They say diamonds are a girl's best friend and that it is the true symbol of love. Their sparkle makes them absolutely attractive to the ladies. A diamond takes time to form; and skill to shape and perfect - just as relationships are. They say nothing compares to a diamond. They are rare and precious gems.
But are you sure that what you gave your fiancé is really a diamond? It may look like a diamond, shine like a diamond, yet be anything but this costly gem. It may not even cost half of what you paid for it.
There are now many imitation diamonds out in the market. It is difficult to tell with the naked eye that the stone one is holding is the real thing or not. They are usually very well made. The best known imitation diamonds are moissanite and cubic zirconia.
Moissanite is a synthetic gem. It is not a fake diamond at all. It is a mineral that appears very similar to a diamond.
Moissanite is made in a laboratory using silicon carbide crystals. They have a more brilliant shine than diamonds. They are also less expensive, usually costing a mere 10th of the cost of the real thing.
Moissanite was discovered in the late 1800's in Arizona, at the bottom of a meteor crater. It wasn't until 1995 that it was discovered that there was a way to make these stones into jewelry. The process was perfected and cutting styles that would allow the moissanite to truly sparkle were crafted.
Moissanite stones are popular with couples who are working on a tight budget and want a ring with a bigger stone. That it sparkles so beautifully is a plus in their book. It is also pretty strong stone and is quite close to a diamond in hardness. Buyers should know though that moissanite tends to have greenish or grayish tint instead of being colorless.
Cubic Zirconia on the other hand was discovered in 1937 by two German scientists. It is created by heating and combining yttrium oxide and zirconium oxide in a complicated process perfected in 1970. To the naked and untrained eye, it would be difficult to distinguish a real diamond from a cubic zirconia stone if the imitation piece is well cut.
The most famous name in the retail of cubic zirconia is Swarovski and Co. Being less costly than the real gem; cubic zirconia has been used by the wealthy, the elite and the celebrities to decorate almost any fashion piece from jewelry to bags to clothes. There's even a motorcycle encrusted with it owned by socialite turned actress, Paris Hilton.
If you want to get a diamond and want to avoid purchasing an imitation piece, you need to find yourself an honest jeweler. You also need to learn the basics of buying a diamond (namely the four C's - cut, clarity, color and carat). Best of all, make sure that you get a certificate issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) identifying the uniqueness of your diamond.
Will your fiancée mind if you gave her an imitation gem? Only if you told her it was the real thing, would be our guess. After all, everybody hates to learn that they have been deceived. Better to let her make the choice and work within your budget.
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How much money do you bring for a wedding of a ...
By: yairmen | 22-11-2007
how much money do you bring for a wedding of a person from work?
Please, I Need help with my Girlfriend
By: omgitistotallymatt | 21-11-2007
If you have read my earlier threads, i have been talking about my girlfriend and I "touching" so to speak. I have talked with her and found it is against her personal morals to do this sort of thing. While i respect this decision, and I have asked multiple times if it was something else (only to get the reply no), could it be she is insecure, or is she really not ready? Also, being a teenager, I do not totally comprehend the opposite sex, but the only reason why I bring this up is that I have an urge telling me deep down that this is the right thing to do. I know that I should not totally trust it, but I was wondering, could she have the same feeling in her, she is jsut hiding/repressing it?Above all this, I see her this weekend, and personally, I would like to show her a good time, but in order to do this I feel I will have to get her into that "sensual, hot" mood, if you catch my drift, does anyone have any ideas on that.If anyone can help me on this, I am very thankful. I know she loves me, and I love her back, but this urge is starting to kill me a bit inside, so I want to fix it now. Should I ask her if she has the same feelings inside, I have asked her many awkward ?'s and she seems to be ok with them. Thanks for any answers.
I would like to help a family bring a baby into ...
By: roricksmom | 21-11-2007
I would like to help a family bring a baby into the world, not my baby but their baby, I've had 3 wonderful pregnancy's and want to help. I heard in NY state you cant get paid for the service, is this true?
Which countries allow polygamy?
By: drowssorc | 21-11-2007
Which countries allow polygamy?
He asked for a break but still wants to be with me?
By: SexyPeach101 | 20-11-2007
My Fiance and I have been together for about a year now things are great.About 4 1/2 months ago he had to move to another state because he wanted to attend a good college for a year befor he went to the navy.So right now we're in a LONG distant relationship and I was supposed to be moving out there with him.Well we got into this argument about financial issues and a few trust issues but the trust isnt an issue like the finacial so the plans changed, he made his 150% sure decision he wants to go to the navy because to him he believes it'll be better for our future and he wants to be able to provide for our us and our family, you know have stability.Well here's the thing that got me as the plan changed for me to move in with him at a later date like a few weeks later to give him more time to get completley situated. As the days went by and I was trying to send him money things started to get alot more complicated, he started to doubt himself..But the Icing on the cake was when we had the hour and 30 minute long conversation about how he needs a break to clear his head and take care of himself first before he can provide for me and our future family. He also said that he doesnt wanna tell anyone about the break just keep it between me and him because he's not asking for the break to say that he dont love me or dont wanna be with me its just to give him alittle time to worry about what he needs to do for him so our future together will be better. Also that his mind is still set on going to the navy and for me to come be with him when his school year is up in the mean time all Ill be doing is goin to visit him. But as of now he wants to take a secret break...WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?Because I've asked him to explain it to me and he said it doesnt mean he's looking for another female or he wouldnt have even asked me to marry him, and he even brought up all the special times we shared like when I ended up pregant with his child twice but then I ended up having a miscarraige twice because of my A- blood not knowing I needed a shot to protect the baby and how he couldnt imagine being without me or cheating on me and losing me after all the things Ive gone through for him and just to be with him he just knows there's no one else out there for him and so much more..I just need some help Understanding am I making the right decision by waiting for him to tell me he's ok he's cleared his head the break is over, or is he just telling me all this to keep me as a rebound if he is in fact seeing someone else down where he's at and if that just doesnt work out he knows Ill be here?
Husband wins lottery and doesn't tell wife!
By: relationshipGuru | 20-11-2007
After discovering her husband hid his lottery winnings from her, a Florida woman demanded he fork over her share of the lottery jackpot.Donna Campbell became suspicious of her husband, Arnim Ramdass, when he started to keep the television turned off and disconnected the phone line. Her suspicions rose when she found a postcard about a new home purchase.But Campbell was unaware that her husband was hiding a $10.2 million secret from her until she Googled her husband's name and lottery number. She found a Florida lottery press release that named 17 airline mechanics who won the jackpot, her husband was one of them.According to Campbell, when she confronted her husband, he said he bought the ticket for his daughter from another marriage.Ramdass and his co-workers pooled money for twice-weekly Lotto drawings every Wednesday and Friday. On June 20, 2007 they collected $220 and hit the jackpot.The group of mechanics opted for the lump-sum payment of $10.2 million, meaning each of the 17 winners would receive about $600,000 before taxes.Since the winning, Ramdass took a leave of absence from work, according to his co-workers. He hasn't shown up at the couple's home and servers can't find him to hand him the lawsuit papers.What are your thoughts? Do you think the wife was slightly ignorant in that she didn't realize something was wrong when her husband cut off the tv and disconnected the telephone? Is she entitled to half of his winnings?
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