How Can You Tell the Difference Between Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia? The best way to tell a cubic zirconia from a diamond is to look at the stones under natural light: a diamond gives off more white light (brilliance) while a cubic zirconia gives off a noticeable rainbow of colored light (excessive light dispersion). In conclusion, cubic zirconia, moissanite, and diamond are three popular gemstones often used in jewelry. While they all have a stunning appearance, they have many differences in durability, cost, and other factors. Cubic zirconia is a low-cost and versatile gemstone. Still, it is less durable and valuable than the other two options. Cubic Zirconia on the other hand has an RI of 2.15-2.18. However, the true differences in these values are hardly perceptible and difficult to spot by sight alone. Cost . One of the biggest differences between diamonds and cubic zirconia is their price. Being a simulant diamond, Cubic Zirconia is much more affordable than a mined diamond. Moissanite is made from silicon and carbon and diamonds are made from carbon. All white, all sparkly, but not all the same. Like Moissanite, CZ is grown in a lab. Unlike Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia is hard-ish ranging between an 8 and 8.4 on the hardness scale. CZ is also less tough and more prone to breaking. Cubic zirconia has a higher dispersion rate than a diamond (around 0.066 VS 0.044); this causes rainbow light be the main visual property and can create an overly colourful ‘disco ball’ appearance. It is one of the easiest ways to spot a synthetic gemstone. Brilliance: This is the white light that reflects and refracts from a well-cut diamond. Cubic zirconia has a density ranging in 5.5 to 5.90 and diamond is 3.50 to 3.53, which means one carat of cubic zircon look smaller than a carat of diamond when all other factors are equal. A gemologist or jeweler can easily differentiate a CZ stone from a diamond by weighing it on their scale. In contrast, cubic zirconia (CZ) is a synthetic material that is manufactured to look like a diamond. CZ is often marketed as a cheap alternative to diamond and is mass-produced under various brand names. However, CZ is generally considered to be of lower quality than Moissanite, with lower hardness and durability, and less brilliance and fire. 3DfJ3r.

cubic zirconia and diamond difference