Man Made Diamonds

Man made diamonds can be an affordable alternative for couples who just can’t find the right diamond they’re for an engagement ring that fits their budget.

Artificial stones are just as lovely as natural diamonds.

What is Man Made?

There are many words used to describe man made gemstones: artificial, simulated, lab created, hybrid, cultured, and fake are just a few of the more popular names. Unfortunately, these types of stones have developed the undeserved reputation of being poor quality look-a-likes, when in fact they can be stunning gems that offer many benefits to consumers.

Stone Quality

When judging diamond quality, the four Cs are the most critical characteristics that determine a stone’s value. Man made gemstones are judged by those same characteristics, and many man made diamonds have similar if not superior quality ratings when compared to natural gems. This is because when artificial diamonds are created in a laboratory setting, they are formed under precisely controlled and carefully monitored conditions. Natural diamonds, however, are subject to the chemical impurities present in nature as well as the geological forces that can disrupt crystal formation and result in diamond flaws and inclusions. Man made stones do not have those problems and can often be created as colorless, flawless gems.

Not all man made gems are equivalent to diamonds, however. Consumers must take great care that the artificial stones they purchase have the identical chemical, optical, and crystalline properties to natural diamonds. Other stones such as cubic zirconia and moissanite, while stunningly beautiful in their own right, may be passed off as artificial diamonds when they actually have subtly different properties that label them as different stones.

Benefits of Man Made Gems

There are many benefits to choosing man made stones for an engagement ring design.

• Cost: Natural diamonds that are large enough and fine enough to be used in jewelry are exceedingly rare and therefore very expensive. Depending on the manufacturer and diamond characteristics, man made stones may be as cheap as one-tenth or one-hundredth the cost of a comparable natural diamond.
• Rarity: While artificial gems are becoming more popular, many manufacturers are using diamond synthesis technology to create rare types of stones, such as yellow diamonds or other colored diamonds for far more affordable prices than true natural gems.
• Quality: The colorless, flawless nature of man made diamonds makes them highly desirable for elaborate jewelry.
• Ethics: Because man made stones are carefully manufactured and rigorously certified, there is no risk of purchasing a blood diamond or conflict diamond when couples choose a manufactured stone.
• Environmental Responsibility: Artificial stones are more environmentally friendly because there is no strip mining or other questionable practices necessary to find the gem. Furthermore, lab created gems typically travel a shorter distance from their place of manufacture, therefore reducing the carbon emissions necessary to bring the stone to a bride-to-be’s finger.

Making Man Made Diamonds

There are two basic techniques to manufacture diamonds in a lab, though individual companies often have their own patented processes that adapt these techniques to their needs.

• High Pressure High Temperature Creation: This method of creating diamonds involves supplying a carbon source and compressing it under high pressure at the right temperature for diamond crystals to form. This brute force technique can create many industrial quality gems, though jewelry quality gems are more difficult to get without finer precision.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition: This more refined technique involves using a small diamond chip or other gemstone “seed” as a base to grow a new diamond as carbon is layered over the initial seed until the stone has grown to the desired size. The raw crystal is then cut and shaped to the client’s preferences.

Where to Find Artificial Diamonds

The love is always real.

Several companies today offer man made diamonds either directly to the consumer or through authorized jewelry retailers. The following manufacturers all have exquisite collections consumers can choose from:

• Diamond Nexus Labs
• Russian Brilliants
• Apollo Diamonds
• Gemesis
• LifeGem
• Better Than Diamond

When choosing a man made stone, consumers should carefully investigate the retailer and look for a company that offers full disclosure about its diamond creation practices to ensure the integrity of the purchase. Couples who understand how to spot a fake diamond may be able to evaluate some gems themselves, though many of these artificial stones require extensive scientific testing to determine their origins.

Man made diamonds are lovely gemstones that, to the naked eye, are often indistinguishable from natural diamonds. No matter whether diamonds are formed deep beneath the earth’s crust over millennia or deep within a laboratory setting over several days or weeks, the love and commitment these beautiful gems represent will last far beyond “I do.”

• Proper Wear of Wedding Rings
• 3 Stone Diamond Engagement Rings
• Am I Ready to Get Engaged
• What is the main gemstone in your engagement ring?
• How much did your engagement ring cost?

• Unique Engagement Rings
• Celebrity Engagement Rings
• Asscher Cut Engagement Rings
• Pave Setting Engagement Rings
• Engagement Ring Settings