As Valentine’s Day is around the corner, many grooms are getting ready to propose marriage on the year’s most romantic day. Unsurprising that as per a 2019 study, most respondents chose February 14 to be their preferred proposal day.
With not many days to go for Valentine’s Day, if you are seeking the ideal ring to mark your relationship, then go for a cheaper alternative to natural diamonds. A ring with diamond to commemorate an engagement is undeniably appealing because the gemstone symbolizes faithfulness, love and commitment. However, in view of growing environmental concerns and ethical concerns, some mined diamonds’ appeal appears to be fewer compared to previous years.
Known as conflict diamonds, these are mined in areas of armed conflict and are used to fund violent activities. However, not all mined diamonds are sourced from conflict zones.
Customers are also looking for jewelry pieces set with conflict-free diamonds, and alternatives to diamonds, such as the ones on the website RockHer. The site has engagement rings that are set with gemstones namely pink sapphire, ruby, emerald, sapphire and more.
Rings mounted with a new gemstone on the block called morganite is also available on that website. This gemstone is a perfect match for rose gold because it has warm tones similar to copper’s. Morganite is an extremely rare type of beryl known for its color. First found on the Madagascar island, morganite bears the name of its financier founder John Pierpont Morgan.
These gemstones are popular substitutes for mined diamonds, but there is another alternative with the same chemical and optical properties – lab-made diamond.
Many do not realize that as opposed to faux gemstones such as cubic zirconia (CZ), lab-created diamonds as durable and precious as the mined ones. Provide a jeweler with a microscope to look at a lab-grown diamond next to a mined one, and both would be indistinguishable. It is similar to ice taken from the freezer versus ice out of a glacier.
Lab-grown diamonds are cheaper than the excavated ones, but there is one catch: these will not have just as much resale value. This means, if you buy a Valentine’s Day engagement ring featuring a lab-made diamond, you should be sure that it is for the long-term. It may not be a particularly good investment option; then again, who would put money into a Valentine’s Day ring expecting returns?