Is It A Real Diamond?
By
Lesley-Ann Graham They say diamonds
are a girl's best friend and that it is the true symbol of love.
Their sparkle makes them absolutely attractive to the ladies. A
diamond takes time to form; and skill to shape and perfect -
just as relationships are. They say nothing compares to a
diamond. They are rare and precious gems.
But are you sure that what you gave your fiancé is really a
diamond? It may look like a diamond, shine like a diamond, yet
be anything but this costly gem. It may not even cost half of
what you paid for it.
There are now many imitation diamonds out in the market. It
is difficult to tell with the naked eye that the stone one is
holding is the real thing or not. They are usually very well
made. The best known imitation diamonds are moissanite and cubic
zirconia.
Moissanite is a synthetic gem. It is not a fake diamond at
all. It is a mineral that appears very similar to a diamond.
Moissanite is made in a laboratory using silicon carbide
crystals. They have a more brilliant shine than diamonds. They
are also less expensive, usually costing a mere 10th of the cost
of the real thing.
Moissanite was discovered in the late 1800's in Arizona, at
the bottom of a meteor crater. It wasn't until 1995 that it was
discovered that there was a way to make these stones into
jewelry. The process was perfected and cutting styles that would
allow the moissanite to truly sparkle were crafted.
Moissanite stones are popular with couples who are working on
a tight budget and want a ring with a bigger stone. That it
sparkles so beautifully is a plus in their book. It is also
pretty strong stone and is quite close to a diamond in hardness.
Buyers should know though that moissanite tends to have greenish
or grayish tint instead of being colorless.
Cubic Zirconia on the other hand was discovered in 1937 by
two German scientists. It is created by heating and combining
yttrium oxide and zirconium oxide in a complicated process
perfected in 1970. To the naked and untrained eye, it would be
difficult to distinguish a real diamond from a cubic zirconia
stone if the imitation piece is well cut.
The most famous name in the retail of cubic zirconia is
Swarovski and Co. Being less costly than the real gem; cubic
zirconia has been used by the wealthy, the elite and the
celebrities to decorate almost any fashion piece from jewelry to
bags to clothes. There's even a motorcycle encrusted with it
owned by socialite turned actress, Paris Hilton.
If you want to get a diamond and want to avoid purchasing an
imitation piece, you need to find yourself an honest jeweler.
You also need to learn the basics of buying a diamond (namely
the four C's - cut, clarity, color and carat). Best of all, make
sure that you get a certificate issued by the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA) identifying the uniqueness of your
diamond.
Will your fiancée mind if you gave her an imitation gem? Only
if you told her it was the real thing, would be our guess. After
all, everybody hates to learn that they have been deceived.
Better to let her make the choice and work within your budget.
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