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"Cultured" Diamonds


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I am not speaking of Cubic Zirconia, but of true synthetic diamonds. Is there a taboo to use these in wedding rings? Would you women be pissed if you found out?

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I'd be pissed off if someone told me it was a diamond when it wasn't.

Why lie about it?

 

My ex husband spent $5,000 on a ring.. I insisted we take it back (too expensive a gesture) I got a small, subtle $600 ring and he bought a big screen TV. I loved that TV.

 

I don't care about the ring. Don't lie about it though.

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If it's being passed off as a natural diamond, then yes, I would be pissed off. If the person were upfront about it being a synthetic diamond, then it's all good. There are more than enough people who have ethics issues with natural diamonds, although Canadian diamonds don't have the same issues.

 

The lying or lying by omission would be the problem, rather than the item itself.

 

I will be honest though. If the guy can afford a natural diamond but has opted to buy a synthetic diamond for price alone, I would consider him cheap.

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It's my understanding that the lab-created diamonds only come in pink, yellow and blue so far. A lot of women wouldn't want those colors, although some might.

 

But, she'd notice that it wasn't clear, and she'd ask, and if you lie, well, that would suck.

 

If you want to go that route, discuss it with her first. It's her opinion that matters, not ours.

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I will be honest though. If the guy can afford a natural diamond but has opted to buy a synthetic diamond for price alone, I would consider him cheap.

 

What if he had a specific budget, would you rather have a larger synthetic?

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It's my understanding that the lab-created diamonds only come in pink, yellow and blue so far. A lot of women wouldn't want those colors, although some might.

 

I haven't delved to deeply, but there are definitely a few companies that provide colorless synthetic diamonds.

 

If you want to go that route, discuss it with her first. It's her opinion that matters, not ours.

 

Hah! Thanks for the unintentional compliment. Marriage is not in my near future, but maybe that's because I am using a synthetic crystal ball.

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What if he had a specific budget, would you rather have a larger synthetic?

I'm not interested in "larger" anything. It's whatever he can reasonably afford.

 

Let's say he's very wealthy. If he budgets $200 for a synthetic ring, I would consider him cheap.

 

Let's say he makes minimum wage. If he budgets $200 for a synthetic ring and is upfront about it, it would be a wonderful gesture.

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What if he had a specific budget, would you rather have a larger synthetic?

 

I would. Isn't the chemical makeup of a synthetic diamond exactly the same as a natural one?

 

Anyway, I would discuss it with her first. One of the first arguments my H and I had was over this very (similar anyway) issue. He wanted to buy me a natural diamond. I wanted no part of it. It's a foolish way to spend money in my opinion.

 

Guess what we did with the money we saved on the ring? We went on a fabulous European honeymoon covering 3 countries. Now THAT was worth the money. Priceless....

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It's whatever he can reasonably afford.

 

OK then let's say he can reasonably afford a $5000 synthetic or a $5000 natural with no difference in size, but maybe clarity. Would you rather have the stone with more "fire"? ;)

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I would. Isn't the chemical makeup of a synthetic diamond exactly the same as a natural one?

 

Yep, the same element(s) and lattice structure.

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OK then let's say he can reasonably afford a $5000 synthetic or a $5000 natural with no difference in size, but maybe clarity. Would you rather have the stone with more "fire"? ;)

My personal preference would be for a natural Canadian diamond. And yes, realistically speaking, this would be much smaller than the synthetic diamond of the same price.

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Yep, the same element(s) and lattice structure.

 

I know. That's why I don't get why people don't think they're "real" or that they're "fake." I guess it's just ignorance since they're anything but.

 

But yeah, I'd go with the clearer and larger synthetic over the smaller and cloudier "natural" diamond, given a choice. No contest.

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My personal preference would be for a natural Canadian diamond. And yes, realistically speaking, this would be much smaller than the synthetic diamond of the same price.

 

 

Where are our diamond mines???:D

 

Personally- I would love a funky ring with a coloured stone.

The ring is meaningless to me in terms of cost. I'd prefer cool over cost.

It could be $300 or under, I wouldn't care.

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OK then let's say he can reasonably afford a $5000 synthetic or a $5000 natural with no difference in size, but maybe clarity. Would you rather have the stone with more "fire"? ;)

 

I think you should talk to your intended.

 

There are women who absolutely do not want a diamond and others that must have one.

 

Some would be okay with a free trade diamond. I think that is what TBF is alluding to? Some would feel bad about having an African diamond because of the treatment of the mine workers. Other's wouldn't care.

 

Then there are some who would prefer a different stone altogether, or no stone.

 

Talk to your girl about the stone, different types of diamonds and cut. Note her preference in setting (white gold or yellow?). Or, if you don't want ask directly, enlist the help of her girlfriend, sister or Mom.

 

Good luck.

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Where are our diamond mines???:D

 

Personally- I would love a funky ring with a coloured stone.

