This similarity to diamonds makes it the perfect affordable replacement for an expensive diamond. While you can find a similar cubic zirconia ring on Amazon for a fraction of the cost of a beautiful 3-carat diamond ring, a diamond is a much better option. As another example, the 1.5-carat Princess Cut Cubic Zirconia ring can be purchased at retail for $37, and the 1.4-carat Princess Cut diamond ring from James Allen (with superior clarity, cut and color) costs $ 9,815. The price per carat between CZ and diamonds varies greatly.
One of the reasons these synthetic stones have become popular as substitutes for diamonds is because their shapes are similar to different diamond cuts, such as the oval cut or the trendy cut. These stones are an affordable and unique alternative to fancy colored diamonds or colored gemstones such as emerald, ruby and sapphire. These stones do not tarnish or chip, and are also considered the most prestigious, valuable and coveted gem.
Diamonds are the preferred gemstone choice for engagement rings, far superior to all other gemstones. Cubic zirconia are often the most commonly used diamond substitute and have become more popular in engagement ring trends, but there are significant differences between the two. But when people realised this striking similarity to diamonds, they began to produce cubic zirconia stones for rings and necklaces.
Today’s jewelry, such as diamond rings and gold pendants, has cheaper options on the market, with properties similar to their more expensive equivalents. In terms of value, the paradigm that diamonds are expensive due to their rarity and visual beauty has been replaced by artificial rarity, which is related to the monopoly of De Beers in the market from 1870 to the early 2000s. A problem closely related to monopoly is the emergence of conflict diamonds. A quarter of the diamonds on the market are conflict stones, because most of the diamonds in the world pass through Surat, India, no matter where they come from.
What about synthetic diamonds?
When comparing quality and appearance, synthetic and natural diamonds are practically interchangeable. Synthetic diamonds have the same properties as natural diamonds, so they have the same spectrum of strength, hardness and fire resistance. Laboratory-grown diamonds have the exact same physical composition as natural diamonds and are composed of pure carbon. Diamonds are carbon that has been subjected to extreme pressure, which can occur naturally or artificially through a variety of methods.