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There are very real and noticeable differences between a $30k and $90k BMW other than top speed. There are NOT noticeable differences between a $30k diamond an

There are very real and noticeable differences between a $30k and $90k BMW other than top speed. There are NOT noticeable differences between a $30k diamond and a $3k moissanite stone. A better analogy would be $100 "professional HDMI cable" and a $10 standard HDMI cable.

oppositelock 12y ago
However, to many women who grew up in the US, there are huge differences between the two stones. One is a diamond, the other isn't. There's a cultural expectation here about diamonds that's pervasive, and women who say that diamonds don't matter and actually believe it are rare. My now wife was actually willing to go along with a no-diamond ring, but she was clearly bummed, so I ended up finding a diamond that never went through DeBeers hands (but still cost a lot due to their influence)
- hueving 12y ago
  No there aren't. The majority of the people can't tell the difference between a man made diamond and a natural one. Most people can tell when they are in a super car instead of a Honda civic.
  - rhino369 12y ago
    Moissanite has a slightly yellow color. Many diamonds do, but they are cheaper for it. It's essentially a K on the color scale of diamonds. It "shines" better but suspiciously so. I probably couldn't tell between a moissanite and a cheap diamond, but I could tell it's not a good diamond. Lab diamonds aren't really cheaper than natural unless you are talking about pure shit quality or really tiny ones.
jobu 12y ago
Even worse is what De Beers has done to try making synthetic diamonds inferior to "natural diamonds" - https://news.internetstones.com/de-beers-iidgr-holds-synthetic-detection-symposia-in-india https://news.internetstones.com/de-beers-iidgr-holds-synthet... (They designed a special machine to make the synthetic diamonds fluoresce under certain wavelengths of UV light.) Personally I think a synthetic diamond is better than a natural one, but IFLS.
- delg 12y ago
  I don't think it's better yet, but it's getting there. The cost is still super high, what's available on the market hasn't been great cuts so far, etc. Soon though.
- delg 12y ago
  I don't think it's better yet, but it's getting there. The cost is still super high, what's available on the market hasn't been great cuts so far, etc. Soon though.
silencio 12y ago
Moissanite doesn't even get that expensive. My 1ct stone was $400, and I compared it to $300 low quality white sapphire all the way to $15k loose diamonds of a similar size when shopping. I think the biggest problem is that most people have not seen moissanite in person, and don't realize that it can compare very favorably (if not more so) to a diamond. Glad to say I've managed to sway a couple of my friends so far on that front ;) Here's some pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chix0r/sets/72157637715040063 https://www.flickr.com/photos/chix0r/sets/72157637715040063
- delg 12y ago
  It certainly is sparklier, but it looks "off." Which is fine. It's not a good diamond substitute. It has its own charm.
city41 12y ago
> There are NOT noticeable differences between a $30k diamond and a $3k moissanite stone My wife and I felt the same way too, until we actually compared them. The sparkle and brilliance in the diamond was dramatically better than any other stone we compared it to. We went into ring shopping pretty determined to not get a diamond, and yet still bought one.
- pen2l 12y ago
  Which stones did you compare it to? The stones available in the shop? That's the problem -- there are cheaper alternatives that have a shine comparable to diamonds, but not very widely available in brick and mortar stores. You were kind of had by salesman gimmicks.
  - delg 12y ago
    This is rich. The whitest moissanite is still going to be obviously doubly refractive, pretty limited in cut options (make terrible step cuts for example) and is generally an inferior substitute to the vastly cheaper common CZ. If you are upset that the value of diamond is all in branding, then run to moissanite, which actually IS sold exclusively by a monopoly until this August...
    - samjordan2 12y ago
      Do you know what double refractive is? How can it be "generally inferior" and also have more sparkle?
      - delg 12y ago
        What's the end goal for a diamond simulant? To be sparkly, or to resemble naturally-mined diamond?
- samjordan2 12y ago
  That is great that you like the product that you bought.
- 12y ago
bduerst 12y ago
Not really. There isn't a cultural significance to owning a $100 Monster cable (other than signalling you are probably not tech savvy).
delg 12y ago
Honestly I am not sure how you can't tell the difference between moissanite and diamond. It's pretty obvious. It's much harder to distinguish diamond and CZ.

