Are diamonds really a girl‘s best friend when it costs us a fortune and a kidney? 

To put it into perspective, a 1-carat diamond could go up to RM60K++ and that's the equivalent of buying 11 iPhone 12 Pro Max! We ought to draw the line between luxury and mindless spendings at some point, no? 

Lucky for us, mother nature has provided us with other alternative stones that do not cost as much as a second-hand car and look just as similar to a real diamond. Also, man-made diamonds exist!

Let's do a little quiz. Can you guess which one of these is a real diamond ring? 

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B: 

Got your pick?

If you've answered Exhibit B, then you are correct. But the point is, was it easy to distinguish between both rings? To the naked eyes, nobody would be able to tell the difference between a real diamond and a diamond stimulant. Hence, it'd be one hell of a smart move to purchase a diamond alternative than to spend your entire life savings on a real diamond when they both look the same under the sun. 

What are your options when it comes to diamond alternatives? 

• Cubic Zirconia

• Moissanite

• Morganite 

• Natural stones like Amethyst, Ruby, Aquamarine, etc

Pandora and Swavroski are a few of the worldwide famous brands that are using cubic zirconia aka man-made diamonds in their jewelries. In recent years, moissanite and morganite stones have been customers' preferred choice when it comes to engagement rings as they look exactly like a real diamond, only waaay cheaper. 

#Morganite 

Morganite is a variety of beryl that carries a millennial pink hue, and it's the second-most popular non-diamond stone, after the blue Sapphire. 

#Moissanite

Moissanite is a diamond stimulant, first discovered in the crater from a fallen meteor, so you could say moissanite is quite literally born from the stars. Moissanite can also be grown in a lab, which contributes to its fairly affordable price. 

So, where can you buy yourself an affordable diamond (stimulant) ring? 

We've discovered @seventh_athelier on Instagram, an online-based custom-made jewelry store where you can pick your stone and customize your own ring designs! They also offer some designs of their own with "The First" being their customer's favorite.

If ever you're in the market for an engagement ring, you know where to look!

(This article is not sponsored.)