Within the diamond industry, there are three categories: mined diamonds, synthetic/man made diamonds and diamond simulants. At Secrets, we offer jewellery that is crafted in 10 and 14 carat solid gold with our Secrets Signature Diamond Simulants. Our passion for diamond simulants has grown from years of research proving they are the best quality and value alternative for our customers to a mined diamond.
We’ve gone ahead and broken down each diamond category, covering how they are created and what separates our Signature Diamond Simulants from the rest.
Diamonds are a transparent crystal of tetrahedrally bonded carbon atoms forced deep in the earth under intense heat and pressure. Diamonds are the hardest natural material known to man.
Synthetic diamonds are based on carbon – the same as a mined diamond but grown in a laboratory rather than under the earth’s surface. There are two different methods that can be used to create a synthetic diamond – Chemical vapour disposition synthesis (CVD) and High Pressure High Temperature synthesis (HPHT), which is the most popular process. HPHT mimics the natural conditions mined diamonds are formed under, using a small synthetic diamond seed, coupled with a carbon source to create synthetic diamond.
Diamond simulants are made from various minerals and materials, with the most common variants being cubic zirconia and moissanite. They are grown in a laboratory using a skull crucible, under intense heat (to over 2000 degrees Celsius). Diamond simulants are distinct from synthetic diamonds, which are based on carbon and share the same properties as a mined diamond.
A common misconception about our diamond simulants is that our stones are of the same quality of mass produced, lower grade cubic zirconia. We can assure you this is definitely not the case.
Like the diamond industry, cubic zirconia’s are graded on specific characteristics- at Secrets we only use the highest grade of cubic zirconia (5A and 4A) which is the rarest and represents a very small percentage of total production of these stones. On top of this, we have a very strict criteria for cut, symmetry and polish to ensure our stones look natural, but have maximum scintillation, fire and brilliance.
Although our diamond simulants are man-made, they possess the optical beauty and fire of the rarest diamonds with a lifetime guarantee. Not only are our diamond simulants better for the environment, but they are of better value, and a better beautiful. Secrets was founded on a core belief that luxury should be accessible to everyone, and our Signature Secrets Diamond Simulants mean that we can offer jewellery that does just that.
You can shop some of our favourite diamond simulants below
