Post # 1
Member
216 posts
Helper bee
Hi girls,
A friend of mine wants to get his future fiancée a diamond alternative, and has found two websites: diamondnexus.com and quorri.com. His wife to-be is adamant about having a stone that is NOT a diamond. Do any of you know what this stone is? Is it a lab-created diamond? I’m finding their description of the stones very confusing on the websites – I can’t get a clear grasp of what it is… Which feels a little suspicious to me!
Any advice for him? He’s asked my advice in helping him pick the right ring for her, but I just can’t quite wrap my head around what this product actually is!
If any of you have a ring from the above websites, do you mind posting pictures and giving me an honest opinion?
Thanks ladies! <3
Post # 3
Member
143 posts
Blushing bee
@PuckBunny: tell him to run like the wind in the opposite direction. it’s glorified cubic zirconia. he can find beautiful cubic zirconia rings for a fraction of the cost in department stores.
Post # 4
Member
216 posts
Helper bee
@drA: Is that true???!!! how are they retailing for 500-1000$?
Post # 5
Member
3461 posts
Sugar bee
What about moissanite? I haven’t heard good things about diamond nexus. Some people also opt for a white sapphire! if it were me, I’d shoot for a moissy or dnea for lab grown diamonds hope that helps!
Post # 6
Member
904 posts
Busy bee
It would help to know if his girlfriend doesn’t want a diamond because she doesn’t want a clear, colorless stone, or because she’s concerned with the ethical issues surrounding mined diamonds. If she still wants a clear colorless stone, try moissanite or white sapphire. If she wants a colored stone, there’s sapphire (blue, pink, green, etc.), ruby, emerald, garnet… He should focus on stones toward the higher end of the Mohs’ scale of hardness so they’re durable for everyday wear.
Post # 7
Member
1427 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - parent\'s backyard
I also have read tons of bad reviews on weddingbee about diamond nexus (just do a keyword search for it on this site). I have moissanite (in my case, a wedding band), and I really love it. I have a diamond e-ring right now, but if I ever upgrade in size, it’s going to be to a moissanite.
one of the things that makes me feel very “secure” in my decision is that when a moissanite is tested in a jewelry store, it can sometimes bring up a false posistive as a diamond! as in it really does have very similar qualities. I’m not trying to pass mine off as diamonds, but — in addition to the many other positive reviews I’ve read regarding moissanite on the bee — I helps me feel better that the claims of its quality are not bunk.
Post # 8
Member
216 posts
Helper bee
She doesn’t want diamond for ethical reasons; she’s open to all stones according to him, but he wants her to have a “traditional looking engagement ring”
He looked at our other friends’ moissanite and claims it was “too sparkly”. I told him that’s like saying “that dinner was TOO delicious”.
At this point, I’m just trying to give him legitimate reasons as to why he shouldn’t buy a ring off a website without knowing what the stone is even made of. But if it’s true that they are cubic zirconias, then that might be enough to persuade him to look towards other alternatives!
Post # 9
Member
216 posts
Helper bee
@nerdybird: awesome, thanks for the tip of keyword search; i’m a little technologically incompetent! ha! I just realized there’s literally a thousand reviews on this issue.
I agree about moissanites, I think I might get a wedding band with moissies to go with my emerald ring myself! How does it look up against your diamond E ring?
Post # 10
Member
6354 posts
Bee Keeper
yup, those aren’t diamonds, just CZ diamond simulants. If she dislikes diamonds she would probably prefer a colored gemstone so that it doesn’t resemble the thing she dislikes so much. Sapphires make for excellent engagement rings. The blue sapphire is a total classic in that regard, coming right after diamond as a traditional engagement ring choice.
Post # 11
Member
8036 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@PuckBunny: Hmm slippery slope. If she is adamant about not having a diamond, why is he getting her something that is designed to pass off as one? Doesn’t make sense to me. I think he should look into other stones that aren’t diamonds.. like rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc.
Is she adamant about having a lab created stone? If so, maybe moissanite is an option. Or a lab created sapphire or something.
I think he should look into this a bit further. If I didn’t want a certain type of stone, I would not want something that looked just like it… but maybe that’s just me!
Post # 12
Member
216 posts
Helper bee
@canarydiamond: Amen, sista! Totally agree with you – but he says he wants best of both worlds, a non-diamond (for conflict, ethical reasons) AND a traditional looking e-ring.
Post # 13
Member
107 posts
Blushing bee
I think some people are missing the fact that she doesn’t want a diamond for ethical reasons. Meaning she probably wouldn’t mind something that looked like a diamond at all. I suggest Moissy, although I’ve got heirloom diamonds. I’ve just heard so many amazing things about Moissanite from this site and others. Good luck to your friend!
Post # 14
Member
246 posts
Helper bee
I would suggest a white sapphire! Beautiful, durable, looks diamond-y, and very affordable!
Post # 15
Member
6354 posts
Bee Keeper
@PuckBunny: Then he can get a Canadian diamond, a sapphire with a verified “birth certificate” from someone he really trusts, or a lab-grown diamond or sapphire. (there are still pollution issues regarding lab-grown stones but maybe they don’t care about that so much). All resources come at some costs to the earth and her residents.
Post # 16
Member
11736 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I know nothing about quorri but diamond nexus is complete crap and a total rip off.
Tell him to check out asha or moissanite.