Jewelers have been developing all sorts of tests to be able to determine diamond simulants from natural diamonds. Garrett Payne, a certified gemologist in Phoenix, Arizona explains why jewelry stores would be doing this. "One of the things that I learned in my undergraduate gemology class is just how difficult it is to separate the real ones from the fakes," he says. "So, the only reliable way to tell the difference is to take the stone to a reputable jeweler and have him take a look at it." At the end of the day, the reason they are doing this is because they are nervous about these new man-made diamonds.

Considering synthetic, man-made diamonds look so real, why not try them out? For the modern shopper, there are some great reasons to think about getting a synthetic over a mined diamond. Check out the reasons:

1. Cost - One of the main reasons is the fact that lab created diamonds are much less expensive than mined diamonds. For instance, take a high-end diamond cut Swarovski gemstone in a solid platinum or 14k gold setting. It will run under a thousand dollars but the same setting, size and quality of diamond will run about $10,000.

2. Clarity - Diamond Simulants are perfect because they are made in a lab. What this means for the consumer is that all the light passing through the stone won't be man made diamonds changed by the blemishes in a diamond and will be considerably more brilliant. If a diamond, however, is rated as "flawless", the price jumps dramatically.

3. Color - Alternatives to diamonds don't have color marks. The finest and most costly diamonds with this high level of quality are colorless, possessing a "D" color rating on the gem scale. Finding a diamond that fits into this category would be difficult and incredibly expensive if you were to compare it to a regular diamond. The types of diamonds many women can afford have yellow undertones and some dark blemishes in the stones.

4. Many in Society Opt Out of Financing the Diamond Cartels - Riddled with leaked documents outlining price gauging and bogus inflation of prices, as well as child labor has caused more people who simply don't want to contribute to the diamond trade. The "Kimberly Process" (which jewelers like to mention) does little to conquer the terrifying and appalling human rights abuse in Africa--and diamonds are still the main result of horror in these countries. Unfortunately, the Kimberly Process is simply a public relations scheme designed to cause men and women to think the diamond cartel has shaped up when in reality they haven't.

5. People Are Unable to See the Difference From a Natural Diamond - Despite having methods of determining whether or not a diamond is "real", the majority of them need the gem to be examined under a jewelers magnifying scope, or by performing tests with unmounted stones. To most, if not all, people, a diamond simulant or Swarovski diamond-cut gem in a high quality setting is unable to be distinguished from a mined diamond--despite examining it in greater detail. They will only know it is not a mined diamond unless they are told it isn't.

In the end, it's always a personal decision whether to get simulated diamonds or a real diamond. But as they are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye, more and more people are choosing to go with a diamond alternative mainly for financial reasons, but also because there are no longer the same reasons to buy a diamond as there used to be.