Man-made Diamonds
So, last night me and the boyfriend were watching mythbusters and they started trying to make their own diamonds. I decided to look up man made diamonds online...um turns out they're really cheap. A 1ct loose stone is about 250$.
My question is, do you think it's acceptable to get a man made diamond for an engagement/wedding ring? To me, it looks the same, costs a lot less, and the money can be spent on something more important (like a house).
Just figured this was a topic for discussion as man made diamonds haven't exactly broken into the jewelry market much.
My husband and I both have rings. Yes my engagement ring has diamonds. We also have our bands tattooed under our rings. If I would have known about the man made diamonds at the time I would have probably asked for one of those. I think diamonds are not the best stone out there and are far to expensive.
I'm trying to figure out why it would NOT be acceptable to get something other than a genuine diamond for an engagement ring. Sure, there are traditions, but it's not like the wedding cops are patrolling making sure engaged couples have purchased a "proper" ring. And:
1. As the OP pointed out, there are better things to spend "two months salary" on than a ring - a house, retirement fund, college fund for any future kids, etc.
2. The "two months salary" thing is something invented by jewelry companies - it's NOT an actual accepted standard.
3. People who are concerned about mining and political practices need to all the more careful about buying diamonds anyway. It's still all too easy to mask the true origin of most diamonds, whether they're "certified" or not.
4. Concerned about the environment? Stay away from jewelry altogether, or stick with recycled / used jewelry. Mining for the amount of gold needed for one wedding band generates approximately 20 tons of waste.
Personally, I really like my lab created emerald, artificial diamond chip, and gold finish ring - it's lasted quite nicely, and, as far as I'm concerned, priceless.
Original Post by santonacci:
4. Concerned about the environment? Stay away from jewelry altogether, or stick with recycled / used jewelry. Mining for the amount of gold needed for one wedding band generates approximately 20 tons of waste.
i think we all need to be putting a lot more thought into everything we purchase.
If you're happy, go with it.
The lifegem idea is awesome. When I first read about them a few years ago, I told my wife that's what she should do with some of my ashes. 
I'd prefer it to contributing to the current diamond industry. 6 year olds crawling around in mines instead of playgrounds and schools, yay. Not.
I dont think Id mind having a man made diamond. I think Id prefer it. I would assume there is 100% less impurities in the stone. Like I have a 1ct journey diamond heart necklace that my b'f bought me fro my 21st b'day and I can see w. my bare eye the impurities in a couple diamonds. The only thing that is important to me regarding my choice of engagement ring is the setting design. I love Verragio rings or Irish Celtic rings. I think the design is beautiful. It could have a .50 ct man made on there and Id be in love.
I had a friend who's bf at the time proposed and it upset her dearly that it was not a real diamond. I'm married now and have real diamonds in my engagement ring and my band (although after reading just what little was in this forum about blood diamonds, etc. I'm beginning to feel really really really bad Lol). I never wear them...Ever. Months before our engagement, I joked with my DH that he could propose with a ring made of a gum wrapper and I'd happily accept...I think he thought I was nuts, but I was being pretty serious. We have our wedding bands tattooed and it means far more to me than a piece of rock.
Besides, if there's a girl out there thinking she may be getting engaged and her only concern is whether or not the stone(s) is going to be real...Then I really think she'd better not get engaged...
Original Post by alibsam:
Original Post by jasmine62:
I like the real thing. Even with other stones. I know with the emeralds you can tell the difference
Even when it's at the cost of someone's life?
Agree to boycotting natural diamonds.
My husband gave me a ring from the gumball machine at our store. :)
(it was a plastic emerald - it was very elegant)
on edit: Not so much tree peeing as the time honored tradition of spitting in the palm and shaking hands - in our case anyway. :)
I told DH that I did NOT want a diamond even if he could have afforded it... what type of stone is on the ring doesn't make you any more or less promised to each other and the whole diamond industry gives me the creeps. We got a lovely ring for me for less than a hundred bucks - a nice cubic zirconia set in sterling silver - and nobody could tell the difference between that and a 'real' diamond until I told them. And that way I could wear it without worrying myself silly over what might happen if it fell off or got lost or damaged.
Original Post by alibsam:
Better than contributing to the diamond industry in Africa...
