learn me: real and manmade diamonds

I have been looking at diamonds lately.. and the more I look, the more I am confused.. on the manmade/labgrown/hybrid ones.

I know the natural ones are.. well.. diamonds. but both I and my GF are against them (the falsely inflated prices, the whole conflict stuff... whether you get them from a conflict area or not, they still drive the conflicts, plus manmade has the ability to be more perfect... and science!) but what are the differences from mined, vs the different types of non-mined, and alternative ones.

I know of labgrown (which are real diamonds, but not from a mine. cool, but still really expensive), I just recently heard of hybrid (where I guess the core is some crystal, and then it has a diamond "shell", and then there are the non-diamonds.. like white sapphires and cubic zirconium, and such.

so, really in looks, and staying shiny what are the differences? We (and I have to stress the we thing, because it isn't just that I am cheap) want the look, but don't want to buy a more expensive gem just so it can be real.. if we can get the same thing for less. (and that frees up more cashola for the racecar.)

so, oh great GRM: land of knowledge on all things... what are your opinions, experiences.. and most of: what knowledge can you give me on this stuff.

specifically these hybrid things. (example: http://www.miadonna.com/c-40-diamond-hybrids.aspx )

I just put a half carat diamond in my fiance's grandma's ring. I had them take the +2 carat cubic zirconium out. The few jewlers I took the ring to, recognized the cubic z for what it was without any magnification.

I would have no problem putting a man made or what ever into the ring, but I put a real one in because I didn't remember about the man mande ones until now.

They had to put the bezel in to hold the diamond: She loves it. But I probably could of put any shine thing in there and she would have been just as happy.

Funny you posted this, I was about to post a similar thread today. I will be tagging along!

CZ is dirt cheap, hard, and visually perfect. The whole hybrid/man-made thing is just a marketing ploy to avoid the "stigma" of CZ, and make a tidy profit doing so.

If you're not going to spring for a real diamond (and there is a huge range of prices, depending on color and clarity) then I'd opt for CZ and call it done.

The ring my wife wears has a .78 carat man made diamond in it. It will cut glass. It shines like, well, a diamond. I took it to Jareds to get it cleaned up and polished before our wedding and they had to really REALLY look at it to see that it was manmade. It is chemicaly and really a solid carbon diamond, just not naturally occouring. It's made by a company called Diamond Essence. Cost me a whopping $10. I told the wife about a year later and she said, "Whew, now I don't have to stress about it falling out." I'll have to search and find a good pic of her ring. It's tension set titanium with white gold and sterling silver mokume inlay.

Agree on the falling out worries. The wife has had this happen.

Another thing is theft when cleaning. It's pretty easy and a quick job for a jeweler to pull out the stone and swap in another. You won't notice likely, because it's all now sparkly.

Conquest351 wrote: The ring my wife wears has a .78 carat man made diamond in it. [...] Cost me a whopping $10. [..]

So I didn't need to spend [price redacted]!

I wish i had thought of this before i put a .78 natural diamond in SWMBO's ring...

RossD wrote:

Conquest351 wrote: The ring my wife wears has a .78 carat man made diamond in it. [...] Cost me a whopping $10. [..]

So I didn't need to spend [price redacted]!

Nope. Seriously, the jewler at Jareds was telling me about what a nice stone it was and I said, "It should be, it's man made". Then he REALLY started checking it. LOL Apparently what they do is get industrial grade diamond chips and put them in crucibles filled with graphite and smash them under extreme pressure and heat and poof diamond. It is chemicaly and physically identical to a naturally occouring diamond, but it was made in a lab. Not a CZ either. It's a diamond.

Re the falling out thing: Good grief! If your wife has a real diamond, get the thing insured. We pay an additional 50 a year on our homeowners policy and it covers against loss. Even if she loses the ring or the stone once every 75 years or so, I'm still coming out ahead!

1988RedT2 wrote: CZ is dirt cheap, hard, and visually perfect. The whole hybrid/man-made thing is just a marketing ploy to avoid the "stigma" of CZ, and make a tidy profit doing so. If you're not going to spring for a real diamond (and there is a huge range of prices, depending on color and clarity) then I'd opt for CZ and call it done.

This covers it. The synthetic ones are actually have a more perfect molecular structure than the natural ones, the diamond mining companies claim they can be told apart this way but they can't.

