Lab created CZ tends to be flawless with an excellent clarity rating and lack of color. In fact, most high quality CZ have a GIA diamond color grade of D, which is the highest rating given for diamond color. Cubic Zirconia ranks 8.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it less durable than moissanite. Cubic zirconia is classified as a diamond simulant - a stone that looks similar to natural diamonds, but is made of different material. Natural and lab-grown diamonds are made of carbon, while cubic zirconia is made of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). This is because the stone is made artificially. Another factor that differentiates the two is when the light enters the product: zirconias will present the colors of the rainbow much brighter than a diamond. Finally, zirconia is heavier than diamond, so if you have a sample of the two stones of the same size, the second will be the lightest Cubic zirconia and cubic zirconium are not the same thing. The suffixes -ia and -ium make a big difference in the meaning of the terms. CZ is the abbreviated name given to the world's most popular diamond simulant, cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is manmade crystalline zirconium dioxide, ZnO 2. Silica is another compound with the -ia suffix. Moissanite is, however, more expensive than cubic zirconia. A one carat moissanite will cost between $500 – $600, while a cubic zirconia of the same weight will cost less than $20. Even jewelry intended to be worn once in a while, and not intended to hold any strong sentimental value, is better off if it is created from durable materials. It primarily consists of zirconium dioxide. Therefore, its chemical properties are close, but different from diamonds. While cubic zirconia has more 'fire' or light dispersion, it is heavier and less hard. In absolute terms, diamonds and cultured diamonds are about 500 times harder than cubic zirconia. Telling the Difference Appearance in Light. Diamonds have a refractive index of 2.417-2.419, while that of cubic zirconia is 2.176. This means that whenever light enters a diamond, it slows down more than it would in cubic zirconia. However, this isn’t noticeable to the eyes. The difference between diamond vs cubic zirconia are few and while It looks like a diamond, it’s composed of zirconium dioxide rather than carbon. Cubic zirconia came about in the 1970s, when scientists perfected the technique of growing individual cubic zirconia crystals. The 7 physical differences between a Diamond and Cubic Zirconia. There are 7 ways to tell the difference between Diamonds and Cubic zirconia. Clarity. Cubic zirconia stones are almost always clear or near-clear because they’re made of glass. Diamonds have inclusions and other imperfections that make them more interesting to look at. P53BSU.

cubic zirconia and diamond difference