For an average person it’s difficult to distinguish cubic zirconia from artificial diamonds, though both vie for natural diamonds. Cubic Zirconia is doled out as a diamond substitute for jewelry, whereas synthetic diamonds are used both for jewelry and industrial applications. Here are the different characteristics of the two types:
Hardness
Just like natural diamonds, synthetic ones measure 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Cubic zirconia isn’t so hard, measuring Mohs 8.5.
Manufacturing
Cubic Zirconia, as a matter of fact is zirconium oxide, which on getting heated to very high temperature in specially designed furnace yields stable crystals. Synthetic diamonds are basically carbon crystals, which are produced under simulated environments of high pressure and temperature, akin to those under which natural diamonds get formed.
Cost
As per the data collected during a survey conducted in 2009, the price of synthetic diamonds was calculated to nearly $4000 per carat whereas Cubic Zirconia was priced just twenty dollars less per carat.
Appearance
The optical properties of synthetic diamonds are the same as that of natural diamonds that enables them to have the same brilliance and “fire”. The refractive index of Cubic Zirconia is less but they have higher value of optical dispersion, which makes them slightly less brilliant but they have a bit more of “ fire” in them.
Colors
You get synthetic as well Cubic Zirconia in both, colorless and colored verities. Colors are achieved by adding measured quantity of chemical impurities during the process of manufacturing.
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