I never really understood why man made stones, which 'look like diamonds,' are called diamonds? If the industry would have registered a trademark on the word diamond, all those artificial stones couldn’t be called by the same name.

I recently took notice of an interesting article: Dr Cavalieri, the President of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), criticized the comments of Hollywood actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, the most famous of the investors in the synthetic diamond industry start-up company, the Diamond Foundry.

DiCaprio has a history with diamonds. In his 2006 premier of Blood Diamonds, DiCaprio revealed the issue of conflict diamonds and Human Rights abuse. It was only a few years prior in the release of Titanic that he gave a beautiful blond lady a huge Blue diamond pendant. Today he is manufacturing diamond substitutes for money, and claiming it is for a good cause. An interesting opinion for such sweet young man.

Although, I do have to admit that the branding of man made stones appears better than the product itself. They claim that 'Lab-created, man made, synthetic stones are alternatives to mined diamonds, and they are fantastic.' Yes, the slogan claims that the synthetic stones are "fantastic". Not just that, but they continue to say that 'no longer are mined diamonds the only choice for engagement rings and fine jewelry. Eco/ethical concerns, coupled with technology advances, have made alternatives not just acceptable, but preferred.'

If you ask me, that advertisement is misleading. You cannot make jewelry from lab grown stones, and call it 'fine jewelry.' They are purposely omitting the most important difference between the two. The ever lasting value of a natural gem verses the valueless chemical creation. The product may look real, but don’t kid yourself - it is fake.

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A dear friend of mine asked me what it was that bothered me so much. He asked if the product appeared to be perfect, why was it such a problem. I felt that it was easier to answer him with an anecdote. I explained that they have the technology today to reproduce a famous Van Gogh, which might even look better than the original painting. Only, who wants to invest their hard earned money to hang up a worthless piece of art in their living room?

In some countries it is customary that the man gives a goat to his future wife. You see it's the value of the item which takes precedence. But, do you think that a millennial male may consider presenting his wife-to-be with an iPhone? The value is important but it is only worth anything if it is put together with charm. A goat, a new mobile phone, a new sports car, or whatever; none of them hold the same charm and timeless presence of a diamond ring.

Fancy Intense Yellow Heart Diamond Solitaire Ring, SKU 243782 (1.39Ct TW)

Samples of LEIBISH's colored diamond jewelry

A 1.39ct fancy intense yellow heart-shaped diamond ring

A diamond is the only beauty which doesn’t age and doesn’t lose its shine over the years. A diamond is timeless, even after 50 or 100 years. No matter how dusty or grimy, or how many years have passed, as soon as it has been cleaned, the stone will look as it was when it was first polished.

Leibish & Rosi

Leibish and his wife Rosi

Who will look at a man made stone as a value in their inheritance? Everything needs some sort of maintenance and care. It doesn’t matter if it is a picture, a property, or a car. After a number of years, it will age and eventually become less valuable or even valueless.

The funniest part of the man made diamond promotion is that they play on eco ethical concerns. They claim that the man made diamonds are, in contrary to regular diamond mining, not destroying the environment. Only, they don’t discuss how much energy is used to create these lab grown substitutes. Nor do they even touch on the physical characters and chemical properties of a real diamond. Just think about all the areas of the world that won't make any money from legitimate mining when these artificial stones are created in a factory downtown! Either way, it still remains as only a valueless reproduction of one of our most beautiful natural creations.

It's like a copy of a picture from Johan Vermeer or Van Gogh.

I looked into the industrial process of lab grown diamonds, and how they are produced. Regarding the claim that they don't damage the environment as mining companies do, it is complete rubbish. To mine and polish a one carat real diamond there is no chemical process involved and the electricity consumption is also negligible. To produce lab grown stones, one needs high pressure machinery, a lot of physical and chemical processes, and a hell of a lot of electricity. I am no physicist, but I imagine that all creates a lot more 'environmental damage' than mining and polishing a natural wonder.

A real diamond will retain its value for centuries, but man made stones will be worthless shortly after being given as a cheaper substitute for a luxurious gift.

Can you imagine someone like Kim Kardashian accepting a marriage proposal from Mr. Kanye West with a fake diamond?

The truth is that the more I read and the more I learn about these stones, the less concerned I become. At least until people start initiating their proposals to marry artificial women. Until that time comes, the true perception will shine through and diamonds will still be forever.

Browse through our collection of 'REAL' natural fancy colored diamonds and let us know which colors you favor most!

Leibish Polnauer