Have the Engagement Rings of the Rich & Famous got you coveting?

These fabulously opulent celebrity engagement rings are not within most peoples budgets but they might be within your reach if you were to consider a moissaanite gem instead of a diamond. Quite honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if there were a number of celebrities wearing moissanite themselves and why not?!

Moissanite is a stunningly beautiful gem and is a fraction of the cost of a diamond. Generally, moissanite is about 1/10th the price of a diamond of equal color and clarity. Even better news is, as the size of the moissanite increases so does the savings margin.

Moissanite has many great attributes, there really isn’t a downside to this beautiful sparkling gem. For us at Laraci Ethical Fine Jewelers Moissanite’s Conflict Free status is always #1 with us but if that isn’t enough to convince you, read on.
Moissanite looks like a diamond and is durable like a diamond which makes it a real viable option for those looking for a diamond alternative. To the average person and to most jewelers, moissanite is hard to pick out in a lineup. Most people pick the moissanite as the diamond because of its sparkle and clarity, thinking that the diamond would  have more sparkle and be clearer, but in fact, most diamonds pale in comparison. We have heard jewelers say over and over that it is easy to tell the difference between a diamond and a moissanite but in our experience this is not actually true. In fact, they have had to come up with a moissanite tester to distinguish moissanite from diamond. This moissanite tester tests the properties (chemical makeup) of a moissanite which does differ from a diamond.

A jeweler may also have you believe that a moissanite has a green hue to it which makes it easy to tell the difference. In the past there was only one manufacturer of moissanite gems (Charles & Colvard) and they did have a greenish hue to their Forever Classic line of gems but those are only available on television shopping channels and department stores selling moissanite. As technology has advanced it has allowed Charles & Colvard to improve the color of their new generation of moissanite gems. Charles & Colvard’s new line of Forever One are available in colorless (D-E-F) and near colorless (G-H-I). It may be of interest to know that the average color of a diamond purchased in North America for an engagement ring would be an H-I with a cost of around $4000-$5000 while a colorless D-E-F moissanite would be approx $735. To match the colourless status of the Forever One moissanite with a D-E-F color diamond you would be shelling out $10,000+. Granted, this is a mere drop in the bucket for some but for many this is inconceivable which is evident by the $5000-$6000 spent for the average engagement ring sold in North America. Unlike moissanite, diamonds prices climb steeply as the size of the stone grows. Diamonds are rarer in larger sizes, making them “more valuable” and far less attainable for anyone other than the uber social elite.

So if you are still craving a celebrity engagement ring it may be in your budget after all! You can save some serious money without sacrificing style – all with the ever important, added bonus of saving the ecology of the planet!!

Is a Cheap Engagement Ring always Cheap?

A so called cheap engagement ring doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not quality. Take the case of a Laraci Ethical Fine Jewelers handcrafted Moissanite Engagement Rings. Laraci rings are set with industry leading Charles & Colvard or Neo moissanite. All of our settings and bands are made of 100% recycled precious metals that would be used in a far more expensive diamond ring but at a fraction of the cost. The only difference in the less expensive ring is the diamonds have been replaced with moissanite.

Moissanite is a lab created, durable, beautiful, colorless or near colorless gem that is staking a real foothold in the engagement ring market. Moissanite resists scratching more than a diamond and out sparkles a diamond by 10%. The added sparkle of a moissanite isn’t enough to give it’s identity away that it’s not a diamond, it’s just enough to make it look like a flawles, more expensive diamond.

Some people will be proud of their budget friendly engagement ring for the environmentally friendly status while others for the simple fact that they are being fiscally responsible. While this will surely be an individual choice, no matter the reasons for buying a cheap engagement ring, if it’s a Laraci Ethical Engagement Ring be assured that it is of the highest quality and we are positive you will love it for a lifetime.

Not all cheap engagement rings are equal though and we would definitely like to clarify that cubic zirconia and moissanite are not the same thing. Cubic zirconia or CZ as it is often called is a brittle stone that is not suitable for a lifelong everyday ring. While cubic zirconia may look like a diamond or moissanite, it is really only suitable for costume jewelry. CZ scratches easily and can shatter, which would indeed classify it as a truly cheap engagement ring in price and in quality.

We might also mention that the markup on a setting with a diamond is generally higher than that of the moissanite setting as well., Even though it may be the exact setting, just due to the fact that the diamond ring is a far higher price overall they are able to inflate the setting price as well. So armed with a little knowledge you can get a cheap engagement ring that’s high quality and beautiful while staying on budget.