Proof that bling is bling, regardless of pedigree...

Bamboo rings, C’est Si Bon

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So it seems faux diamonds have finally shaken off their reputation of being the poor girl's choice of personal adornment. According to an article I came across in the papers today, synthetic diamonds (also known as lab-created, manufactured, lab-grown or cultured diamonds) are fast gaining popularity with women who, once upon a time, would never dream of admitting they owned 'costume jewellery'.

For good reason, too. After all, fashion jewellery does have a nasty tendency of looking oh-so-obviously fake. Acknowledging that fabulous diamond necklace you've got hanging around your neck is actually fake is, I suppose, akin to declaring your darling Hermès Birkin Bag is actually from - gasp! - Petaling Street.

There are several methods used today to make these synthetic babies, but the most widely used technique is called High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). It uses large presses weighing a few hundred tons to produce a pressure of 5 GPa at 1,500 degrees Celsius, thus replicating the conditions needed to create a diamond naturally.

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This pendant by Gordon Max is so pretty, it looks like something Paloma Picasso would design!

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But what should pique the interest of babes-on-a-budget with a passion for shiny things is this: both natural and synthetic diamonds are chemically identical. The difference, really, is in the pricetag.

*Scottie brooch, Gordon Max

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Best of all, you don't have to go far to find jewellery stores selling these certified cultivated diamonds. Bangsar Village II, for instance, is home to at least two outlets that have already acquired their fair share of publicity: Gordon Max and C'est si Bon. Another brand called Diamondlite is available exclusively at Parkson (Suria KLCC and Subang Parade).

* I've decided my life would be so much more meaningful, if only I had this Diamondlite ring!

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What are you waiting for? Go check it out, and please, try not to buy out the entire shop...at least, not until I'm done with it!

Final Verdict: I want. I need.