From the outside appearance, diamond and CZ jewelry seems quite similar to one another. It’s a hard for us average consumers to notice the differences between the two. However, with the help of modern technology, a trained jeweler is able to recognize the differences, and here are some of their major distinctions.
Appearance Differences
Firstly, Cubic Zirconia stone’s brilliance has more colors. This is because of CZs high dispersion of prismatic light. In layman's terms, this means you see tons of rainbow colors from CZ stone. CZ stone itself is colorless thus it reflects surrounding obejcts’ color. According to the Diamond Color Grading Chart, it’s not unusual for CZs to have a high color grading of D, which is colorless. On the other hand it is almost impossible to find a grade D colorless diamond.
Another way to distinguish between Cubic Zirconia jewelry from diamond jewelry is the differences between the cuts of the stone. In order to maximize the brilliance of the stone, CZ is often polished differently. CZ’s cuts are more rounded and its edges are smooth. Diamonds have sharper edges and cuts because that’s where the facets meet.
Hardness
Diamond is well-known for its hard and unbreakable nature. On the Mohs' scale of hardness, a diamond has a perfect score of 10. It is also true that the only thing can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Both the beauty and the long-lasting nature of the stone made it a top choice for marriage commitment. Cubic Zirconia stone has a score of 8.5 on the Mohs' scale of hardness.
Weight Differences
It can be little surprising, but a same size CZ stone compare to a diamond would actually weigh more. A CZ stone weighs about 80% more than an equal size diamond. For example, a 6.5 mm Cubic Zirconia stone is equivalent in size to a one-carat diamond but weighs approximately 1.75 carats.
Appearance DifferencesFirstly, Cubic Zirconia stone’s brilliance has more colors. This is because of CZs high dispersion of prismatic light. In layman's terms, this means you see tons of rainbow colors from CZ stone. CZ stone itself is colorless thus it reflects surrounding obejcts’ color. According to the Diamond Color Grading Chart, it’s not unusual for CZs to have a high color grading of D, which is colorless. On the other hand it is almost impossible to find a grade D colorless diamond.
Another way to distinguish between Cubic Zirconia jewelry from diamond jewelry is the differences between the cuts of the stone. In order to maximize the brilliance of the stone, CZ is often polished differently. CZ’s cuts are more rounded and its edges are smooth. Diamonds have sharper edges and cuts because that’s where the facets meet.
Hardness
Diamond is well-known for its hard and unbreakable nature. On the Mohs' scale of hardness, a diamond has a perfect score of 10. It is also true that the only thing can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Both the beauty and the long-lasting nature of the stone made it a top choice for marriage commitment. Cubic Zirconia stone has a score of 8.5 on the Mohs' scale of hardness.
Weight Differences
It can be little surprising, but a same size CZ stone compare to a diamond would actually weigh more. A CZ stone weighs about 80% more than an equal size diamond. For example, a 6.5 mm Cubic Zirconia stone is equivalent in size to a one-carat diamond but weighs approximately 1.75 carats.
