It’s fascinating how nature has a way of creating similar but distinct things. After that, let’s look at the differences between CZ and diamond.
It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between cubic zirconia and a diamond with just your eyes and from afar.
These two materials are shaped and embraced into jewellery in beautiful shapes and sizes. But how do we tell them apart? Let’s take a look.
Key Takeaways
- CZ, or cubic zirconia, is a lab-created synthetic gemstone, while diamonds are natural gemstones formed over millions of years.
- Diamonds rank a ten on the Mohs scale of hardness, while CZ ranks at 8.5, making diamonds more durable and resistant to scratching.
- Diamonds have a high refractive index, providing exceptional brilliance and sparkle, whereas CZ has less brilliance and can appear dull over time.
Cz vs Diamond
CZ (Cubic Zirconia) is made by melting zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide together in a high-temperature furnace and then cooling it to form a crystal. A diamond is formed deep within the Earth’s mantle under extreme pressure and heat and is brought to the surface through volcanic activity.
Cubic zirconia, or CZ, is an artificial stone that is used in jewellery and can fool our eyes because it resembles a diamond.
However, CZCZ is a completely different material; it is found in traces in nature, but when used in jewellery as a gemstone, the synthesized version of it, which is made from crystalline zirconium dioxide, is used.
Diamonds, on the other hand, are used in their natural state, and their hardness has yet to be surpassed by any other gemstone.
Because of the catenation property of carbon, it is one of the hardest. Diamond’s lustre is one of its distinguishing features. We’ll delve deeper into the details later.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | Cz | Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Primary element | Zirconium dioxide | Carbon |
| How durable is it? | Lesser | More |
| How expensive is its colored version? | On the cost-effective side | Very expensive. |
| Dispersion of light | It gives the rainbow shade as enough light is dispersed | It gives a bright white light as not much light is dispersed |
| Refractive index | 2.15-2.18 | 2.42 |
What is Cz?
Cz, or cubic zirconia, is frequently viewed as a low-cost alternative to diamonds.
Apart from appearances, there are several factors to consider, and these are the most important ones that can help you distinguish between the two.
Let’s begin with forming the Cubic Zirconia material, a synthetic gemstone made of zirconium dioxide.
The composition element heavily influences the weight and density of the material. Because CZ is denser than diamond, it weighs more.
Then there’s the hardness, which shows that CZ isn’t as hard as diamond, with a Mohs scale rating of 8.0 to 8.5.
Another feature of CZ is that it is synthesized in laboratories. Cubic zirconia is considered flawless because it is artificially crafted and has no inclusions.
As a result of this factor, the color does not vary as much as it does in a diamond. As a result, unlike diamonds, it is colorless.
And that is one of the most important ways to distinguish it. When it comes to material durability, CZ will not last as long as diamond.
It may be necessary to polish it or replace it over time. However, it is significantly less expensive than diamond.
What is Diamond?
On the other hand, diamond is a natural gemstone with flaws that distinguish it from other gemstones.
And if you want a real diamond with no flaws, they are extremely rare and can cost a lot of money.
When it comes to the natural shine of a diamond, it emits a bright white light that verifies its authenticity. Diamond has a refractive index of 2.42, so light does not refract much from it.
Under a microscope, the imperfections in a diamond can be seen. A real diamond’s color range varies, so you won’t get a completely colorless one.
The colors are divided into categories from D to Z. As you progress through the letters, the price of the diamond rises because color diamonds are rare.
Aside from that, the diamond has a yellow or brown tint that lasts naturally. Diamonds can also be synthesized in diamonds but are less expensive and more expensive than CZ.
Diamond is one of the hardest elements on the planet due to its carbon content. Carbon’s catenation property is to blame for this.
That is also one of the reasons for its longevity; a diamond can be kept for a longer period. It won’t scratch or deteriorate over time.
Main Differences Between Cz and Diamond
- Cz is a man-made gemstone, whereas diamond is a natural gemstone.
- Cz is made up of zirconium dioxide, whereas diamond is made up of carbon chains,
- Cz is less expensive than a diamond.
- Cz does not have the same longevity as a diamond.
- The refractive index of Cz is lower than that of a diamond.
- https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.2841822
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6925550/
Last Updated : 14 June, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The fact that cz is less expensive is indeed tempting, but diamonds are diamonds.
Absolutely. There’s no substitute for the real thing.
With all the similarities, it’s really hard to tell them apart. I think I might stick to cubic zirconia.
Yes, that’s true. Diamonds are so expensive. I’d rather save my money.
I’m not so sure, the longevity is very important to me, so I might go for diamonds.
I didn’t realize how much CZ resembles real diamonds. This article was an eye-opener.
The detailed comparison provided here is quite informative. The differences are very clear.
The information provided is useful. I agree.
This article has really heightened my understand of this topic. Great job.
I’m not convinced of the flaws of diamonds. This article did not mention that cubic zirconia has a hardness rating of 8.5, similar to that of a diamond.