Maggie’s Cubic zirconia/lab diamond?

[HSNARC]

No, not trying to cheap out on an engagement ring.

thinking about a Christmas present for my wife. She likes sparkly things, but doesn’t see the point in diamonds (racquet imo too).

I’d like to get her a set of stud earrings in the .25-.375” square range. Really want something that will last and wont fade, but something she won’t be scared to swim in the lake in. Are there grades of CZ? Is it sparkly? Does it scratch? What about lab diamonds?

oh also like any self respecting millennial I never want to step foot in any of the brick n mortar places, never been in one that didn’t feel like a shady used car dealership.

 

[acudaowner]

go over seas and pay less for the real thing don't buy her glass crap I mean I am a cheap ass but even I would not have dipped so low as to try and pass a window glass of as a diamond to someone I liked sort of . if you wanted a new gun would you cut corrners and bought a knock off for your self ? not saying starve for the next 10 years over the cost but bite the bullet and do it right at least when she divorces you in 6 months she will thank you from the pawn broker that she got a grand rather than just you balls , house cars, guns , loading equipment if its worth anything 1/2 your soul and god for bid you have kids a kidney and most of your spleen oh not to for get congrats on finding someone to marry you . Start pumping out those future republican voters and hurry up .lol

 

[BigTex]

Check out Blue Nile. Get the real deal or skip it.

ETA, you are looking for pretty large studs. With knock offs, the bigger they are, the faker they look. A typical 1ct diamond is around 6.2mm, and 2ct is 8.6mm. That would mean you are looking to duplicate a 2-4ctw set of studs. They'll look fake as hell.

 

[Olen_4504]

I did the lab diamond for my wife. Diamond nexus was the company.
She gets tons of compliments on it. And she knows it’s lab made. And loves it all the same. Saved thousands of dollars probably.
But we are also the type of couple that doesn’t place huge meaning on “needing to spend x months salary on a ring” bullshit.
I study chemistry in college and learned about the process and knew I was always going to go that route for an engagement ring because it was just cool

 

[HSNARC]

go over seas and pay less for the real thing don't buy her glass crap I mean I am a cheap ass but even I would not have dipped so low as to try and pass a window glass of as a diamond to someone I liked sort of . if you wanted a new gun would you cut corrners and bought a knock off for your self ? not saying starve for the next 10 years over the cost but bite the bullet and do it right at least when she divorces you in 6 months she will thank you from the pawn broker that she got a grand rather than just you balls , house cars, guns , loading equipment if its worth anything 1/2 your soul and god for bid you have kids a kidney and most of your spleen oh not to for get congrats on finding someone to marry you . Start pumping out those future republican voters and hurry up .lol

Maybe I should clarify. We’ve been married something like 6.5 years.
Her murdering me is much more likely than divorce. She would be fully aware of the stone being CZ or lab.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

My wife wanted a quality ring but didn't want a diamond. We did Diamond Nexus and she got one (essentially, a lab grown white sapphire) just under a carat. We have had it cleaned numerous times at different jewelers and without fail, we get compliments on the quality of the "diamond".

True lab grown diamonds have come down in price, and up in both quality and size in the last 10 years or so since we got our ring. Either way, it's a good time to buy.

 

[Beefmanne]

Grab a handful of quarters and at least one of the eggs will be a winner.

 

[GhostFace]

Go to a mom and pop jewelry store, I was able to get a natural diamond cheaper with better specs than a lab diamond. If you can’t negotiate a better deal from a mom and pop then I would look at a lab diamond. It’s a real diamond but just man made...

 

[Major Wader]

Erwin Pearl stones look incredible.

My wife has both natural and CZ. She gets more compliments on the Erwin Pearl stones than the expensive natural ones. Then she makes me spend what I saved on her next hunting optic.

Today's CZ stones/lab diamond stones are so good, they are micro etched to prevent fraud, as most jewelers can't tell the difference

 

[seanh]

Do not go fake. All it does is make you look like a cheap piece of crap. It doesn't have to be big but it does have to be the right cut, the right Clarity, and free of inclusions.

Now if the woman is going out of her way to say that she hates real diamonds would rather have the fake stuff then ignore the first paragraph. But other than that better to have something she can give to the grandkids then a cheap piece of crap.

Now this is what I did.
I found the ring that was really nice. The stone that I chose for the engagement ring was basically just bait. When she said yes, I told her that we'll go and get her a diamond of her choosing, within reason of course. I had about a half-dozen picked out and she chose the one I had originally picked. It wasn't the biggest, it wasn't the smallest, but it fit the setting and had all the detail that she wanted.

If you do decide to go with the fake stuff, for her wedding gift buy her a little sports car that she wants.

 

[HkPlinker]

Have you considered a moissanite ? Just don't get one too perfect. They are lab created diamonds and can be created with light flaws and color. Not crap CZ, but a truly created "diamond". Try amazon, believe it or not. Buy a real Louis Vuitton to keep the peace.

