How to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia?

A diamond is a beautiful gem that leaves no woman indifferent. It is obtained from a diamond after special processing, which allows you to reveal all its beauty. The "double" of a diamond is cubic zirconia. It is visually very similar to the original, but has an artificial origin. It is not so easy to distinguish them from each other, they are really similar in many ways, although the price of these stones varies greatly. So that the seller of jewelry does not take advantage of this similarity and does not sell you for a lot of money a purchase that is not worth it, study the features of both stones.

Diamonds are graded according to the 4C system. It includes four characteristics - carat, color, clarity and cut. In English, all of these words begin with the letter C. Each of the parameters is important when setting a score for a particular instance.

The weight of diamonds is measured in carats, and 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams. The smallest of all are the copies, the weight of which is 0.01 carats. They are sometimes used by jewelers when creating jewelry, just to make out these stones in rings or earrings, you need to try - their diameter is no more than 1 mm.

The carat scale is 100 divisions. It is very difficult for the layman to distinguish between stones with a weight that differs even in one tenth of a carat. Specialists can do this, but they have to use a special technique, including a microscope. If you want to determine at least an approximate weight, then try using the arithmetic formula below. However, it is only suitable for stones that have been cut with a large cut.

This formula looks like this: mass = diameter2xheights0.0061

The color of a stone is determined by the GIA scale, with its help experts identify a shade ranging from brown to yellow. There is also a group of diamonds of other colors called fancy. There are very beautiful specimens of red, green, pink, lilac, blue shades. These unexpected colors are formed due to impurities: boron got into blue, uranium into green, and so on.

However, the most expensive variety is ordinary diamonds without color. The clarity of the stones can be checked using ultraviolet rays using the fluorescence method.

Cubic zirconia is a crystal grown from zirconium dioxide. In the 60s of the last century, his fame swept throughout the USSR. Because of its striking similarity to a diamond, it began to be actively used both in jewelry and in industry. Unscrupulous sellers can pass off cubic zirconia not only for a diamond, but also for other stones, for example, an emerald. But most often this stone is produced in a color scheme inherent in a diamond.

It got its name from the first letters of the scientific institute in which it was invented - the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences. It is only three units softer than a diamond on the Meuse scale (8.5 versus 10). Cubic zirconia has such varieties as:

• jenawit;
• zirconite;
• Swarovski stone.

There are many parameters by which natural and artificial crystals differ.

• The weight... The mass of cubic zirconia is significantly greater than that of a diamond. Experts can determine the weight of the stone and draw conclusions about its origin.
• Glare. The brilliance of a diamond is striking in its beauty and variety of color highlights. However, the technologies for the production of cubic zirconia do not stand still - today the craftsmen have learned how to produce crystals with a very bright shine and it is very difficult to find the difference with the original. The moissanite subspecies is almost never found in nature, but it is very often grown in laboratories. They sparkle very intensely, even more than diamonds, and it is not always possible to determine their artificial origin even with the help of instruments. Moreover, the human eye cannot cope with this task.
• Cut shape. The specificity of the cut can also give out an artificial stone, for cubic zirconia and diamonds it is different: in the first - with rounded edges, and in the second - with sharp ones. This method is also intended for experts, because cubic zirconia can be processed into 57 faces.
• Irregularities. Usually, diamonds are less perfect crystals, that is, they have small defects that are not observed in cubic zirconia.

Here are the various methods that allow you to distinguish between natural stones and crystals, grown by humans in a laboratory.

• Clearance. It is impossible to see a single letter in a newspaper or magazine through a diamond. But it is not difficult to read the text through cubic zirconia - it does not obscure the outline of the font.
• Use of fat. A simple test is enough for this, and you only need a drop of vegetable oil. Soak a pebble in it, and then hold it against the glass. Cubic zirconia will not stick to it and will quickly fall off, but the diamond will remain in place. Another method involves the use of animal fat. You need to drop it on a pebble and observe the behavior of the drop. If it remains unchanged, then you have a diamond in front of you, and if it starts to spread and collect in other drops, then this is cubic zirconia.
• Test breath. This wonderful method can even be used in a store. In this case, the stone can be in the decoration. In the case of an artificial crystal, you will see signs of fogging, but a genuine diamond will not change its appearance.
• Magnifier... Optics can help you see the subtle distinctive features of the two stones. Look at your specimen through a 20x magnifying glass and look for double facets, bifurcated beams. This can only happen with an artificial crystal. In addition, a diamond is never completely transparent. Of course, sometimes in nature there are stones of "pure water", but they will cost a fortune.
• The heating. If you hold cubic zirconia in your hands, then it will absorb the heat of the human body. But a diamond will not change its temperature in any way. True, before embarking on such an experiment, you need your hands to be quite warm.
• Hardness... This method is somewhat risky, but if you are sure that you have a diamond in front of you, then you can try it. To do this, run a stone over some surface. In the case of a stone of natural origin, he will scratch it. Another option to distinguish between diamond and cubic zirconia based on their hardness is to wear a piece of jewelry with a pebble. Over time, scratches will appear on cubic zirconia, while such changes should not occur with diamonds. The only exceptions will be cases of very careless handling of the decoration, for example, you threw it with all your might on the floor.
• Certificate. Having a Certificate of Authenticity is a sure sign that this is a real stone. Good jewelry stores are usually ready to document the natural origin of the stone. Of course, in our time you cannot be 100 percent sure of the authenticity of this or that certificate, but if this is a salon with a name that values ​​its reputation, then most likely this document will be genuine.
• Diamond tester. Today there are special devices that are able to determine the type of stone. Each specimen has its own thermal conductivity and reflective qualities. A diamond tester allows you to identify how many genuine stones there are in each row of these specimens, as well as determine the true diamond. The price of such a device, made in America, starts at 7,000 rubles. Not such a big amount compared to what you can lose if you buy a fake. The Chinese device will cost 10 times less. To get information about a stone, it is enough to bring it to the stone.

There are models that show a certain light when in contact with the material. So, Gem Oro Ultra Tester flashes green if it is a diamond, blue if it is moissanite and red if it is metal.

Further on the video you can see the differences between cubic zirconia and diamond.