, blue, red, pink, orange, green, brown and just about any color imaginable. Diamonds exhibit more colors than any other gemstone, with over 300 colors having been identified so far. That is quite the spectrum!

Color and Scintillation:

Since diamonds give off more scintillation or “sparkle” than any other gemstone, colored diamonds can be quite spectacular. They easily out distance other colored gemstones when seen side by side. However, when nature introduces color into a diamond’s mix, it can decrease the “fire” seen in white diamonds since colorless diamonds can display all diffracted colors without masking any.

Popular Color Varieties:

Canary yellow diamonds have been a popular choice for those desiring the scintillating effects of a diamond but in a brilliant yellow color that will create quite an impression. Pink diamonds are also very popular, especially for those desiring a less traditional fancy colored diamond. Blue and red diamonds are also popular, although more rare and quite a bit more expensive. Green and brown diamonds are also in demand and can range from light to dark colors depending on the impurities making up their color.

If you are searching for a diamond that doesn’t fit the typical mold, then you may want to consider a fancy colored diamond. They are colorful, eye catching and combine the beauty, durability and rarity of a diamond with a person’s individuality. They are truly one of a kind gemstones. You might want to check out Spence Diamonds to see if they have some of these colored diamonds!

Chris Murphy is a freelance writer dedicated to writing articles of interest to his readers. For additional information on colored diamonds, please visit http://www.southafricanjewels.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Murphy