Doing that whole
down-on-one-knee thing?
If you're considering
buying a rock,
you should know science
has come up with a way
to make stones that look
exactly like natural diamonds.
Sound unromantic?
There are some pretty compelling
reasons to consider...
Here's what you need
to know about..
First off, when we're talking
synthetic diamonds,
we're not talking fakes.
These ain't
no cubic zirconia.
These stones are
virtually identical,
right down to
having the same...
as natural diamonds.
See for yourself.
These images from
the Gemmological
Institute of America
show a natural diamond
on the left
and a synthetic diamond
on the right.
Or...or was it
the other way around?
Natural diamonds are formed
when carbon is compressed
deep in the Earth's crust
for millions of years
under intense heat
and pressure.
Intense heat and pressure?
Dude, try planning
a wedding.
Synthetic diamond makers
simulate the same conditions,
but speed up
the process.
So instead of
millions of years,
we're talking weeks.
Natural diamonds are mined;
synthetic diamonds are grown.
There are a couple of methods,
but both start
with a diamond seed--
that's a tiny piece
of natural or
synthetic diamonds.
It acts as a template
that forces carbon atoms
to align in the same
lattice crystalline structure
that makes diamonds
so sparkly.
Ooh, sparkly!
Natural and synthetic stones
are...
You can only tell
the difference in a lab.
In fact, since
a lab-grown diamond
is virtually a diamond,
one growers' group
is lobbying the US Federal
Trade Commission
to prohibit the word synthetic
when describing them.
They prefer
the word cultured.
Here's what you
probably want to know--
how much money
can you save?
If you can afford to, it's easy
to drop thousands of dollars
or more in your quest for
that perfect natural rock.
There's a lot that
influences cost...
and of course,
the number of carats.
A synthetic stone
can cost you...
And because the stones are grown
in a controlled environment,
they don't have the same
imperfections you find
in natural stones.
And money isn't
the only difference--
natural stones can
have significant...
Mining can have serious
environmental effects.
Synthetic stones,
on the other hand,
have a much
smaller footprint.
So before you go shopping,
here's something to remember.
There's also
a difference between
synthetic and
simulated diamonds.
If a diamond says
it's synthetic or lab-grown,
it's a diamond-- just not one
that came from the ground.
Stones that are sold
as simulated diamonds
or diamond substitutes
like...
are sparkly,
but they're not diamonds.
So if you like it and you
want to put a ring on it,
there are options.
If only the rest of the wedding
planning were that easy.
Want to know more?
Check out our sources below.
