Synthetic Diamonds
It used to be that only real jewelry was valuable and that in order to feel special and privileged, one must wear a real diamond. However, with the controversy that has unfolded over conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds over the last decade, many people have felt more proud and confident to wear synthetic diamonds.
Synthetic diamonds are referred to as lab-created diamonds or manmade diamonds. One of the reasons why they are becoming more popular amongst people today is because recent lab technology has made synthetic diamonds appear real and exceptionally beautiful. Not only are they dazzling to the eye, but synthetic diamonds are a wonderful alternative to real diamonds because they are much lower in price. In fact, purchasing a well made synthetic diamond is almost impossible to distinguish between a real diamond.
Traditionally, people believed that if you bought a synthetic diamond, you couldn’t afford a real diamond. Yet with the public awareness of conflict diamonds, which fund the rebel troops of South African countries, many people are hesitant to purchase real diamonds despite their financial situation. Even with the Kimberly Process in place, which makes the selling of conflict diamonds illegal, many buyers find that they cannot be guaranteed that their diamond purchase is conflict-free since the origins are often unknown.
Even more encouraging is that many actresses including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow have been shown sporting around beautiful synthetic diamonds in order to raise awareness that they are a viable and safe alternative to purchasing real diamonds. Not only are you getting a beautiful piece of jewelry that is conflict-free, but many people are starting to see diamonds as being nothing more than a con to unsuspecting people.
For example, the prices of diamonds are controlled by diamond cartels and do not reflect the true value of the diamond itself. For this reason, people find themselves paying 40% more than what they should, primarily on such things as diamond engagement rings. In addition, studies show that one out of three diamonds in the United States has been altered in order to increase its value. This “value” however is only artificial to the eye and does not reflect the diamond’s true value.
There are many choices of synthetic diamonds on the market today, including cubic zirconia, moissanite and Russian diamonds. Keep in mind that while you can save thousands in purchasing a synthetic diamond, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to know.
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