The Language of Diamonds – Lab-Created, Synthetic and Simulated Diamonds – Which is Which? - blogzombie

The Language of Diamonds – Lab-Created, Synthetic and Simulated Diamonds – Which is Which?

Acquainting yourself with the jargon of diamonds and other gemstones can be a lifesaver when it’s time to do serious fine jewelry shopping. Most people are already somewhat acquainted with the 4Cs of diamonds (cut, clarity, color and carat) but a prospective fine jewelry shopper should also become familiar with the fine jewelry industry’s standard definitions where diamonds and other gemstones are concerned.

While it’s perfectly alright for the general population to interchange terms like synthetic diamond and simulated diamond without undue consequence, it is absolutely in your best interest as a fine jewelry shopper to make sure you clearly understand the different terms and definitions you’ll come across as you browse jewelry stores and shop for your next fine jewelry purchase.

A natural diamond is just what its name implies: It comes from the earth and has taken only Heaven knows how many years to form.

A lab-created diamond or synthetic diamond (the terms are interchangeable) is, in fact a real diamond, with all the physical and chemical characteristics of a natural diamond, only its creation has taken place in a lab. And, as with natural diamonds, there are different grades of lab-created/synthetic diamonds; one is not necessarily of higher quality than the other. A one-carat natural diamond can easily be of lesser value than a similarly sized lab-created diamond, if the lab-created diamond has better clarity and color and a higher quality cut.

Since a quality lab-created/synthetic diamond can have all the fire and brilliance of a natural diamond, the difference between the two when purchasing diamond jewelry is indiscernible. Only a trained gemologist would be able to tell the difference.

Simulated diamonds, on the other hand, are diamond imposters. And like imposters, some are very good and others just can’t quite pull it off. One of the most well-known diamond simulants is Cubic Zirconia (CZ). Cubic Zirconia is sparkling and can be quite beautifully used in jewelry settings, but it in no way, shape or form comes close to mimicking the sought-after qualities of a true diamond.

Cubic Zirconia is best used in costume jewelry and, as there are better quality diamond simulants on the market than CZ, you should steer clear of gemstone jewelry pieces that, say, pair up Cubic Zirconia with genuine rubies or other genuine gemstones. Simply put: Since CZ isn’t the top-of-the-line in diamond simulants, you can bet that the other genuine gemstones paired with it aren’t of fine quality either. Not that there’s anything wrong with purchasing beautiful Cubic Zirconia jewelry; and there are some beauties out there, certainly. The only ‘wrong’ would be if you purchased such jewelry under the mistaken impression it was something it’s not.

On the high end of diamond simulants is a material called Moissanite, created by Charles & Colvard, Ltd. of North Carolina. Such is the quality of Moissanite that you will find it nestled in 14k and 18k gold settings, cozying up next to sapphires and other genuine gemstones. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission warns that some thermal testers used to differentiate Cubic Zirconia from natural diamonds may register Moissanite as ‘natural diamond.’

As a quick side note: Moissanite was first successfully created in a laboratory setting in the mid-1980s. Although there are some websites out there proclaiming to have ‘antique Moissanite’ jewelry, please understand there is no such thing. Rather, these websites are selling ‘antique style’ jewelry. It’s a small but important difference to note.