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Lab grown diamonds the #1 choice in the UK
Feb 04, 2023
Diamonds
Why are lab diamonds the #1 choice for Engagement Rings?

 

Since the early 1900s, diamonds have become the #1 choice for engagement rings when British company De Beers introduced diamonds to the world through one of their major marketing campaigns.

 

"Diamonds are forever" is a slogan that we are all familiar with and it is one of the many successful slogans that De Beers used throughout the decades of well-targeted marketing. Yet it was not just the marketing alone that did the job as a diamond is indeed the best stone we know. In this post, we'll cover all the major alternatives for diamonds known in the present times.

 

Why Diamonds?


Diamonds are superior in all aspects such as hardness, sparkle, brilliance etc. They strongest natural material known to humans, subsequently explaining the saying "Diamonds are forever". But don't worry, we'll keep this brief and share why the other stones are not good options.

Tip: Even though diamond is the strongest material in the world, it must be treated with care. If you knock your ring a bit too hard, you could damage the girdle of your diamond or worse - lose the diamond at all since the safety mechanism of the setting could get battered as well.

 

Why not Moissanites?


The main reason why is because moissanites are not as hard as diamonds. In fact, diamonds are 4 times harder than moissanites.

These stones are not white. Most moissanites are low in colour on average when compared to a diamond colour grading. Most moissanites have a brown tint which really catches the eye in dim light as this tint makes them look dark.

Moissanites' sparkles are iridescent in colour. Diamonds' sparkles are white. Those rainbow-like sparkles do hit the eye and evoke the impression of costume jewellery.

Moissanites have double refraction. This means that when one looks at a moissanite from the top, they will see where the facets join. Thus, instead of seeing just one line - the join, there are two - two joins. For a more in depth read, please check our full article on diamonds VS moissanites.

Lab diamonds the #1 choice in the UK

 

Why not White Sapphires?


Light goes directly through white sapphires and they do not reflect the light. When looking at a diamond from the top, you'll see how it reflects the light like a mirror. For this reason, it is not possible to see through a diamond when looking from the top of it.


White Sapphires do not sparkle as much as diamonds. A lack of the light-reflecting ability deprives sapphires of sparkling as much as diamonds which is another significant difference between the former and the latter noticeable to the naked eye.
White sapphires lack endurance. While exceeding other stones a sapphire is still a poor choice for an engagement ring centre stone as it can get chipped over time. Diamonds are 10 times harder than sapphires. Check white sapphires vs diamonds full article for a more in depth read.

Tip: White sapphire is the best choice for the glass in all expensive watches due to its clarity and scratch resistance. 


 

Why not Cubic Zirconia?


Cubic Zirconia has porosity. The stone will look great for roughly 10 - 30 uses after which the shininess is gone. This happens due to contact with hand creams and dirt that penetrate the pores of the stone making them dull.


Cubic Zirconia chip and scratch easily. The top of the stone is fragile so it is prone to scratches becoming dull and not being able to bring long-term joy to its owner.

Tip: Cubic Zirconia can look similar to diamonds at the beginning but they don´t last long which makes it not ideal for everyday wear. 

Tip: Watch out for companies that use fancy marketing terms like "diamond simulants" or similar. It's just a fancy wrapping to a disappointing stuffing.


To conclude - diamonds are far more advantageous and tick all the boxes with exception to the price of course. To tick this box we stock locally over 620 lab grown diamonds in UK with which you can spoil your loved one with a gift that lasts forever. Related guides our expert gemmologist recommend are lab grown diamonds guide and lab grown diamond rings guide.