Pluses of buying synthetic include no worries about any conflict issues, not funding a monopolistic cartel, potentially bigger rock for the buck

GameboyRMH wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: CZ is dirt cheap, hard, and visually perfect. The whole hybrid/man-made thing is just a marketing ploy to avoid the "stigma" of CZ, and make a tidy profit doing so. If you're not going to spring for a real diamond (and there is a huge range of prices, depending on color and clarity) then I'd opt for CZ and call it done.

This covers it. The synthetic ones are actually have a more perfect molecular structure than the natural ones, the diamond mining companies claim they can be told apart this way but they can't. Pluses of buying synthetic include no worries about any conflict issues, not funding a monopolistic cartel, potentially bigger rock for the buck

well, they CAN tell.. unless you get a perfect mined diamond. becaused mined usually has tiny little flaws.

I got her a CZ ring awhile ago (and tell you what it is, GORGEOUS) the whole thing cost under 100 bucks.

the more and more I look, the more and more CZ, or hybrid are winning.. because many places are charging almost mined prices for manmade diamonds... and the cheaper places do not sell rings in her size (11.. she has big fingers.. and I like big butts, I cannot lie.)

I remember hearing that the man made ones need to have a ID number or something etched on the edge so that jewlers don't cheat you. Anyone hear this?

A quality cut job takes skill and time, thus $. Since few consumers are willing to pay good money for CZ's and other non-precious stones, they are not usually cut to the same standards as diamonds - which is a dead give-away. If you go this route, make sure to buy from a place that specializes in quality cut stones.

I'm all for boycotting the jewelry diamond cartel... as long as your mate is fine with it. Letting your wife assume that her fancy new ring is a real diamond is bound to bite you in the ass eventually.

RossD wrote: I remember hearing that the man made ones need to have a ID number or something etched on the edge so that jewlers don't cheat you. Anyone hear this?

Most non conflict diamonds have this ID system as well. My wife's came from Canada of all places.

If the synthetic stuff was available when we were looking we would have done that but it was more expensive at the time.

In reply to nderwater:

the manmade idea was hers, so I am golden.

Honestly though if your against diamond trade buy a NON Diamond. Like something that doesn't even look like a diamond. Most "people" who see your wifes ring will assume it's a diamond and think my what a good man you are for buying such a large/nice one. This will further the whole Diamond image.

Then again I often have a simple view on things.. This same logic is why I can't understand Fake meat products.. Why again is it that you don't like/have ethical issues with meat but you want your Vegetable mess to both look and taste as close as possible to meat?

In reply to nocones:

that is a good point, and one I tried to pursue.. but she wants it to LOOK like a diamond (appearances and all.. jeesh) so, at least I will not be putting money in the pockets of the conflict diamond traders.. directly.

personally, I don't even like jewelry much... but I gotta keep the woman happy, and any chance to save some cash while doing it.. I am all for.

foxtrapper wrote: Agree on the falling out worries. The wife has had this happen. Another thing is theft when cleaning. It's pretty easy and a quick job for a jeweler to pull out the stone and swap in another. You won't notice likely, because it's all now sparkly.

My wife inherited a few of her mother's "diamond rings". Turns out they were all fake. We don't know of the old man knew this or if they were changed out later during cleaning. I have very little trust of jewelers any more

nocones wrote: Why again is it that you don't like/have ethical issues with meat but you want your Vegetable mess to both look and taste as close as possible to meat?

I think this is a view taken more by corporations marketing "meat alternatives" than it is to practicing vegetarians. I've had dishes made with tempeh and seitan and neither the taste nor the appearance was much like meat.

But I digress...

Stauer-diamond aura

If I had to do it again it would be this.

Then again SWMBO picked the $35 ebay costume jewelry ring herself(platinum plated silver, artificial pink sapphire heart with CZ, because it looked like the ring from Sailor Moon)

And it's not like a real diamond is worth anything on the resale market. You can hardly give the things away

I know nothing about them, but I know a guy who is starting out in the business and is hungry. He needs the good PR and to enhance his reputation. Could there be someone like that near you?

I really like the betterthandiamond.com asha hearts and arrows.

carguy123 wrote: And it's not like a real diamond is worth anything on the resale market. You can hardly give the things away

This.

If a real diamond is so gosh-darned valuable and virtually indestructible, why are they worth so little one minute after you walk out of the store with it?

Because you paid a E36 M3-ton too damn much for it, that's why!