Diamond Alternatives: Substitutes and Look Alikes
Stones that Look Like Diamonds
Have you been seeking a captivating and meaningful stone that reflects what is unique about you, your styles, and your values? White diamond alternatives offer an entire world of possibilities beyond the traditional diamond. At Krikawa, our expertise lies in creating one-of-a-kind, custom-designed rings tailored to yourvision!
Whether you’re drawn to lab-created gems, natural alternatives, or eco-conscious options, our exceptionally talented designers are here to guide you.
Common Diamond Alternatives
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Cost per Carat: $3,000-5,000 approximately.
Hardness: 10 - Excellent choice for a ring worn every day.
Worth Noting: Cost is still high (natural would be $5000-$7000 approx, H-SI1 color/clarity).
Cost per Carat: $500 approximately.
Hardness: 9.25 - Excellent choice for a ring worn every day.
Worth Noting: Round and cushion shapes look the best. Princess-cut Moissanite is not as pretty.
Cost per Carat: $400-600 approximately.
Hardness: 9 - Excellent choice for a ring worn every day.
Worth Noting: No scintillation (rainbow sparkle), quickly appears dull and lifeless when dirty.
Cubic Zirconia (Lab-Created)
Cost per Carat: $5-20 approximately.
Hardness: 7 - Poor choice for a ring worn every day.
Worth Noting: Will abrade (scratch and chip) fairly quickly, if worn every day.
Natural White Diamond Alternatives
While there are a few naturally occurring white stones, Krikawa highly recommends white sapphire as the top natural alternative to diamonds. It provides a classic, colorless look with a few considerations:
- White Sapphire: Known for its affordability and elegance, it lacks the scintillation (rainbow sparkle) of diamonds. While it can appear brilliant when freshly cleaned, it tends to dull quickly with everyday wear. If you choose this option, we recommend investing in an ultrasonic cleaner to keep your ring looking stunning and in its best condition.
- White Topaz: Another natural diamond substitute, it has less brilliance and is prone to scratching due to its lower hardness (8 on the Mohs scale). Its appearance can fade with dirt and oils, making it less ideal for a forever ring.
White Stone Alternative Chart for Engagement Rings
Diamond is the hardest of the four stones at 10 on the Mohs scale and offers exceptional lifetime durability with very little likelihood of chipping, along with strong dispersion that produces vivid flashes of rainbow light. It may be natural or lab-created, and diamonds in the D–H range appear colorless while maintaining brilliance even when some debris collects behind the stone.
Moissanite is slightly softer at 9.25 but still highly durable for lifetime wear, with only a small chance of chipping and extremely strong dispersion that creates pronounced rainbow flashes; it is lab-created and available in several color ranges, including near-colorless and fully colorless options, and continues to sparkle well even when not perfectly clean.
White sapphire ranks 9 in hardness and is suitable for lifetime wear, though it is more likely to chip over time and shows no rainbow dispersion, reflecting only white light; typically colorless but sometimes showing faint hints of sapphire tones such as blue or yellow, it may be natural or lab-created and tends to appear dull if dirt accumulates behind the stone.
Cubic zirconia, at 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, is the least durable option, with surfaces that abrade more quickly over a few years of daily wear; it is lab-created, colorless in appearance, shows moderate dispersion with some flashes of color, and becomes noticeably dull when dirt builds behind the stone.
Lab-Created Diamond Alternatives
For those who value sustainability and a flash of breathtaking brilliance, lab-created stones offer you exceptional sparkle and durability!
- Lab-Created Diamonds: These are chemically and optically identical to natural diamonds. They maintain their sparkle even when dirty, making them a low-maintenance and stunning option. While they come at a higher price point than other diamond substitutes, they are still 20-50% more affordable than natural diamonds, especially for larger stones.
- Moissanite: Known for its incredible brilliance and rainbow-like scintillation, moissanite is a standout choice as an alternative to diamond rings. It offers a luxurious look at a fraction of the cost, with a 2-carat moissanite priced around $1,000. Durable and lab-created, moissanite is ideal for eco-conscious buyers who want beauty without compromise.
Create the Ring of Your Dreams with Us
At Krikawa, we can make the process of designing the ring of your dreams a fun, exciting, and stress-free experience by having our experts work with you side by side. From selecting the perfect diamond substitute to customizing every single detail, we’d be honored to help you create a masterpiece that’s as unique as your love story.
Discover the endless possibilities and prepare for the experience and ring of a lifetime! Your forever ring awaits!
