High quality synthetic diamonds?

November 21, 2010 7:39 AM

Jewelry filter: my wife wants some diamond stud earrings for Christmas, but we're both pretty disgusted by the traditional diamond trade. What's a good source of high quality man-made (synthetic) diamond jewelry?
posted by wmeredith to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

I don't have a good store for them - but I really like moissanite stones as an alternative.
posted by quodlibet at 7:43 AM on November 21, 2010

Which part of the diamond trade disgusts you? If diamonds are at all an option, Blue Nile has in place a conflict-free diamond policy which means, among other things, that they don't buy diamonds from certain areas (major caveat: at least according to their own information). And if it's the purchase process itself that you find annoying, the website makes it incredibly easy to select and buy diamonds (both loose and in jewelry) without any maddening bargaining. I work three blocks from NYC's Diamond District yet bought an engage ring and two wedding bands through Blue Nile. You can call and get a real person in minutes; you can return anything for a full refund or exchange. Can't say enough good stuff about their customer service. Finally, their prices are much lower than any brick-and-mortar shop, plus you can also find 10% discount codes with a quick google.
posted by bassomatic at 8:03 AM on November 21, 2010

D.NEA has unbelievably fantastic service, and their totally-real, totally lab-grown diamonds are gorgeous. If this were Ebay, I'd use about 17 A+'s and exclamation points to recommend them.
posted by piro at 8:41 AM on November 21, 2010

2nd-ing moissanite. My wife's wedding and engagement rings have moissanite stones and she loves them. They are lab created and all have the same quality so you should be able to buy them online without worrying about what the stones will look like.
posted by VTX at 9:09 AM on November 21, 2010

I wear moissanite earrings all the time, in a leverback, not a stud, setting. They're only small stones but are very sparkly. Unlike CZ, they don't get that milky look when they need cleaning, but stay very bright and clear.
posted by essexjan at 9:30 AM on November 21, 2010

I love my Diamond Nexus jewelry. Their lab-created diamonds look great and are affordable.
posted by whatideserve at 9:34 AM on November 21, 2010

More conflict-free diamonds are at Brilliant Earth (if you choose to got that route). I am a fan of the Moissanite as well.
posted by getawaysticks at 9:37 AM on November 21, 2010

The Charles and Colvard jewelry I have seen has been excellent in quality.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:01 PM on November 21, 2010

Have you considered antique/vintage? My fiance and I got my diamond engagement ring at an antique store and I love it! Much more affordable than buying new. I don't know how much diamond earring styles have changed, but my ring is an unusual style that you don't see often anymore.
posted by radioamy at 4:10 PM on November 21, 2010