Cheaper than the genuine article

Not everybody wants -- or can afford -- to sink money into a flashy rock. And why should everybody?

Rhinestones won’t fool many, but cubic zirconia can sometimes do the trick. It doesn’t have the sparkle of the real thing, but you’ll be in good company: Prince William gave his girlfriend cubic zirconia earrings last year.

“It’s the best man-made fake,” says Adele Sklamberg, who owns Fantastik Fakes in Tarzana. “It will pass for a diamond until you wear it out.”

Beyond CZ, simulation is a big business that has produced products with names like Russian Brilliants and Desert Diamonds. “Is it possible that the mind of a scientist can create more beauty and romance than Mother Nature?” asks the website for Stauer, a Minnesota-based company that makes DiamondAura.

Maybe, but the experts claim they will always know the authentic from the wannabe.

In any event, never try to pass off a faux as a bona fide when giving a gift. Bob Thomas, CEO of Charles & Colvard Ltd., says the company, which sells the simulant moissanite, is clear about that. “We tell men, ‘Only buy moissanite as a gift with permission,’ ” he says. “We’ve been very straightforward in all our marketing.”

Some synthetic diamonds -- lab-grown but fundamentally like their Earth-grown counterparts -- are gem quality. In fact, the Gemological Institute of America began grading the quality of lab-grown diamonds last January, giving the industry a boost and worrying some diamond merchants.

Sklamberg says many of her customers could afford the king of gems but sneak out for CZ instead. “They might not want to buy it in front of their friends,” she says, “but they’re certainly wearing it in front of their friends.”