While every woman continues to be enamoured by the thought of receiving a diamond ring, the current economic situation has made many to turn instead to the viable alternatives to diamond engagement rings. These alternatives need not be fake jewellery, mind you. There are less valuable precious gems that have a slightly similar appearance to diamonds. The first and most preferred diamond alternative in the market is Moissanite engagement rings.

Moissanite is a semi-precious mineral made of silicon carbide, whereas the diamond is made of carbon alone. Henri Moissan discovered this naturally-occurring mineral and discovered that it shared similar characteristics to diamonds. However, Moissanite stones are often greenish or greyish in colour. Those who want to use Moissanite instead of a diamond in a ring should try to find a Moissanite stone that carries minimal colour. Moissanite, like the diamond, is hard. The Moissanite scores a 9.25 in Mohs hardness
scale, whereas the diamond scores a 10.

The other alternative that couples have is to use cubic zirconia instead of a diamond. On the Mohs scale, the cubic zirconia scores much less than the Moissanite, figuring in with a score of 9 in hardness. However, like all diamond alternatives, the cubic zirconia does not shimmer as brightly and as intensely as the genuine diamond. However, this problem can be minimized by trying to find the best quality cubic zirconia you can find. For instance, cubic zirconia can either be hand-cut or machine-cut. Machine-cut pieces are often dull. Hand-cut cubic zirconia stones, then, have greater likelihood of being emulate the characteristics of the diamond.

True, while the diamond continues to be the most coveted part of an engagement ring that a woman looks forward to, the use of alternatives need not dilute the affection and love represented by the ring. People who are unable to afford the diamond can easily pick these alternatives that offer the same happiness to its recipients.