High Quality Simulated Diamonds

A diamond is a girl's best friend but these sparkling best friends don't come cheap. If you want to purchase a pair of simple diamond studs, you are going to be set back by quite an amount. So the next best thing is to opt for simulated diamonds. Simulated diamonds are created in the lab and are also called lab created diamonds and they closely resemble a real diamond in sparkle, cut and brilliance.

What are Simulated Diamonds

Simulated diamonds are different from synthetic diamonds. Synthetic diamonds or man-made diamond like natural diamonds are made of carbon but they are not as perfectly formed. A simulated diamond can be natural, artificial or a combination of two. They have the same characteristic of a natural diamond like hardness and brilliance. The most famous of all simulated diamonds is cubic zirconia. Simulated diamonds vs real diamonds will bring out a lot of difference and here we will know all about simulated diamonds.

So what are simulated diamonds? For a diamond to be called a simulated diamond, it should have certain natural diamond like properties. It must be very hard, have luster and brilliance with a high refractive index.

Types of Simulated Diamonds

Glass Simulants
One of the earliest simulated diamonds that was widely used in the Victorian era is glass stimulants. These glass stimulants known as rhinestones or pastes were widely used in the 18th century and can be still found in some antique jewelry. These glass stimulants cannot be considered to be high quality simulated diamonds as it has a low hardness and it is prone to scratching. It can also fracture very easily and trapped air bubbles and flow lines within the stone makes it a very poor substitute for natural diamonds.

Synthetic White Sapphire and Spinel
Synthetic white sapphire which is pure corundum and spinel which is pure magnesium aluminum oxide were the first crystalline diamond simulants. These can be considered to be high quality simulated diamonds which have a hardness of 9 and 8. but they have a low refractive index and so lack the brilliance and fire of a diamond even when polished and cut. They also have a much lower dispersion so they tend to look lifeless after they have been cut into multiple facets. They are also known as diamondite and radiant.

Synthetic Rutile
Synthetic rutile which is pure titanium oxide is one of the best high quality stimulated diamonds. It has a high refractive index as well as dispersion which makes them look as brilliant as a diamond. Synthetic rutile is also available in the different diamond colors like fiery reds and cool blues which are produced by doping it with other metal oxides. The biggest problem with synthetic rutile is that it has a slight yellow tinge and it has a low hardness which makes it more prone to scratches.

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG)
Yttrium aluminum garnet is one of the most popular and successful simulated diamonds. It has a hardness of 8.25 but a low refractive index and dispersion. Still it could mimic the properties of a natural diamond and has adequate brilliance when cut and polished. By doping YAG with some other minerals many more colored simulated diamonds are produced.

Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia or CZ as it is commonly known is one of the widely used and the best lab created diamonds. It has a hardness of 8 to 8.5 with a high refractive index and dispersion. It is visually the closest to a natural diamonds and many people have been taken in by unscrupulous jewelers who sold them CZ instead of a diamond. It is prone to scratches and is internally flawless and sometimes it is coated with diamond like carbon to improve its durability.

Moissanite
Moissanite which is silicon carbide is a fairly new entrant in the simulated diamonds market. It is much superior than a cubic zirconia and has a hardness that is almost equal to that of a natural diamond. When a moissanite is cut and polished it has a good brilliance and fire. But moissanites are plagued by internal flaws and inclusions which are manifested as fine needles or tubes inside the stone. Still moissanite is the best simulated diamonds till date and its beauty and brilliant is unparalleled.

Simulated diamond jewelry is very much in demand and many newly weds even get them as there wedding rings and bands. High quality simulated diamonds are a great alternative for people who love the fire and sparkle of diamonds without spending too much money.