A diamond is a girl’s best friend…. unless it’s not!



Yes, in the year 2020 the Diamond market is being flooded by ‘Lab Grown’ and ‘Simulant’ diamonds.

Is this a good thing?

It depends on who you ask.

I heard my first commercial on the radio for lab grown diamonds the other day, and it made me cringe to think about all of the people being manhandled by marketing gurus and salespeople. 30-40% larger for the same price. Rare. (Really?!) Guaranteed conflict free. It’s the same stone. (What!?!) I went to their website and was amazed by the marketing jargon to make any consumer swoon.

So I thought I'd pop in here to help clarify some information.

C o n s u m e r   B e w a r e !

If you are in the market for diamonds, as the old adage says,

“Know Your Jeweler if You Don’t Know Diamonds.”

It’s always wise to buy from and work with a reputable and trustworthy jeweler.

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What are we looking at?
Here’s a very simplified round up of your choices.

Real or natural earth mined diamonds are one of nature’s most amazing wonders! Known for their brilliance, sparkle and vibrancy, they have proven to be the top choice when it comes to showing affections and love in the guise of jewelry. Formed over millions of years under extreme heat and pressure, deep within the earth from the element carbon with touches of nitrogen, only a rare few make it into the jewelry industry, and of those who do make it, most are now being mined ethically and sustainably. Natural diamonds have been proven to keep their worth as well as their sentiment.

Whether a traditional brilliant cut or old mine cut, to the more modern rose cut salt and pepper and opalescent diamonds, they are available in almost every shape, cut and color to accentuate your style and are the best investment in love and value.

Lab grown diamonds are being manufactured en masse in very different conditions for industrial and technology trades as well as the jewelry trade, using a vast amount of energy to create them. And where does that energy come from? And, where does it go? Hhmm, dichotomy?

These man-made diamonds also have a slightly different growth structure and atomic level defects and can be distinguished by these characteristics with a trained eye, yet they have the same chemical properties, except for nitrogen. Faceted lab grown diamonds can look exactly the same as a natural diamond, sometimes even to an expert eye. If there is ever any question, make sure it is properly tested by a certified gemological lab (like the Gemological Institute of America Inc.) for proper identification.

Can it then be guaranteed that lab grown diamonds will keep their worth? Currently they have very resale value and as the market is flooded with more, as it has been proven to happen with other man-made products, their worth will continue to decrease as the amount of energy used to create them increases.

Cubic zirconia on the other hand has been around for awhile and is fairly well known. It’s a synthesized (man-made) crystalline diamond simulant mineral that is colorless, hard, and flawless. It was developed as a highly cost effective imitation for diamonds and they do not not test positive as a diamond.

Since natural Moissanite is quite rare, most of the Moissanite today is a lab created silicon carbide created to look like diamonds. It is another man-made, yet cost effective substitute for diamonds and does not test positive as a diamond. However, again, their creation consumes a vast amount of energy and is not as green as it has been lauded.

So what does this mean for you?

Be careful of marketing jargon and sales pitches.
As you might notice from the images above, with the naked eye, it's truly difficult to see a difference between the cut 'diamonds'.

If it's a colorless (or in some cases colored) stone, it does not mean it's a diamond.
If you are in the market for any diamond, please work with reputable jeweler. We have amazing vendors who specialize in real diamonds, either re-purposed old mine cuts or newer cuts with great brilliance and many price ranges. And, most who I work with are conscientious and practice ethical sourcing where they can.

If you are looking at a lab grown diamond, please note that the value of the stone today, might not be the value of the stone tomorrow as the market becomes saturated.

Have questions, concerns, need more information? I’m happy to help.

All opinions in this blog are mine.



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Do you desire a custom piece of jewelry designed exclusively for you?

Let's go on a bespoke jewelry journey together. Email me direct or call me at 540.524.2764 to discuss what you have in mind.

www.sarahmuse.com