1. Man made diamonds or lab-created diamonds or synthetic diamonds : these stones, with the same carbon molecular structure as natural diamonds have recently been created in a laboratory environment, contrary to natural diamonds which form within the mantle of the earth. Lab-grown diamonds are manufactured by submitting a mix of carbon and other materials to very high pressures and temperatures, and by inserting a nano-grain of natural diamond. These stones are essentially available in yellow and orange colours and their price is very high due to the complex and time consuming technological processes used to produce them. They are in general available in small sized stones only.
2. Moissanite : Moissanite, in its natural form, is very rare. A meteorite of moissanite was discovered in 1893 in Arizona by a French chemist Henri Moissan, after whom the mineral was named. Natural moissanite is not used in jewellery. Currently, moissanite is a synthetically produced stone, whose structure is silicon carbide. It is manufactured in laboratories, mainly in the USA. This gemstone has its own interesting characteristics, such as its hardness. However, the colour and clarity of moissanite make it a poor substitute of natural diamond, and its price remains high.
3. Cubic zirconia or cz : Cubic zirconia is the material used by Keratia. Cubic zirconia is the closest simulant to diamond considering the four key criteria (colour, clarity, cut and carat) relevant to the quality of diamond. The molecular formula of cubic zirconia is zirconium dioxyde. It should not be confused with zircon which is a natural stone. Cz in synthesized in a laboratory environment, being heated and cooled down to annealed crystals which are then cut and polished into gemstones. At Keratia, we pride ourselves in selecting only the top quality of zirconium dioxide. We spend considerable resources verifying the cut, faceting and polishing of the stone as well as its brilliance and hardness. The stones chosen by Keratia have been submitted to the strictest quality controls and tests before being approved by our gemologist.