Five Favorite Diamond Alternatives Jewelry Mall Newsletter September 26, 2005 Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Contents: Win a $100 of Jewelry New & Updated Pages Feature Article: Five Favorite Diamond Alternatives Request for Feedback ............................................................ Win a $100 Gift Certificate for Amazon.com Win beautiful jewelry (or anything else) from Amazon.com Whether you are looking for gemstone jewelry or gorgeous earrings, Amazon.com has a great selection. Enter to win (and see who won last month's random drawing) at: Contest ............................................................ Updated Pages Get ready for Halloween with: Halloween Jewelry and Spider Jewelry More Rings in section: Rings More Animal Jewelry has been added: Animal Jewelry More Gem and Jewelry Shows on: Gemshows ............................................................ Feature Article: Five Favorite Diamond Alternatives When an engagement is announced, family and friends invariably gather round to see the diamond ring the couple have chosen as a symbol of their love and their impending union. While an engagement ring has traditionally accompanied a proposal for many centuries, the giving of a specifically diamond ring is a much more recent development. Choosing an alternative gemstone to grace this important piece of jewelry is not breaking with tradition; it is simply rekindling an older one. We all know that a diamond is forever, but the gemstones position at the forefront of wedding jewelry is only a relatively recent occurrence. The phrase was coined in the 1940s by the mining company De Beers, and became an effective marketing tool, rendering diamonds the ubiquitous symbol of love. While the gem is undoubtedly an exquisitely beautiful one, it need not be the unquestioned first choice for engagement rings. Whether you love the look of diamond but cannot afford the price tag, or are simply looking for something a bit different, there are a variety of alternatives to diamond that can create stunning jewelry. White Sapphire Scientists have, for many years, sought to find a more inexpensive way to recreate the beauty of diamond, and have come up with a variety of alternatives. One of the earliest of these was White Sapphire, which has been used as a diamond substitute since the beginning of the twentieth century. Though this stone displays many of the same qualities of diamond, it fell out of popular use in the 1940s. Because of this though, it remains highly prized today, as the jewelry it graces is now antique, which gives white sapphire a charm all of its own. Cubic Zirconia Cubic Zirconia made its jewelry debut in 1976, and has remained the most cost effective and realistic diamond replica since then. Available at a fraction of the cost of real diamond, its appearance is uncannily similar. A variety of characteristics have made diamond the sought after gemstone it has become, and cubic zirconia displays many of these features, dispersing light in a similar fashion to diamond, for example, giving it that same brilliance that makes diamond beautiful. Moissanite The most recent diamond substitute developed is Moissanite, a substance originally discovered in a meteorite, or shooting star, that fell to earth. While moissanite is used in jewelry as a diamond substitute, many experts feel it to be even more beautiful than the gemstone itself. It reflects twice as much light as diamond, making a stone that is doubly brilliant. While the limited availability of moissanite makes it more expensive than cubic zirconia, it is still considerably cheaper than real diamonds. Choosing moissanite will give your ring twice the sparkle at a much-reduced price. Ruby An engagement ring is a special piece of jewelry that should ideally reflect something of the bride-to-be and the love she shares with her future husband. Increasingly, women are choosing gemstones that are more personal to them than diamonds, selecting perhaps a birthstone, or a gem in a favorite color. A popular alternative to the purity of the diamond is the passion and lifeblood represented by a Ruby, which is sometimes called the "king of gemstones". Sensuous and fiery, it is the perfect symbol of the intimacy shared between the future husband and wife. Emerald Another evocative choice is the springtime green of Emerald. The color of Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love, emeralds are an enduring symbol of love, beauty and youth, making them the perfect expression of a long-lasting love that will remain as pure and true as the day on which it was first celebrated through the act of betrothal. Diamonds are forever, and will undoubtedly always hold a special place in our hearts. But there is room there also for other stones that shimmer with a unique beauty all of their own. For more information on any of these gemstones see: Gemstones If you decide to buy a diamond, see out Diamond Buying Guide at: Diamond Buying Guide ............................................................ Request for Feedback If you have any suggestions/requests of what you would like to see in in this newsletter or in Jewelry Mall - please write us: newsletter@jewelrymall.com If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to a friend. If you were sent this newsletter by a friend and would like to subscribe, please sign up here Thank you! Lorraine & Jason Venner Jewelry Mall - helping you find gemstones and jewelry lorraine@jewelrymall.com http://www.jewelrymall.com Jewelry Mall, PO Box 3302, Redwood City, CA, 94064 ps. This is an opt-in newsletter. 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