In general, most people love diamonds, but are deterred by the cost of owning them. The once popular synthetic cubic zirconia (CZ), an inexpensive option, is heavy and lacks the brilliance that makes diamonds so desirable. In large sizes, CZs don\’t even look real to the naked eye. How, then, can one purchase the fire and sparkle at a reasonable price? Lab-created gems have come of age. They are no longer poor substitutes for the real thing – they are the real thing. In fact, they go one step farther — these stones are flawless.

Cultured, or man-made, stones are the same carbon crystals with the same chemical, optical and physical properties as those stones that nature created in the underground mines throughout the world. Cultured stones offer the same brilliance, sparkle, fire and scintillation. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades the cultured gems by the same standards it uses for the mined ones, although its rating describes the stones as \”laboratory grown.\” In fact, the GIA acknowledges that these ARE diamonds, just man-made.

In nature, certain impurities will result in colored diamonds – nitrogen will create yellow, boron will create blue, and so forth. Because high quality colored stones are rare in nature, they are usually very expensive. In addition to being flawless, lab-created diamonds can easily be colored. The costs for these highly coveted colored stones is pretty comparable to the cost for colorless stones.

Similar to their natural counterparts, cultured diamonds can be purchased either loose, or already in jewelry settings. Most jewelry and department stores don\’t carry them, however. These stones have only just been introduced to the market, and still comprise only a small portion of the total diamond inventory out there.

Regarding lab produced diamonds, here are some differences you should know about: 1. Typically, cultured stones are 1-2 carats in weight. While larger stones are made, they are less available. 2. Most man-made stones are colored, rather than colorless. This is exactly the opposite of natural diamonds. 3. Only experts can utilize very expensive special equipment in order to detect cultured gems to differentiate them from natural ones. 4. Finding \”matched pairs\” of natural stones for use in jewelry has historically been difficult, and thus, expensive. It is far easier to find matching identical stones in cultured gems.

If you are concerned that someone may try to pass off a created diamond you are interested in purchasing as \”the real thing,\” rest assured that this scenario is not all that likely. Firstly, lab-grown diamond producers are very proud of the gems they are able to create. Secondly, cultured diamonds are absolutely genuine, not \”cheap\” imitations. Thirdly, the difference between natural and cultured is detectable. Finally, jewelers have every incentive to preserve the integrity of the natural diamond market. Thus, a jeweler will readily help you identify the stone in question.

The bottom line is you will be able to purchase more for less, but you are unlikely to be able to get lab-grown diamonds on a beer budget. You can expect to pay approximately one third less for lab produced stones than for those found in nature. Lab-produced stones are readily available via the internet, and openly advertise that these are \”synthetics.\” But, as with all internet purchases, be sure to check out the vendor as carefully as possible before you buy.

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