Do You Really Need a Diamond? By Jill Renee At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

We have all heard of the quote, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" but did you know that this was simply one slogan to the most successful marketing campaign of all time?

DeBeers, the world's major diamond producer wanted to sell more diamonds so they came up with a major marketing campaign that sold us on diamond engagement rings and diamond solitaires for wedding rings and how all of this was part of our Anglo-Saxon heritage and tradition.

They even came up with the idea that the guide to how much you should spend on an engagement ring was three months pay - get this straight, they just came up with that idea and painted it as a tradition and the modern consumer market lapped it right up.

The truth is you do not need to spend a small fortune on an engagement ring nor on a wedding ring, and certainly it does not have to be a diamond. Many women actually prefer an alternative to diamonds and it is not unusual to see other precious gems being used instead of them. Even better, modern technology has given us man-made diamonds which are far cheaper and also have an added bonus not usually associated with diamonds and jewelry manufacture - they are eco-friendly!

Man-made diamonds are indistinguishable from naturally occurring diamonds, and sometimes they perform even better in certain diamond tests because imperfections and flaws can be removed by the production process.

Moissanite is an example of artificial diamond which cannot be readily distinguished from naturally occurring diamonds - so good is it, that a special piece of machinery had to be developed just to be able to tell the two apart. In terms of the qualities which really count in a piece of jewelry - the brilliance, fire and luster - moissanite is better than diamond while it is only marginally less harder than diamond itself. A major factor which does differentiate the two is that moissanite is far less expensive compared to real diamonds and yet, a jeweler would not be able to tell the two apart!

Another alternative to real diamonds is cubic zirconia, which is the crystal form of zirconium dioxide - a synthetic material which is very durable and has a very close appearance to diamond. It is very cheap to make in comparison to a diamond and lends itself to being cut and shaped into glittering gemstones. Since the mid-seventies it has been the most commonly used diamond-alternative but with the development of moissanite it now has competition.

Using real diamonds may be what you wish to have in your rings but there is nothing in wedding tradition that says this is how it has to be. Getting engaged and married is a very expensive exercise and many couples end up deep in debt as a result of their marriage and wedding expenses - it is not a good start to married life to be saddled with debt! You can ensure you have the same look and feel as real diamonds by using an alternative so don't be railroaded into the marketing trap that "Diamonds are Forever!"

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=411244&ca=Womens+Interest

Important Notice DISCLAIMER: All information, content, and data in this article are sole opinions and/or findings of the individual user or organization that registered and submitted this article at Isnare.com without any fee. The article is strictly for educational or entertainment purposes only and should not be used in any way, implemented or applied without consultation from a professional. We at Isnare.com do not, in anyway, contribute or include our own findings, facts and opinions in any articles presented in this site. Publishing this article does not constitute Isnare.com's support or sponsorship for this article. Isnare.com is an article publishing service. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.