Agreed! Watch the movie Blood Diamond and you'll never buy a real diamond again...I know I won't.
i have a real diamond in my ring. it's really really pretty, but honestly i'd never thought about what exact kind of ring i would want.
my dad is a gemologist GIA person, so DH knew exactly where to go and was able to get something really nice for about 1/3 of the price in a store. jewelery mark-up is unreal!
and the two months salary thing is total bs. if you don't have/ want to spend a lot on jewelery than CZ is just fine - As long as both parties agree on that. Just get it a reasonable size (ie not over 1 ct) and no one will notice.
or use a family heirloom - you're doing something romantic, recycling, and enviro/ socially conscious!
My mom stays away from all manmade gemstones because she's an energy worker and doesn't like the "dead" feeling in them. (True stones from the ground have a lot more of mother earth's energy in them.) But that's her preference. (And she stays away from diamonds because of everything that goes along with them anyway.)
For me it's be completely acceptable to get a man made diamond. (Or heck, I don't want a diamond, I like color in my stones. :D ) I have no problem with man made stones at all (except rubies and emeralds, but that's because the man made ones look so freaking different and almost too flawless). It's all up to the person.
Parentheses, let me abuse them.
My engagement ring and wedding ring both cost a lot less because I generally don't like diamonds (or jewelery in general). My rings are entirely custom made and have our birth stones on them. <3 That, to me, is much more romantic than any commercially made engagement ring one could find in a store.
Though, if I had had it my way, my husband wouldn't have even gotten me an engagement ring--I'd have been just fine with a just wedding band.
I was in the jewelry business for about 6 years and this is what I can tell you about diamonds:
- They are NOT rare...there are plenty of diamonds in the world and the price of jewelry is marked up 200% (that's why my discounts were always at LEAST half off).
- That being said: Diamonds are priced so HIGH bc of how "rare" they are. If a man made stone has the same components as a natural stone, the only difference is piece of mind (knowing where it came from, knowing it's valued less and it's NOT natural...personally, I wouldn't pay that much for an unnatural stone; what's the point? I'd opt for a ring without a stone if that were the case).
- MANY diamonds actually come from Canada...can you believe it? If you're worried about blood diamonds you can shop at stores that show were their mines come from.
- about 20-30% of the population do NOT by diamonds for wedding/annivarsaries
And last, don't let society trends dictate whether or not you should buy a diamond. If you're really not happy about spending that much DON"T. personally it's a waste of money, but that's just my opinion. Do what you want. If you don't want to get a diamond but want something custome, design your own ring with what you want in it (maybe the gemstone representing the month of your wedding or what not) and that way you know it really has special meaning.
I would have no problems with a synthetic diamond. They're beautiful and cost a fraction of the price! I also don't need anything huge and gaudy, I want it to be simple and elegant looking :)
i have a CZ.it's pretty and it was affordable.i would get a man made diamond no problem .i would get any stone if the jewelry was beautiful.but i love diamonds too.i would love to have lots of it!(if only i could afford,LOL).i have watched blood diamond,that was an awesome movie,but it would not stop me from buying one,if i had the money.do what's best for you.i would not be happy with an expensive jewel if i was in debt,so i don't own one(yet),but we also don't have any um-payed bills.
I want my future husband to pay for me by giving my family sheep or goats. I believe I am worth at least a dozen.
Barring that, I'd take a CZ. Spend that money on the honeymoon!
Original Post by pgeorgian:
i'd skip the ring all together. it's a symbol of patriarchy and the history of women as property. i think of engagement rings as the human equivalent of peeing on tree.
gotta be honest - if a guy proposed to me without a ring (real diamonds or otherwise), I'd be pissed.
A man from Africa who was visiting my family (my brother did mission work there) told me that in Barundi, I would be worth 10 cows.
Awesome.
I think a man-made stone is acceptable if you both think it's acceptable. The whole Diamonds is Forever thing is just marketing. Diamonds are not the rarest stone. If you like diamonds for the way they look (and not for the meaning bestowed upon them by an advertising firm), then get what you think looks best.
Personally, I think diamonds are pretty boring looking. I'd rather have a sapphire.
And, on another note, Mythbusters rocks.
This reminded me of an interesting story on man-made diamonds and the response from De Beers. These companies started making artificial diamonds for the jewelry industry to fund their research into replacing Silicon with Diamond in the semiconductor industry. Pretty cool story:
The two companies mentioned in the article:
Gemsis: http://www.gemesis.com/ & their cartoon: http://www.gemesis.com/education/article.cfm? larID=4
