My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and I really want to get her a special piece of jewelry but I can't really afford diamonds. What would be a good alternative?

First off, it depends on your budget. You could get her a nice piece of jewelry with her birthstone set as a center stone. However, some birthstones can get quite expensive, in fact, precious gemstones such as emeralds, rubies or sapphires can sometimes be just as expensive as a diamond. A nice and affordable alternative to a diamond could be a cubic zirconia stone. True, they are artificially made, and aren't real diamonds, but they sparkle just like the original and cost a lot less!

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If you wish to buy your girlfriend a beautiful piece of jewelry for her upcoming birthday, there are a lot of possibilities for you to choose from. A beautiful and striking piece of jewelry doesn't necessarily have to include diamonds, and you could definitely find your girlfriend something much more affordable than diamonds. For example, you could buy your girlfriend a beautiful gold or sterling silver necklace design featuring an interesting pendant design. Also, you could invest in a pair of stud earrings – you could make it extra personal and special by choosing her birthstone as the gemstone set into these earrings. This type of earring is generally much more affordable than others, and could still make for a beautiful birthday gift. You could also buy your girlfriend a matching bracelet to go with it. Seriously, there are endless options for you as far as jewelry is concerned. You just need to do some online research and you'll be well on your way of choosing an appropriate gift for your girlfriend.

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I could sense your frustration about not being able to afford diamond jewelry, but you might be surprised to know that you actually can. There is no doubt that diamonds are extremely valuable and could reach very expensive price tags, but having said that there is a more affordable range of diamonds that could suit your needs. I am talking about smaller carat weight diamonds, which do not necessarily have 'excellent' grading marks – they might be of a poorer cut or of a poorer color. In most cases, these lower attributes are not even detectable to the naked eye and most certainly not to someone who isn't a professional jeweler. Therefore, there's a big possibility that your girlfriend won't even be able to tell the difference. Before searching for alternatives, I would recommend that you do some research regarding these types of diamonds. Start by looking at diamond stud earrings, as you will find these pieces of jewelry are the most affordable. For example, I just did a quick search and found a pair of 1/10 carat diamonds graded I-J/I1-I2 for only $69 USD, which could definitely be within your price range. I am sure that your girlfriend will be extremely satisfied knowing that you bought her a pair of genuine diamond earrings, and she will certainly brag to all her friends about it! So before looking for your alternatives, I highly suggest you give diamonds a second chance. Good luck!

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