Why Synthetic Diamonds Are The Real Deal

In 1955, scientists at General Electric Co. created the first synthetic diamonds. These were industrial quality gems and gem-quality ones weren't produced until the 1970s. These are considered real diamonds because they are synthesized from carbon, a natural material, unlike moissanite and cubic zirconia, which are entirely lab-created stones.

One of the biggest issues, certainly, is distinguishing a synthetic diamond from a natural diamond. A synthetic diamond's value ranges from 50%–90% of a natural diamond's value, and even experienced diamond dealers can't easily identify them.

The good news: De Beers developed DiamondSure and DiamondView to identify synthetic stones and sent them to the largest international gem labs so the labs now could determine whether a diamond was man-made or mined. The DiamondSure analyzes a diamond's refractory characteristics and the DiamondView uses ultraviolet light to reveal the internal structure of the crystal.

The bad news: De Beers scientists decided not to develop inexpensive authentication devices that a retail jeweler could use, as "Unfortunately, our research has led us to conclude that it is not feasible at this time to produce such an ideal instrument, inasmuch as synthetic diamonds are still diamonds physically and chemically."

The main issue once again is full disclosure to the consumer. The only way to make sure you haven't been sold a synthetic diamond instead of a natural one is with GIA or AGS certification. As synthetic diamonds are produced in the higher carat ranges, you'll want to make absolutely certain that you haven't paid for a natural color diamond.

Gemesis is producing synthetics in shades of yellow, and marketing them as "cultured diamonds, similar to cultured pearls." Yes, indeed a marketing ploy, but if this is what you want, you'll finally be able to enjoy wearing the sparkle of a fancy color diamond!

One of the more bizarre claims about these manmade wonders involve taking the cremains of your loved one and having them turned into a synthetic diamond by LifeGem. Just in case you get too enthusiastic about this possibility, first read Barbara Mikkelson's article about this at Snopes.com.