Anyone have a fake diamond? Please share pics!

Elle1036

Hey Ladies,

BF and I have started ring shopping in earnest, and I think I would prefer some kind of diamond substitute (CZ or moissanite) to the real thing.

So who out there has a fake rock?  Do you like it?  Do you have pictures?

Elle

AmoroAgain

See, I opened my mouth to respond *figuratively, if this had happened IRL, that would have been my reaction* but then, I realized that there was just too much to say, and I'll just be quiet.

kmurr010

Can I ask an honest question? If it is taken as rude, don't answer it because I am asking this in complete honesty and not trying to be snarky.

Why don't you want a diamond? Do you just not like the look or is it the price? Lots of people use other stones, I've seen sapphires (which, btw, were the original stone of choice for engagement rings), rubys, and emeralds. I'm just curious about the apprehension to a diamond.

AmoroAgain

There are a lot of reasons why people don't want a mined diamond.  For me, I was concerned with blood diamonds (despite the Kimberly Protocol, I just don't trust it), the environmental damage caused from mining, and the fact that DeBeers owns 95% of all diamonds that are in circulation throughout the world and artificially hikes up the prices.

Elle1036

The reasons Amoro listed - about the artificially inflated prices and the global conflicts - are definitely a factor, but that's not all of it.

I actually would have preferred a sapphire or aquamarine stone, but BF is more traditional than I am and really wants a diamond, or something diamond like.  But I can't find a diamond that I like that costs anything near reasonable.  It's not an affordability issue so much as a sense issue.  BF would spend that much if I really wanted it, but I would rather spend the extra thousands on our house or something.

emisi

I have a moissanite stone in my ring.  I don't like how sometimes in the sun it looks a bit yellowish, but most of the time it's clear and VERY sparkly.  Not to mention I got a BIG stone, FI didn't spend very much, and we'll save the rest to buy a house.  :-D  I love it.

ocprincess

try white saphires.  They can be less expensive than diamonds but still give your fiance that traditional look he wants.  :-)

ExpatPumpkin

I had never heard of white sapphires...  Take a look at this:

http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=83515

Very pretty!

mwhitson14

FI and I have talked about upgrading my ring at some point, and if we do, it will be a moissanite diamond from here:

http://www.moissaniteco.com/

I love that you get more bling and sparkle for less the prices

kmurr010

OK, I was just curious about the reasons. I have a ring that has white sapphires and i love it, it's so sparkly and next to my diamond engagement ring, you can't tell the difference. Definitely look into getting something like that. Sapphires are very pretty and it would be a nice change from what everyone else has. If he wants to get you something traditional, or something that looks traditional, i would go for a white sapphire.

demeoja

This is my ring.  1 ct pear sapphire with two small diamonds on either side and a white gold setting/ band.  Just got it on Friday and I love it!

Sorry it's not a better picture!

amandajean36

My boyfriend (now fiance) and I looked at getting my ring through Diamond Nexxus.  All the rings there are gorgeous, and fake.  I have stud earrings from them that I like, but they seem to look dull easily.  They sparkle right up after cleaning them, though.

We decided to get a real diamond for my ring, but I was very close to getting a fake stone.  Diamond Nexxus seemed like a good company, but we didn't really dig deep into information about them - just went to their showroom and bought the studs to see their quality.

emilyinchile

A friend felt the same as you, and her FI also wanted to propose with a real diamond. Their compromise was a teeny tiny (but real) diamond engagement ring, which she wore until they got married and then replaced with her wedding ring, a dark blue sapphire surrounded with diamonds. Would something like that make you both happy?

progrockerbride

My fiance actually got me a sapphire ring, because he knows that I don't like diamonds (they're too plain!). We got my engagement ring (and we're going to get our wedding rings) from brilliantearth.com.  They specialize in diamonds and sapphires, and they only use diamonds mined in Canada and ethically sources sapphires.  All of their metals are also recycled, which is awesome.  Their products are gorgeous, as well!  If you're really worried about getting a blood diamond, then this is where you want to be shopping!  good luck!

