Diamonds are known for their sparkle and brilliance making them popular in jewelry as their shine is unmatched by any other gemstone. Diamonds also symbolize pure and unconditional love, which makes them the best choice when it comes to engagement rings and other wedding trinkets. And since diamond is the hardest substance on earth, diamonds also serve a purpose in the industrial world, used on drills, saws and other utility tools to effectively cut away on harder substances.
Because diamonds are so popular as jewelry and as part of industrial tools, there is a huge demand for these precious stones, which is the reason why there are a few imitations that share a lot of similarities, but are not quite like diamonds. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are two such elements often used in jewelry.
Both uncannily simulate the characteristics and features of real diamonds even if they do not contain any diamond material whatsoever. While nothing can actually replicate a diamond aside from a diamond itself, there are advantages and disadvantages to these two affordable alternatives.
Cubic Zirconia vs. Diamonds
Cubic Zirconia, or CZ for short, has been a byword in the jewelry industry since the 70s. Due to their reflective qualities, cubic zirconias can sparkle like diamonds more than glass or crystal could. A CZ is not as hard as a diamond but weighs more, a fact that does not lessen cubic zirconias appeal since traditional carat sizes are small enough that their weight isn't perceived as greater. Most diamonds happen to have minuscule flaws, otherwise known as inclusions, which are measured by the Clarity component - you may need to refer to our previous piece on the four Cs of shopping for diamonds. Not many diamonds are as clear and transparent as CZs generally are - most diamonds, in fact, have a yellowish sort of shade if you look at them closely.
Moissanite vs. Diamonds
Moissanite is the jewelry name for silicon carbide and was introduced as a gemstone in the late 1990's. Moissanites can be differentiated from diamonds because of their extreme brilliance - this is due to the element's refractive properties when absorbing light.
While moissanites are lighter than CZs in terms of weight, they are harder, though of course, not as hard as diamonds. Moissanites do have inclusions like diamonds and may have green shading to them.
Both cubic zirconia and moissanite have a close visual resemblance to diamonds - they offer the luster and fire of diamonds while being mostly colorless and can be cut in the same shapes as diamonds. That being said, do not expect cubic zirconia and moissanite to be easy to find in your conventional jewelry store, and if they are available, not all cuts or shapes may be available due to their relative scarcity.
Because diamonds are so popular as jewelry and as part of industrial tools, there is a huge demand for these precious stones, which is the reason why there are a few imitations that share a lot of similarities, but are not quite like diamonds. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are two such elements often used in jewelry.
Both uncannily simulate the characteristics and features of real diamonds even if they do not contain any diamond material whatsoever. While nothing can actually replicate a diamond aside from a diamond itself, there are advantages and disadvantages to these two affordable alternatives.
Cubic Zirconia vs. Diamonds
Cubic Zirconia, or CZ for short, has been a byword in the jewelry industry since the 70s. Due to their reflective qualities, cubic zirconias can sparkle like diamonds more than glass or crystal could. A CZ is not as hard as a diamond but weighs more, a fact that does not lessen cubic zirconias appeal since traditional carat sizes are small enough that their weight isn't perceived as greater. Most diamonds happen to have minuscule flaws, otherwise known as inclusions, which are measured by the Clarity component - you may need to refer to our previous piece on the four Cs of shopping for diamonds. Not many diamonds are as clear and transparent as CZs generally are - most diamonds, in fact, have a yellowish sort of shade if you look at them closely.
Moissanite vs. Diamonds
Moissanite is the jewelry name for silicon carbide and was introduced as a gemstone in the late 1990's. Moissanites can be differentiated from diamonds because of their extreme brilliance - this is due to the element's refractive properties when absorbing light.
While moissanites are lighter than CZs in terms of weight, they are harder, though of course, not as hard as diamonds. Moissanites do have inclusions like diamonds and may have green shading to them.
Both cubic zirconia and moissanite have a close visual resemblance to diamonds - they offer the luster and fire of diamonds while being mostly colorless and can be cut in the same shapes as diamonds. That being said, do not expect cubic zirconia and moissanite to be easy to find in your conventional jewelry store, and if they are available, not all cuts or shapes may be available due to their relative scarcity.
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