So are they real or are they fake?

I’m always amazed at how many jewelers don’t know much about lab grown stones. With so many consumers becoming green-minded and conflict-minded, you’d think they’d make a better effort to become informed.

Yesterday, I had a jeweler call to purchase some Chatham-created pink diamonds for a custom 3-stone ring. She kept making comparisons between the Chatham stones vs. “real” pink diamonds. I had to keep reminding her that Chatham stones ARE real diamonds. They are diamonds with the same physical, optical and chemical properties as NATURAL diamonds, they’re just grown in a lab. I’m often asked if they will test positive on a diamond tester…yes they will, because they are real diamonds. Gemologists differentiate “real” diamonds between lab-grown (synthetic) and natural (mined).

So what are fake diamonds? Fake diamonds are diamond simulants…stones that resemble diamonds but do not have the same properties of a diamond. We sell a popular diamond simulant, Diamalite. It’s an ideal cut cz coated with a diamond-like carbon, so it looks much like a diamond but is just $45 per carat. It’s perfect for the budget conscious and conflict minded.

Buyer beware of companies tryng to deceive you into thinking their “fake” diamond, or diamond simulant, is a real lab-grown diamond. I’ve seen several websites calling their simulants man made or lab diamonds. Run as fast as you can if you see these loose terms. Look for a reputable company that fully discloses what the stone is. One rule of thumb it’s likely not real diamond, lab-grown or natural, if it’s less than $1,500 for a one carat stone.

Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com