The secret behind the De Beers empire was to control the market price of diamonds by getting essentially all diamond producers to sell their stones through De Beers, which in turn guaranteed to buy them no matter how oversupplied the market might be at the time. With virtually a 100% share of the market, De Beers was able to set the price of diamonds at a high level, which garnered vast profits for the company and made its cartelized suppliers very happy as well.

This happy little game of insiders versus everyone else might have gone on forever, were it not for several factors that combined to break up the monopoly. The first factor was the need for De Beers to buy all stones no matter what. In times of recession, this obliged the company to hold tremendous numbers of unsalable diamonds in its vaults until economic conditions improved. When the supply of diamonds came primarily from South and Central Africa, De Beers was in firm control.

As new diamond fields opened production in the 1980s, producers such as Russia, Canada, and Australia added a large gross number of diamonds to the yearly production total. This increase in supply eventually proved too large for De Beers to swallow. In addition, not all of the new producers were willing to join the cartel. Finally, technological refinements in the field of synthetic diamonds brought the quality of these competing products up and the price way down.

These factors combined to produce a diamond market that has a significant and growing oversupply problem coupled with a temporary fall in demand due to the worldwide recession. With a buyout proposal in hand from their De Beers partner, Anglo American Mining, the family elected to take the bird in hand rather than pay to pile up stones that might not sell for many years to come. While none can say if the Oppenheimers made a smart play to escape a dying industry, or gave in to panic right before the globalizing economies of Asia added new demand to the diamond business, their fortunes are no longer hostage to a pile of rocks in a Johannesburg bank vault.

Opals are the birthstone of those born under the sun sign of Libra, and were once considered very good luck because they can show all the colors of all the other gemstones. It was during the 19th century after the publication of a novel by Sir Walter Scott that opals were believed to fall out of favor. Because a character in his novel dies after wearing an opal, many people started to associate them with bad luck. Russians often associated them with the evil eye, and many others believed them to be good luck if given as a gift but bad luck if purchased for themselves.

In the 21st century these types of superstitions have greatly disappeared. Of those who still hold to them, few likely believe that lab created opal jewelry would contain the same significance as genuine opals. Lab created opals have only been around since 1974 but are popular today because they make opal jewelry more affordable for more people. Lab created opal beads and rings are popular, as are pendants and opals set in other types of accessories.

Lab Created Opals versus Imitation Opals

Lab created opal rings and other jewelry could contain synthetic opals or they could contain something more accurately termed an imitation or fake opal. While both are not genuine opals and are created in a laboratory, there are some distinct differences. Lab created opals are created based upon the sphere structure of a genuine opal with a mimicking of the natural processes. Unlike the genuine stones, lab creation won’t have the irregularity and flaws found in nature.

Imitation or fake opals, on the other hand, will contain elements that would not be found in the natural opal like plastic and other stabilizers. These are often much less expensive and much less brilliant. Many are created using foiled glass and some are even mostly plastic. They won’t refract light properly or contain the true spectrum of colors that a genuine or a lab created opal will.

Because genuine and lab created opals can be milky white and can reflect an entire range of colors, they can be worn with a variety of different colors and styles, and are perfect for every occasion and season.

Sapphires of all the different colors are often referred to as fancy sapphires, while red sapphires are more commonly known as rubies. These gems are perfect for every day wear because they’re a very hard stone. Many precious stones to rate a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness against the hardest of all gemstones, a diamond, which rates a 10. Sapphires rate at 9, so they’re much less likely to be scratched or damaged than many other stones.

Lab Created Sapphire vs Natural Sapphire

A star sapphire

There are two main differences between lab created sapphire and natural sapphire. One is the price. A lab created gem will always be less costly than a natural one simply because it can be created to meet any demand and is much less expensive to create than to find and mine.

The other difference is that lab created sapphires are made much more quickly than those found naturally through a process that makes them flawless, one after another, all exactly alike. Natural sapphires will contain irregularities and flaws that formed as the stone was formed. This makes each one unique and adds to the value.

A lab created sapphire is a real sapphire, even though many people consider them to be imitations or fakes. When any type of gemstone, with the exception of a few that can’t be replicated, are created in a lab, the same process that formed the natural stone is used to create a synthetic one. The same minerals, types of heat and pressure and other factors are combined in an efficient way to create a synthetic stone. Lab created sapphires have the exact makeup of those found in nature so the qualities and the beauty will be similar.

