A diamond simulant is essentially a material that approximates a polished diamond in some of its characteristics, but diverges from it in others. Since actual diamonds are very expensive and diamond simulants are cheaper to produce, they are sometimes preferred as costume jewelry.
When concern for the human rights of people affected by diamond mining began to increase among diamond buyers, this also resulted in increased demand for the simulants.
Diamond simulants are unlikely to be used by those who would attempt to pass them cheaper stones as real diamonds, because while they may appear to be diamonds to the average person, a trained professional can spot the difference with the naked eye, sans any special tools.
Some diamond simulants include moissanite, rhinestones, cubic zirconia and the less popular strontium titanate and rutile. A synthetic diamond does not fall into this category of diamond simulants. Although they are created in a laboratory and are not was formed in the recesses of the earth naturally, on a molecular level they are still identical to traditional diamonds.