AmoroAgain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_anyone-fake-diamond-please-share-pics?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:683Discussion:0c005928-4442-45ae-b8d4-831624fd97a5Post:3762f5d4-f855-4ae5-b704-0761b52bbe38">Re: Anyone have a fake diamond? Please share pics!</a>:
[QUOTE]Amandajean, did you like diamond nexus?  We've been looking on their website for a bit now, just not sure if that's the way we're going to go.  I told BF not to buy me a ring at all, because I just don't see the sense in it.  I'd rather have a house... But he wants to at least give me something.  So when we heard about diamond nexus, it seemed to be the best for what we want.  I'm just afraid buying online...
Posted by akenny[/QUOTE]

FWIW, Diamond Nexus is nothing more than CZ and clever marketing.  They inflate the price because it's "coated" in diamond.  You can't do this, and it's literally just a CZ. 

If you're interested in getting a manufactured diamond, look into Apollo Diamond or Gemesis.  The latter actually specializes in manufactured (or "cultured" as they call them) colored diamonds while Apollo is able to create smaller, "white" diamonds. 

If you don't really care, the newest moissanite that's available is very good, and you can find that on a lot of great websites like moissaniteco.com or check on the Charles and Collvard site, and they can direct you to the sites that are verified by them.

lindsaybelle4

I have a moissanite and I love it!  I didn't want to support the diamond industry because I didn't want a blood diamond and I didn't want my finance to spend a ton of money on my ring.  I love it and get complements on it all the time.  Nobody even knows it's not a diamond until I tell them and I think its cool that my ring came from outer space rather than a mine.   Plus, my fiance got to design the ring himself which makes it so much more special. 

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I have a vintage ring. Rather than supporting the modern industry, I opted for an antique setting with a real diamond, but it's been around for 80 years. There are a few options if you want to make sure you don't get a blood diamond, like Canadian diamonds.

FWIW, my mother has a very pretty emerald engagement ring.

clairissad

My engagment ring is 100% Canadian diamonds: no blood or De Beers. They are still as expensive, however. He used Blue Nile (which is a lot cheaper than most stores) and some coupons found googling to cut down costs.

If you're going for white sapphires, be careful. I have a white sapphire necklace, and while I love it, they look very cloudy when compared with the diamonds.

Elle1036

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

I looked at Diamond Nexus, but they really are just Cubic Zirconia.  I don't have any problems with CZ, but I was a little annoyed at the deceptive marketing.  They seem to have great customer service and satisfaction, though.  Has anyone had any experiences with asha simulants?

For the ladies with moissanite, how big are your stones?  I've heard that the yellow/greenish tint gets worse as you get a bigger size.

MrandMrsBigRedTractor

Vera Wang does some excellent rings in white sapphire. Check out Kohls!
They're a LOT more cost effective & won't matter so much if it gets stolen, damaged, etc.

brit_bell90

I have a fake diamond, it's a semi-precious stone. Everyone thinks it's a real diamond, I got it at one of our states most reputable jewelers and it looks very real in every aspect. The ring still cost about $800, and we might someday buy the diamond, but the ring I fell in love with would have cost around $8,000 with a diamond and that seems ridiculous, so we just got it with a semi precious stone. It's still gorgeous, everyone absolutely loves it, and I love it!

Kathleen Michele

I have a moissanite ring - and I LOVE IT! My FI and I talked about it beforehand and it made perfect sense to us for all the reasons already listed. My stone is 3/4 carat (and to be honest it's way bigger than I imagined!) Do your research, all the stones are created by the same company and you should only buy one online through an authorized retailer (mine is from moissaniteco.com).  Here's a pic. No one has thought it isn't a diamond so you can either proudly tell them what it is or keep it as your little secret. Good luck!

sogall

go to QVC.Com and under jewerly than diamonique. They have great rings and all styles made in reall gold and or white gold very nice and a great return policy if you have any problems or dont like it. http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.tpl.csweb.cm_scid.cswb.cc.202.item.J49103 here is the site to the ring i have.  they are so great