Lab Created Star Sapphire

A star sapphire is a special type of sapphire that shows a reflection of light in a star shape because of the internal crystal structure within the stone. The lab created versions are made up of the same things as the natural versions and can look just as beautiful. These come in a variety of colors and are typically round with that dazzling star-shaped light reflection on the surface that makes them easy to recognize.

Other synthetic sapphires include lab created pink sapphire and varieties in just about every color you can imagine. Lab created sapphire rings and other jewelry pieces will cost a bit less than those with natural stones but unless someone scrutinizes in the way a jeweler might, they’re unlikely to be able to tell the difference.

Wearing diamonds on the left hand, particularly by women, is typically a symbol of engagement or marriage. So to counteract that, right hand diamond rings are designed just for the pleasure of wearing them without the need to symbolize anything. Diamonds aren’t just for engagement and wedding rings and can be worn by anyone who wants to enjoy the beauty of a gemstone, lab created or otherwise. These rings are meant to emphasize that. It’s often expressed by the idea that the left hand is for someone else, such as a spouse, and the right hand is for you.

Choosing A Right Hand Diamond Ring

This right hand diamond ring is clearly too ornate for everyday wear!

If the ring is specifically called a right hand ring then it’s probably going to be a little bit more opulent and flashy than a left hand ring or engagement ring. Many of them look like cocktail rings and are built up a little bit bigger with a little bit more layering to them.

While some right hand diamond rings are designed for the ring finger, one popular trend is for women to wear them on their pinkies instead. These rings are popular among both single women who don’t feel the need to wait for marriage to wear diamonds and married women who might wear diamonds on the left hand as well but want something just for themselves to wear on their right hand.

These rings will typically have clusters of diamonds rather than come as a solitaire that makes them look like an engagement ring. You should choose them in the same way you would choose a ring with one large single stone. Choose the cut that you like, as a right hand diamond ring that can be worn when you feel like it isn’t forced to be sensible enough for every day wear in the same way as an engagement ring. Some of the more unusual shapes like hearts could be a good choice. Don’t forget that diamonds do have color so you can find one that has the undertones that you feel flatter you best. Or if you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, consider cheaper gemstones in your ring, such as citrine, moissanite or even a lab created emerald!

Choose a ringthat you love and that expresses your own style – after all, right hand diamond rings are meant for you alone.

Chocolate diamonds are real diamonds, that get their brown color from traces of different minerals from the geographic area they are found. Most brown diamonds come from Australia, and there are also synthetic chocolate diamonds that are even less expensive that are available in a variety of different types of jewelry – lab created chocolate diamonds.

This chocolate diamond ring uses white accent diamonds to emphasise the rich brown color.

Chocolate Diamond Rings

Chocolate diamond rings often have standard diamonds or light gemstone settings to really set off the darker stone. They’re also often used as accent stones on settings that come with a clear gem like a diamond or a very bright colored stone. Chocolate diamonds sparkle and glimmer just as much as any other gemstone but their deep color gives them a special and unique look.

Synthetic Chocolate Diamonds

As with any other lab created diamond, lab created chocolate diamonds are not distinguishable from the real thing by eye. Chemically and structurally very similar, these diamonds would need to be tested by a jeweler to pick a synthetic version.

If you do purchase a chocolate diamond, whether natural or synthetic, then you also have the peace of mind of knowing that your diamond is an ethical purchase. Since most come from Australia, these aren’t like controversial war diamonds that are mined in places that are bloody with conflict. Although new to the jewelry market, chocolate diamonds are sure to remain popular for years because they offer something unique, unmatched by any other gemstone.

Lab created emeralds and all other lab created gems are formed in a laboratory, but they’re formed by a simulation of the same processes that form them naturally. Heat, light, pressure, minerals and substances are all replicated to create the gems, albeit in a much faster and more efficient way. Lab created gemstones are real. The process is simply accelerated and refined to create them more quickly. In the fight of lab created emeralds vs natural emeralds, the only true considerations are cost and the perception of the wearer.

Cost of Emeralds

Lab created or natural?

Emeralds, which are precious gems, can be costly. Lab created emeralds cost less because the cost of creating them is less than the cost and the time spent to mine the natural stones. Another factor in the cost is that lab created gems can be created to meet demand, while natural stones have a more limited supply that pushes the cost up.

All lab created gems including emeralds, diamonds, rubies and other beautiful stones cost less than their natural counterparts, but they’re no less beautiful and no less real. In some cases, stones are sold that contain elements not found in nature. Some imitation opals, for instance, contain plastic and other elements. These are the inexpensive “fakes” that most jewelry fans want to avoid. With gems like emeralds, these kinds of fakes are more rare and can usually be spotted by the extremely cheap price tag.

