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Affordable Alternatives That Look Like Real Diamonds – Need Guidance

M

mavoo

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 30, 2025
Messages
2
I really love the look of diamonds, but honestly, I can not afford a natural diamond ring right now. Still, I would like something that sparkles beautifully and looks close to a real diamond without being one.
If anyone here has personal experience with diamond alternatives, I would truly appreciate your advice. Photos or comparisons would be super helpful too!
 
mavoo said:
I really love the look of diamonds, but honestly, I can not afford a natural diamond ring right now. Still, I would like something that sparkles beautifully and looks close to a real diamond without being one.
If anyone here has personal experience with diamond alternatives, I would truly appreciate your advice. Photos or comparisons would be super helpful too!
Click to expand...



Hi!
If you can't afford a natural diamond, buy a lab grown diamond.
Take you time to get some piece of information about LGDs, then eventually ask for help in the Lab Grown Diamonds forum.
[I don't want to offend you and I apologize in advance if I got your post wrong, but your words seems a bit suspicious to me:
"Still, I would like something that sparkles beautifully and looks close to a real diamond without being one":
I really hope you're not a troll starting a new neverending thread about LGDs being real diamonds or not.]
Best to you,
purplesilk
 
Hi...we have a lab-created forum here:

Lab-Grown Diamonds/Man-Made Diamonds (MMD)

Learn about and discuss everything on lab-grown diamonds here! No simulants (CZ, Moissanite, YAG, etc), please.
www.pricescope.com

Lots of info on lab-created stones and folks to help you find something you'll love (in your budget).

Good luck!
 
another option is a 'white', i.e. colorless zircon!! No, not a cubic zirconia; there is an actual semi-precious stone called a ZIRCON--the neat thing about it is it will sparkle like a well cut diamond; let me see if I have a photo of mine.
 
I need to clean mine, take a new photo but in the meantime, here is some 'reading' about a zircon for you.
 
taken inside but in sunlight is has 'fire' and I think the stone cost less than the setting (sterling and a custom mount)
 
mavoo said:
I really love the look of diamonds, but honestly, I can not afford a natural diamond ring right now. Still, I would like something that sparkles beautifully and looks close to a real diamond without being one.
If anyone here has personal experience with diamond alternatives, I would truly appreciate your advice. Photos or comparisons would be super helpful too!
Click to expand...

How about cubic zirconia? There’s something else called Diamonique. I believe both are considered to be diamond simulants.
 
As others have said, lab diamonds are more affordable and ARE diamonds.
Moissanite would be the other man made alternative. Actually with more fire than diamonds due to higher refractive index but not everyone’s cup of tea.
Natural clear gemstones would be white sapphire and zircon (not to be confused with cubic zirconia which is basically a lab glass material).
White sapphires have lower dispersion than diamonds and can look beautiful when perfectly clean however the slightest bit of oil, dust etc dulls the look.
White zircon is another good substitute, high dispersion ie sparkle but the gemstone itself is lower on the hardness scale so chipping and facet abrasions areny uncommon with long term frequent wear.
Don’t buy cubic zirconia. It’s just a lab glass material and has low wearability and tends to look cheap.
My preference would be lab diamond then Moissanite. I’m a fan of Moissanite I prefer the extra sparkle.
 
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