When I hear the word “synthetic”, I cringe a little. No matter the medium, it sounds cheap, not the best, sub par. However! What synthetic actually means is “synthesized”. I don’t know where the bad rap came from but when it comes to synthesized diamonds or gems, it couldn’t be more opposite. Synthetic gems are better in every way! In no particular order, they are better for the planet – they are ecologically friendly, humane, less expensive and a better product all around. When I say a better product all around, I am strictly speaking about Moissanite, lab created diamonds and lab created gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds etc – not crystals or cubic zirconia.
With lab created gemstones and Moissanite, you get a superior product – optically and quality wise every time, at a far lower price. Being as these gems are grown in a lab controlled environment, the conditions are optimal for each and every gem, every time. The fact that they can produce more means they do not have to use subpar gems. It may interest you to know that the average diamond color grade in an engagement ring in North America is a J color. A J color means that the diamond has a very warm – yellow color to it. A coveted diamond color would be a colorless color grade of DEF or a near colorless grade, which would be GHI. So you can see the J falls below ideal but yet, the average engagement ring cost in the US is $5000 to $6000 USD. ..for a J colored diamond. You can get a synthetic “synthesized” lab created diamond or gemstone for a fraction of the price, with a better color grade and clarity.
A lab created diamond or gemstone is grown from a seed diamond and is exactly the same in all properties as a diamond dug from the ground but without the negative ecological and humane impact. Due to the fact that these gems are grown in a controlled environment they have far fewer flaws – pins and inclusions that are caused from debris etc in a natural environment.
We have all heard of the 4 C’s when it comes to a diamond – cut, color, carat size, and clarity. The better quality of your diamond means a more ideal cut can be achieved – to achieve this ideal cut, your diamond needs to be free of visual inclusions, it needs to be clear. The 4th C is clarity, it’s not hard to imagine that if you are purchasing a larger diamond (1 carat or more), you’re either going to be paying a very hefty price or you are going to be getting a lower quality diamond.
There are instances where someone prefers a warmer stone and that is a personal preference but most people would prefer a more colorless stone or they can’t tell the difference under jewelry store lights. They all sparkle and look dazzling in a jewelry store environment. It’s hard to believe they are not all top quality but if you are comparing a J color to an I color, you won’t be able to see a difference. If however, you compared that J color to a D color, you would notice immediately that the D color stands out in beauty . Clarity is important as well. It impacts the sparkle and overall beauty of the gem – you want as clear of a gem as possible. If it’s a colored stone, the lack of clarity will diminish not only the sparkle but the richness of color. You also want it to be as flawless as possible. Flawless is fairly self explanatory but some inclusions can actually affect the durability of a gem. Experienced stone cutters know how to cut a gem to bring out it’s best qualities while taking into account it’s deficiencies but with all things, something has to give.
So when thinking of purchasing a quality piece of jewelry, you don’t want to buy on a whim while standing in a brightly lit jewelry store. You want quality that will last and bring as much enjoyment 10, 20, 40 years down the road as it did the day you bought or received it. I’m not saying you can’t buy quality in a jewelry store, of course you can but you want to do your research and get the best for your money… and that maybe a synthetic gem in the form of Moissanite and or lab created diamonds and gems.