The ring is meaningless to me in terms of cost. I'd prefer cool over cost.

It could be $300 or under, I wouldn't care.

They're mined from the Canadian Arctic, within our environmental guidelines! :)

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Cultured, Color, Natural, Fire, Size...it is all a matter of preference, and of course budget. But here are a few tips:

 

You say "if she found out" - you have to tell her what it is. If she finds out later (and she will ) she will have been duped. She will find out when she stops at a jeweler to have a prong repaired, to have it cleaned, or to have it appraised for whatever reason. She will find out!

 

Next, if it is a matter of wanting more bling for your buck, especially regarding size - it is very tempting to go for a larger but cultured stone. The thing is this - when your average woman ,driving a small domestic sedan, wearing non designer clothes , etc. shows up with a 4 KT ROCK it has fake written all over it. Just the way it is. Your "bling" could end up embarassing/tacky if you take it too far. Get it? The rest of the lifestyle has to match a bit.

 

Last - a great way to get a nice diamond for a lowq price is to buy used.

The price you pay for a new diamond is NO reflection of its value. A used stone will have a more realistic price and for the same money be twice as nice and have twice the clarity.

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Great post 2sure.

 

I also have to say you were right on about the size. I didn't choose the biggest we could afford. It would have been ridiculous on me. My hands are pretty small. I chose a size that not only fit my hand but represented what my husband could have afforded in a natural diamond (had I let him spend that kind of money.) So yes, great point.

 

I laugh because sometimes I'll see a cashier (not that there's anything wrong with being a cashier) with a 5 carat "diamond". It's just funny to me. But then, maybe she has to work as a cashier BECAUSE of the 5 carat REAL diamond!:laugh:

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Yep, the trick to any knock off is to go subtle. LOL. Except boobs of course.

 

Boobs? Uhm..okaaayyyy.:laugh:

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I've been seriously considering a cultured diamond engagement ring, My fiance wants to get me another one because we were kids when he got me the 1/2 carat ring I have now. He seems to think I need a bigger one as some announcement of how great a provider he is... archaic huh? lol.

 

Anyways, I really have seen a lot of moisanite (sp?) which is not as hard and clear as natural diamonds and they my chip and crack and discolor into yellow-greenish tint. NO THANKS.

 

The best retailer I've found is diamondnexuslabs.com On their Signature created diamond they have a certificate and laser engraving. And they have a really good guarantee against chips, cracks, discoloration, etc. And if you lose the stone they'll replace it.

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I've been seriously considering a cultured diamond engagement ring, My fiance wants to get me another one because we were kids when he got me the 1/2 carat ring I have now. He seems to think I need a bigger one as some announcement of how great a provider he is... archaic huh? lol.

 

Anyways, I really have seen a lot of moisanite (sp?) which is not as hard and clear as natural diamonds and they my chip and crack and discolor into yellow-greenish tint. NO THANKS.

 

The best retailer I've found is diamondnexuslabs.com On their Signature created diamond they have a certificate and laser engraving. And they have a really good guarantee against chips, cracks, discoloration, etc. And if you lose the stone they'll replace it.

 

Diamond Nexus sells CZ.

 

Synthetic diamonds are very expensive, in the thousands of dollars. They are selling their stones for much less. They've been proven to be CZ and if you read their site carefully, you'll see that they admit it. Diamonds are carbon. Anything else, and it's not a diamond. They admit they have the CZ elements, plus some others.

 

Or Google Diamond Nexus and fraud.

 

There's nothing wrong with them if you want expensive CZ. But if you want a synthetic diamond, a diamond actually created out of carbon in a lab rather than mined, that's not what they're selling.

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It appears your husband wants to buy you something as a reflection on him. Isn't the 1/2 carat enough, since it was given with love? Adding a larger cubic zirconia is just to impress the Joneses. Why not have him get you a pendant or earrings, instead, if he wants to impress the Joneses?

 

For some people, they don't care about natural diamonds. For others, they do. It's like the difference between someone who prefers a VVS1 clarity, over an I3. Since it can't be seen by the naked eye, some don't care and prefer to get more bling for the buck, while others are happy with a smaller diamond with more clarity. Each to their own.

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I think its enough... but yes, he wants it to be impressive. I wasn't aware Diamond Nexus was CZ... I was most attracted to the guarantee to be honest... I was looking on ebay and didn't find anything trustworthy.

 

I thought "cultured" diamonds couldn't get very big? no more than .25 carats or so for clear ones? Does anyone know what lab makes them bigger?

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I was actually going to order with Diamond Nexus until I saw this thread! Since then I did a ton of research and it's true that the business is a complete scam. They are seriously over pricing their products. They really should not be sleeping at night.

 

I think I'll just have my boyfriend put a twist tie on my finger. I just want a commitment and a life with him after all!

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It's just an overpriced piece of stone. Why care about it so much? If your fiance only worries about what kind of diamond she gets, then you'd better not get married.

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