The Diamond Alternative


Man Made Diamonds Moissanite Diamonds Gemstone Engagement Rings

Thanks to the commercialization of the diamond and wedding industries, the diamond has become a “symbol” of love and marriage. This puts an unfortunate amount of unnecessary stress and pressure on couples who may be under budget restrictions. However with the growing awareness of conflict diamonds, many people are turning away from diamonds in favor of human friendly stones. This demand inspired scientists to research methods to grow a more believable alternative to the diamond.

Although the first man made gemstone was created well over one hundred years ago, it hasn’t been until the last decade that the stigma of wearing synthetic diamonds or other diamond alternatives became socially acceptable to wear. When it comes to the man made diamond alternative – there are two distinct categories; the synthetic and the simulant.


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When we decided to get engaged, we felt pretty torn on what type of ring to get. Of course, a traditional diamond was at the top of our list, but we didn’t like the idea of potentially purchasing a conflict or “blood” diamond. We came across your website and the information here pointed us in the right direction. We had no idea that there were so many great man made and synthetic diamond options out there! We found the perfect diamond alternative! Thanks again for all your help! Jeff & Nina W – Dallas, Tx


Synthetic gemstones have the same chemical make up as their natural counterparts, and for the most part, they also have the same optical properties and crystal structure as the real thing. A synthetic gemstone will be identical to its natural counterpart in nearly every way possible, but it can differ in properties. So ultimately the real difference between synthetic and natural gemstones is just that – one is formed in the lab and the other is formed in nature.

Simulants are any stone that have the appearance of another. A nicely cut piece of glass could be considered a diamond simulant. When purchasing a simulant over a synthetic stone it’s important to be aware of what material was used to create the simulant. But don’t let that turn you off from diamond simulants. Moissanite is a widely acclaimed diamond simulant – just as Diamonique is a very popular synthetic diamond.