Lab Created Emeralds vs Natural Emeralds: Can You Tell the Difference?

Aside from the lower cost, is there any way to easily tell the difference between lab created and genuine emeralds? At a glance, you probably can’t tell. Even if you look closely, there’s a chance you won’t be able to tell them apart. On a very close inspection, however, you’ll probably find some type of irregularity or imperfection in a genuine emerald or gem of any kind.

Lab created emeralds are flawless because of the perfect method of creation. Natural emeralds will be unique precisely from the tiny flaws that formed along with the stone from things like trapped gases or minerals. If your budget won’t expand to fit genuine emeralds in, take heart–someone admiring your emerald ring or pendant, unless they use a jeweler’s loupe to scrutinize it, won’t be able to tell the difference.

Lab Created Ruby Jewelry

Synthetic or lab created ruby jewelry will always be less expensive than natural ruby pieces. Unlike some created gemstones, such as created diamonds, the process is relatively easy – in fact, the same process can be used as for lab created emeralds and similar gems. Like created emeralds, lab created rubies can be made to have none of the inclusions that you might find in a natural gemstone.

This lab created ruby has been produced using the flame fusion method. The material melts and recrystallises, and can then be cut and polished for jewelry use.

This means that something like lab created ruby earrings will look, to the naked eye, the same as natural ruby earrings. If you use a jeweler’s loupe you can look at them and see the difference because you’ll see flaws and irregularities in the natural stone that you won’t find in the flawless lab created rubies. That’s because in a laboratory the process that creates them can be duplicated exactly time and time again. But in nature as the rubies form, different minerals and gases can be trapped inside the stone to create interesting bits of pattern and texture that make each one unique.

A lab created ruby ring will be identical in mineral and chemical composition as a natural ruby ring, the only difference being that the process used to create it was sped up and done in a controlled environment.

Why Choose Lab Created Rubies

Because rubies typically come from parts of the world that are war-torn and impoverished, just as many diamonds and other gemstones do, they are often mined and then sold with the money from their sale used to help fund war and conflict in that area. It’s possible that, like war diamonds which have become a political issue of late, rubies change hand through the same methods and for the same reasons. Lab created rubies remove that possibility. Another great reason to choose lab created ruby jewelry is to get all the beauty of the natural ruby with a much lower price tag.

Citrine is a semi-precious stone that sometimes gets mistakenly called gold topaz. It’s actually very different from topaz, though it follows similar patterns. It’s a type of crystal quartz named after its lemon yellow color, though the colors can range from a harsher, brighter yellow to a brownish red. Citrine rings and other jewelry can contain natural citrine, but many of them created today actually don’t contain citrine at all. Instead, they’re made from smoky quartz or amethyst that has been burned to cause it to turn that warm yellow color. Heating these stones up to 560° actually causes them to take on that yellow hue.

It’s difficult to tell the difference between genuine citrine rings and those that have burnt amethysts instead. But if you look closely and you can see a very slight stripe pattern it’s probably an amethyst or quartz that has been heated. True citrine isn’t quite as clear as these created stones but will have a slightly cloudy appearance.

The Popularity of Citrine Rings

Though citrine has been with us since ancient times, it didn’t become a socially popular semi-precious stone until the early 20th century, during the 1930s when it was first brought back from Brazil. Gem cutters back then actually held these stones in their hand as they shaped and cut them, so the skill they needed was obvious. It was also during this era that jewelry became much more popular because it was seen as a status symbol so more people wanted to wear it to appear higher up in the pecking order of society. The topaz was the only yellow gem until citrine appeared, so the less-expensive citrine was a hit in things like rings, cufflinks, pendants and other jewelry. Its during this era that people started calling citrine ‘gold topaz’ to associate it with the more expensive topaz jewelry.

Differences between Topaz and Citrine

Topaz is much harder than citrine, and actually comes in a variety of colors. It’s been treasured by people for about 2000 years. A topaz is usually yellow but one particular type of topaz was even mistaken for a diamond for years because of its clear qualities. Topaz was also believed to have magical powers that could protect people from a number of maladies.

Once citrine became more widely known however, people embraced it because of its lower costs and warm hues. It’s the gem ascribed to the month of November and is supposed to have calm and soothing properties. Someone who needs to feel cheered up and lighthearted might be recommended something like a citrine ring or pendant by those who believe gemstones have healing and mystical properties.

