Cubic Zirconia is nothing other than diamond simulant. So It’s quite important to know “Cubic Zirconia vs diamond” side by side facts and information. CZ is the commonly used abbreviation for Cubic Zirconia.
We have received numerous emails from people around the globe asking the similar questions about CZ vs Diamonds. The most common questions are “how to identify Cubic Zirconia from diamonds? ” and “what is different between Cubic Zirconia and diamond?”. So, I thought to write a blog-post explaining about Cubic Zirconia and diamonds.
Before we bump into Cubic Zirconia VS Diamond, let us first understand the basics of CZ.
So, What is Cubic Zirconia?
CZ is just another stimulant for diamonds. First discovered in the late 1800s, increased its popularity after 1970 as the diamond substitute.
It is the crystalline form of zirconium dioxide. When zirconium and zirconium dioxide heated together at 4,982ºF it gets melted and Cubic Zirconia Crystals are formed. Later, CZ crystals are cut and polished like round brilliant cut diamonds. It looks very similar to natural diamonds. Hence, makes the tough job to spot a real diamond from stimulants.
Below listed side by side information will help to know more about CZ in depth.
Cubic Zirconia VS Diamond – Side by Side Details
| CUBIC ZIRCONIA | DIAMOND | |
|---|---|---|
| Color, Clarity & Fire | CZ is man-made, hence created with proper control and care. CZ is usually colorless with no impurities. Can be made in desired fancy colors too. CZ has intense fire and sometimes looks like disco-ball effects. Light passing by CZ get scattered and reflect back colorful light to the viewer's eyes. | Diamonds are rare and sourced from nature. Unlike CZ, diamonds are not always Flawless & Colorless. Fire and Brilliance in diamond are more appealing and decent compared to CZ. The contrast in diamonds gives a wow effect to the viewer's eye. |
| Hardness & Durability | Hardness score for CZ is 8-8.5 on Mohs scale and durability is very less. CZ easily gets scratches & breaks. Even if used daily, it might lose its luster and gets cloudy or oily. | Diamond ranks highest on the Mohs scale with 10. It's considered as one of the hardest minerals on the planet. Diamond has the best durability can be used for 100's of years with proper care. |
| Weight | CZ is 1.7 times denser than diamond. One carat CZ will look smaller compare to diamonds. As CZ has density of 5.5 to 5.90. | Diamonds have density of 3.50-3.53. Although, two same size diamond looks different in size. It has to do with the cutting of diamonds and its shape. |
| Cost | CZ is one of the cheapest substitutes for a diamond. It could cost around 2%-7% of diamond prices. CZ has zero resale value. | Diamond are one of the most expensive and rare stones. "Investment diamonds" has given the best ROI and it will continue to gain price with the time. |
| Real Photo |  |  |
How To Differentiate Cubic Zirconia From Diamond
To identify or differentiate Cubic Zirconia from Diamonds is not an easy job for untrained eyes. Although there are very few sure ways to identify fake diamonds.
- Thermal Conductivity: Diamonds are the good conductor of thermal on the other side Cubic Zirconia are the thermal insulator. This is one of the best ways to find out if your diamond is real or fake. You can buy diamond tester which works on thermal conductivity from Amazon.
- Fluorescence Checkup: Diamond usually turns blue when exposed to UV lights or black lights. When done same with CZ it turns into mustard yellow color. However, very rare cases natural diamonds also have yellow fluorescence.
- Density & Hardness Lookup: As discussed earlier, a diamond with same depth and diameter of CZ will differ in carat weight. Also, testing the hardness of stone can reveal the answer.
- Colour & Light Behaviour: CZ is always colorless and flawless and sometimes fancy color. Though, in very rare cases diamond can be colorless and flawless too. If your stones got impurities, blemishes & inclusion than it’s not CZ. Also, doesn’t mean it is a diamond, it could be another stimulant. Understanding the light behavior between CZ and diamond is bit complex, but is the best way to tell fake diamond by eye.
Bit About Moissanite & Lab Grown Diamond (LGD)
Moissanite & Lab-Grown Diamond are another diamond substitute gaining popularity among people. Read our in-depth moissanite vs diamond guide to gain current insights and information. However, the recent shift in people’s preferences has increased the demand for lab-grown diamond. Currently, there is still a debate about the lab-grown vs. natural diamond. But our take is that the rarity of the natural diamond will prevail with time.
Cubic Zirconia VS Diamond – Worth & Price Comparison.
Talking about the worth of Cubic Zirconia, It has no resale value. It’s can be used or stated as fashion jewelry and not luxury jewelry like natural diamonds.
Price for 1 carat Cubic Zirconia can be around 15-25 USD. Whereas, the price for 1 carat D VVS diamond could be around 8000 USD to 10000 USD.
With proper guidance and expert advice, you can even get best ROI if invested at the correct price.
Over To You
What do you think about Cubic Zirconia VS Diamond? I hope this blog post helped you to find out the difference between real diamonds and CZ. Do comment below your question and suggestion. We always feel the pride to provide unbiased views and help our readers to choose correct diamonds.
