Timeline for Why are there no cheap diamond equivalents?
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| Dec 28, 2014 at 20:42 | comment | added | Michael DM Dryden | You're probably right. I imagine if diamonds were cheap enough to stick them on everything like rhinestones, they would probably lose a lot of their appeal. However, from what I can tell, gem-quality synthetic diamonds are actually more expensive than mined diamonds and are mostly used for coloured gems as coloured natural diamonds are very rare. | |
| Dec 28, 2014 at 20:03 | comment | added | Steve Jessop | Use of cubic zirconia and synthetic diamond in jewellery is (I think) an economics/psychology question rather than a chemistry one. Most casual observers won't notice the difference by eye, but one of the purposes of jewellery is to be expensive. So people who want expensive jewellery won't buy a cheaper version no matter how similar it looks, since it won't hold the same value. The natural diamond is superior because it's difficult/expensive to obtain, not because of its optical properties! | |
| Dec 28, 2014 at 19:08 | history | answered | Michael DM Dryden | CC BY-SA 3.0 |