| Is it really possible for mankind to make a | | | | very marketable. Russian scientist perfected a |
| diamond that is authentically real? We know that | | | | process for making cubic zirconia in a laboratory in |
| for years now men have been manipulating the | | | | the 1970's and thus started its commercial |
| growth of cultured pearls, and when produced it is | | | | production. |
| almost impossible to tell the difference because | | | | Good quality cubic zirconias are optically close to a |
| the process is, but for the seed, natural. | | | | diamond, and unless you are an experienced |
| They are not some plastic creation made on an | | | | professional, you may not be able to tell the |
| assembly line somewhere, but the natural | | | | difference. Though a cubic zirconia is not a natural |
| secretions of the mussel, slowly surrounding a | | | | diamond, they can be flawless. Flawless natural |
| foreign irritant in its shell. Some might still protest | | | | ones are extremely rare and astronomically |
| that they are not real because the process was | | | | expensive. The cubic zirconia however is |
| not started naturally, but with the intervention of | | | | affordable to most people, are also made in many |
| man. This is an arguable point. | | | | different colors, shapes, and sizes. |
| What about a diamond? Over the years there | | | | Synthetic or cultured diamonds, as they are |
| have been several different versions of the fake | | | | sometimes called, are produced through chemical |
| diamond. Hundreds of years back in history, the | | | | or physical processes in factories. The extreme |
| first artificial ones were created from lead crystal, | | | | physical properties of a synthetic diamond, is not |
| probably sifted from the Rhine River, or made | | | | the same as Diamond like Carbon. |
| from glass. These were often used to replace | | | | These are composed of a three dimensional |
| real gem stones that had to be sold off, or to | | | | carbon crystal like a natural diamond. Synthetic |
| give the appearance of wealth one did not have. | | | | ones are molecularly the same as carbon |
| The same could be said even today. | | | | allotrope, which refers to naturally formed |
| The later version of the fake diamond would be | | | | diamonds. Synthetics can have greater purity and |
| the cubic zirconia. This is a man made version of | | | | hardness than real diamonds sometimes. At least |
| a naturally occurring mineral called zirconium oxide. | | | | with the synthetic diamond whose properties are |
| The cubic zirconia was discovered in its natural | | | | the same as those of a natural one, why would it |
| state in the very late 1800's. It is rare to find this | | | | not be considered real? This conclusion must left |
| substance and the quantities are too small to be | | | | to the person who owns one. |