Necklaces can be the most expensive accessory for your prom. If you are combining real and fake gems, consider going faux on the necklace and real on prom earrings, prom rings, and other prom accessories. If you go faux, consider purchasing one of the following fine replicas:

Cubic Zirconia- Cubic zirconia has inherited an bad reputation for being "the" stone for the penny pincher. However, the myth that CZ jewelry is only for wannabe rich people, hoping their fake diamonds will pass for quality gemstones, should be re-evaluated.

Brilliance, or "fire"- Cubic Zirconia Jewelry is said to have a "rainbow effect" that beats most quality diamonds.

Hardness- Cubic Zirconia ranks an 8 on the Mohs scale, making it one of the hardest gemstones known to man.

Carat-CZ is measured in millimeters where 6.5 millimeter is equal to a one carat diamond. In other words, get more stone for your money.

Clarity- Cubic Zirconia is produced in the lab and will generally be of optimum clarity.

If you prefer to buy "real" stones for your prom necklace, consider the following gemstones:

Gemstones are divided into two categories; Precious Stones, and Semi-precious Stones. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires are considered precious while all the rest are considered semi-precious. You can expect that the "precious" gemstones will be more expensive than the semi-precious stones. Don't let this discourage you because there are countless numbers of semi-precious stones that are beautiful and dramatic. Plus, many even resemble precious stones in terms of color and depth. Enjoy the look of rubies? Try garnets. Like sapphires? Try topaz.