oppositelock 12y ago

However, to many women who grew up in the US, there are huge differences between the two stones. One is a diamond, the other isn't. There's a cultural expectation here about diamonds that's pervasive, and women who say that diamonds don't matter and actually believe it are rare. My now wife was actually willing to go along with a no-diamond ring, but she was clearly bummed, so I ended up finding a diamond that never went through DeBeers hands (but still cost a lot due to their influence)

hueving 12y ago
No there aren't. The majority of the people can't tell the difference between a man made diamond and a natural one. Most people can tell when they are in a super car instead of a Honda civic.
- rhino369 12y ago
  Moissanite has a slightly yellow color. Many diamonds do, but they are cheaper for it. It's essentially a K on the color scale of diamonds. It "shines" better but suspiciously so. I probably couldn't tell between a moissanite and a cheap diamond, but I could tell it's not a good diamond. Lab diamonds aren't really cheaper than natural unless you are talking about pure shit quality or really tiny ones.

jobu 12y ago

Even worse is what De Beers has done to try making synthetic diamonds inferior to "natural diamonds" - https://news.internetstones.com/de-beers-iidgr-holds-synthetic-detection-symposia-in-india https://news.internetstones.com/de-beers-iidgr-holds-synthet... (They designed a special machine to make the synthetic diamonds fluoresce under certain wavelengths of UV light.) Personally I think a synthetic diamond is better than a natural one, but IFLS.

delg 12y ago
I don't think it's better yet, but it's getting there. The cost is still super high, what's available on the market hasn't been great cuts so far, etc. Soon though.
delg 12y ago
I don't think it's better yet, but it's getting there. The cost is still super high, what's available on the market hasn't been great cuts so far, etc. Soon though.

silencio 12y ago

Moissanite doesn't even get that expensive. My 1ct stone was $400, and I compared it to $300 low quality white sapphire all the way to $15k loose diamonds of a similar size when shopping. I think the biggest problem is that most people have not seen moissanite in person, and don't realize that it can compare very favorably (if not more so) to a diamond. Glad to say I've managed to sway a couple of my friends so far on that front ;) Here's some pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chix0r/sets/72157637715040063 https://www.flickr.com/photos/chix0r/sets/72157637715040063

delg 12y ago
It certainly is sparklier, but it looks "off." Which is fine. It's not a good diamond substitute. It has its own charm.

city41 12y ago

> There are NOT noticeable differences between a $30k diamond and a $3k moissanite stone My wife and I felt the same way too, until we actually compared them. The sparkle and brilliance in the diamond was dramatically better than any other stone we compared it to. We went into ring shopping pretty determined to not get a diamond, and yet still bought one.

pen2l 12y ago
Which stones did you compare it to? The stones available in the shop? That's the problem -- there are cheaper alternatives that have a shine comparable to diamonds, but not very widely available in brick and mortar stores. You were kind of had by salesman gimmicks.
- delg 12y ago
  This is rich. The whitest moissanite is still going to be obviously doubly refractive, pretty limited in cut options (make terrible step cuts for example) and is generally an inferior substitute to the vastly cheaper common CZ. If you are upset that the value of diamond is all in branding, then run to moissanite, which actually IS sold exclusively by a monopoly until this August...
  - samjordan2 12y ago
    Do you know what double refractive is? How can it be "generally inferior" and also have more sparkle?
    - delg 12y ago
      What's the end goal for a diamond simulant? To be sparkly, or to resemble naturally-mined diamond?
samjordan2 12y ago
That is great that you like the product that you bought.
12y ago

bduerst 12y ago

Not really. There isn't a cultural significance to owning a $100 Monster cable (other than signalling you are probably not tech savvy).

delg 12y ago

Honestly I am not sure how you can't tell the difference between moissanite and diamond. It's pretty obvious. It's much harder to distinguish diamond and CZ.