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When it comes to cheap alternatives to diamonds, Cubic Zirconia has dominated the jewelry market for many years. Cubic Zirconia rings are incredibly popular, whether they are worn as an engagement ring or just a beautiful costume or dress ring. I wrote this guide to choosing and buying Cubic Zirconia rings to tell you what you need to know about the stone, how it can be used in jewelry, and how to care for your new ring.

About Cubic Zirconia

Cubic Zirconia (sometimes called the Russian Diamond) is the most widely used simulated diamond in the market today due in large part to its low cost and ease of production. Optically Cubic Zirconia is quite similar to diamond at a glance, but a jeweler or someone very familiar with gemstones would be able to tell them apart with the naked eye, at least in the right light. This is because Cubic Zirconia has higher dispersion but a lower refractive index than a diamond, which means it has more rainbow colors but less intensity of white light in the stone. The other key difference is that unless it is specifically colored during manufacture, CZ is completely colorless. In comparison, mined diamonds have a range of subtle tints, with stones commonly used in medium priced rings and other jewelry often having a slight yellow tint. This color will often not be noticeable on its own but when a diamond is compared to a Cubic Zirconia side by side, it may stand out. However the material used to set a stone can lend some color – so a gold CZ ring can look more like a diamond, whereas a silver CZ ring tends to look a very clear white. Note that CZ gemstones can be produced with any color tint desired.

Cubic Zirconia is also flawless, with none of the inclusions often present in medium grade diamonds. So the main difference between a CZ and a diamond is that the CZ looks a little too good!

Interestingly, some manufacturers are now taking Cubic Zirconia and adding a coating of another material. This is usually a form of carbon called Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC), although some manufacturers use a layer of synthetic corundum. The end result of this coating is to change the optical properties of the stone so that it resembles a real diamond much more closely. These treatments can be effective but they also make the stone more expensive, with coated CZ jewelry costing over $150 per carat.

Buying A Cubic Zirconia Ring

Just because Cubic Zirconia is a cheaper gemstone, there is no reason to skimp on the setting! A CZ set into a well designed ring is as beautiful as any other piece of jewelry, and CZ wedding rings or engagement rings can be as elegant or complex as you like. Many couples opt for a cheaper (but still beautiful) gemstone
like a Cubic Zirconia and then spend some of the money they saved on a custom ring made just for them by a manufacturing jeweler. Sterling silver CZ rings are a very popular choice. Silver looks great and can be used to design a lovely ring just as with gold or platinum, but offers substantial savings over a gold ring.

Caring for Cubic Zirconia Rings

CZ rings have a few particular cleaning and care requirements if they are to be kept looking their best. CZ is slightly more porous than a diamond and can pick up oils or skin care products over time. CZ rings can be cleaned with mild soapy water and a small scrubbing brush, a special jewelry cleaner, or an ultrasonic cleaner.

Cubic Zirconia is also a little softer than a diamond so scratching is possible, though unlikely. Ring enhancers are sometimes used in CZ wedding ring sets where the engagement ring is a solitaire with a larger stone, to help guard against accidental damage.

Cubic Zirconia rings became popular because of the low cost, but costing less doesn’t make them any less beautiful! Many consumers don’t see it as an imitation diamond, but as a gemstone in its own right.

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Interest in the unique color of this stone has led to synthetic Alexandrite being developed, which fortunately is significantly cheaper than naturally occurring stones. This lab created Alexandrite is grown using one of several methods, usually zone melting, the Czochralski process (pulled crystals) or the flux method (the same process used to grow some lab created emeralds). Natural Alexandrite is a variety of Chrysoberyl, with its unique color resulting from the introduction of chromium while it formed. Created Alexandrite can be grown under the same conditions, resulting in crystals with similar color variations in different light, but be aware that a common alternative is to sell synthetic corundum laced with vanadium under the badge of synthetic Alexandrite. Since this stone is chemically distinct from true Alexandrite, it would more accurately be called simulated Alexandrite. A simulated gemstone is one where an alternative material is used, and the stone is only visually similar to the true version that it imitates. These gemstones can be identified as the color change only ranges between purple and pink, with no green-blue tones. True synthetic Alexandrite is harder to distinguish from the real thing as it is chemically and structurally very similar, and identification can only be done by an expert or gemologist.

Lab created Alexandrite jewelry is very affordable, with the value of small to medium created stones ranging from $20 to several hundred dollars depending on quality. Just be aware if shopping for A that true Alexandrite should always show a color change containing some kind of blue-greens through to red-purple and it may also be described as chrysoberyl rather than corundum. If not it is likely only a simulated version which while beautiful in its own right, is not true created alexandrite.