If you're stuck on a "real" diamond, I would surf "good" pawn shops. Most good stones over 1.5 ct will be GIA certified and will have a laser etched serial number on the girdle to certify it's authenticity. You can verify on the GIA website.

 

[Major Wader]

Diamonds cost a fortune because they are controlled by a cartel, not because they are rare. Over 100 MILLION carats a year are mined, more than 60,000 lbs.. They are a lousy investment, as you will almost never be able to get back what you paid. If you must go "real", then go to a reputable pawn shop or an estate jeweler.

Lab diamonds and good CZ stones can't be identified as "fake" by anyone who is not in the diamond business, and sometimes not even then. That's why DeBeers continues to sue many of the labs to force marking the lab stones, and why they continue to insist that diamonds that they don't control are somehow less worthy.

I have bought real and "fake" for my wife, always with her knowledge. She would rather have the less expensive item and use the rest of the purchase price on a new rifle/optic setup.

We just don't see the value of a diamond.

 

[Soulezoo]

X2 on Moissanite. Wonderful gem. Miles ahead of CZ
It tests as a diamond and jewelers don't know the difference.

 

[benchmstr]

No, not trying to cheap out on an engagement ring.

thinking about a Christmas present for my wife. She likes sparkly things, but doesn’t see the point in diamonds (racquet imo too).

I’d like to get her a set of stud earrings in the .25-.375” square range. Really want something that will last and wont fade, but something she won’t be scared to swim in the lake in. Are there grades of CZ? Is it sparkly? Does it scratch? What about lab diamonds?

oh also like any self respecting millennial I never want to step foot in any of the brick n mortar places, never been in one that didn’t feel like a shady used car dealership.

I know shit about diamonds...but I do work an extra job at the most high end jewelry store in Texas, and can tell you that lab grown diamonds are like art...the value is in the buyer...no resale value at all.

bench

 

[EddieNFL]

Check out Blue Nile. Get the real deal or skip it.

ETA, you are looking for pretty large studs. With knock offs, the bigger they are, the faker they look. A typical 1ct diamond is around 6.2mm, and 2ct is 8.6mm. That would mean you are looking to duplicate a 2-4ctw set of studs. They'll look fake as hell.

My niece once found a ring in a restroom. No one claimed so she kept. She asked if I thought it was real. All I know about jewelry is it's expensive. Took to a friend who owned a jewelry store to check out. She looked at for about 0.5 seconds and said cubic zirconia.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Good call on the CZ. Only an "expert" will know the difference. The biggest giveaway is how perfect they are. Not supporting the diamond industry, which is a racket like you said. And if they get lost or stolen, you won't be nearly as heartbroken. Good CZs are not cheap either. Look to the Russian manufactured diamonds as well. Good enough to fool anyone basically and made in a lab. Not sure on the cost or availably on those though.

 

[hermosabeach]

moissanite is becoming very common

it’s almost as hard as diamond and has twice the sparkle

CZ is too soft. Within a year it will be scratched and dull

 

[brianf]

I personally like buying jewelry for the wife.

The process of picking the diamonds and such is fun etc.

I’m not a fan of “fake” but if the wife is on board and you don’t go bigger than you could afford in “real” there are no questions.

Driving a broken pickup and walking with 3 car on each ear is obvious, then it’s embarrassing.

Women are about the thought as we all know.

Also if buying studs they are dirty from hairspray, hand cream and makeup immediately.

And don’t listen to us on the hide...we think 3k on a scope is cheap lol

 

[jyemass]

Small man made diamonds for industrial purposes have been produced for some time of course. The real lab grown diamonds are not that much cheaper than naturals, but as the manufacturing gets better that price delta is liable to grow. Last I heard it was only about 35%.

 

[hermosabeach]

Small man made diamonds for industrial purposes have been produced for some time of course. The real lab grown diamonds are not that much cheaper than naturals, but as the manufacturing gets better that price delta is liable to grow. Last I heard it was only about 35%.

I am not sure what lab grown your reference... Moisanite are well under $1500 for a 1.5-3.5 carat

Moissanite's Color, Clarity, & Carat | MoissaniteCo - MoissaniteCo.com

All Moissanite gems sold by MoissaniteCo today are near colorless or better. All Moissanite stones are listed in the actual size (mm) and the diamond equivalent carat weight. Clarity is a measure of the surface blemishes and internal inclusions of a gemstone.

www.moissaniteco.com

Nice Diamonds are more towards $25,000+ per carat for a nice 2.5 carat stone

Conflict free
no blood diamonds... not supporting a cartel that sets global diamond prices



more sparkle -

 

[hermosabeach]

 

[500grains]

Diamonds are a retarded waste of money. My wife has a big one. It is in the safe so it will not get stolen.

And there you have it.