Tuesday, March 23, 2010
4:09 AM | 
Posted by
emark.lim
Cubic zirconia Whats the difference between a CZ and a real diamond?
The answer to that is not much. CZ's are quickly becoming a substitute for diamonds all over the world.
Using only the naked eye, most people cannot differentiate between a CZ and the real thing, experts need to use magnification and other tests to determine which is fake, and which is a real diamond.
The important thing is that to the untrained eye, a CZ looks identical to a real diamond. CZ's under magnification do have less sparkle and brilliance than the real stones, and offer more variation or "fire" in the reflections they produce.
Russians were the first to develop the stones, as a replacement for lenses and optics in their space program, diamonds were too expensive.
CZs are just as reflexive in most cases, and their light dispersion and hardness are extremely close to a diamonds.
There are some key factors and determinants that will distinguish between a diamond and a CZ. Remember however that the naked eye is not enough to distinguish between the two, microscope lenses and other tools are necessary.
The hardness of the stone is the first thing examined, CZ often range around 8,5 to 9,0 Mohs' of hardness and diamonds, are rated 10. Diamonds being the hardest substance known to man, are at the top of the scale, 10 is the highest possible ranking presently.
Glass, sand, and rock are rated around 5 or 6 so they will not damage or scratch a CZ, leaving no worries about their durability.
CZs and diamonds do differ greatly in weight. CZs are aprox 1,75 times heavier than a diamond of equal size. Basically, a CZ the same size as a 1 carat diamond, actually weights 1,75 carats, making a comparison difficult in terms of size and weight alone.
Although it is difficult or nearly impossible to find a flawless diamond, CZs are virtually all perfect because they are man made and manufactured in labs. Most diamonds contain some imperfections, possibly only noticeable under magnification.
The perfection of a rock either means it is a flawless rare extremely expensive diamond, or it is a CZ.
Talking about color, and the lack of color, only the most rare and perfect diamonds are colorless, most have a yellow or brown tint. Most CZs are completely colorless, giving them a perfect rating on the diamond color scale, again, very difficult to obtain in nature.
Also, under microscope, the structure of CZs differs greatly from diamonds. It is obvious (under magnification) which stones were produced in nature, and which ones were produced in a laboratory.
The thermal insulation of CZs and diamonds also differs, this is not so important in jewelry, but in other applications where the stones are used. Machining and cutting, production durability, heat applications and lenses are examples of thermal dynamics affecting the stones.
Remember is it nearly impossible to distinguish a CZ from a real diamond with the naked eye. Only tests will prove for sure. If you're looking for the best, cheaper alternative to the real stone, a CZ is your right choice.
Author: Josh Whitford
Source: ezinearticles.com
The answer to that is not much. CZ's are quickly becoming a substitute for diamonds all over the world.
Using only the naked eye, most people cannot differentiate between a CZ and the real thing, experts need to use magnification and other tests to determine which is fake, and which is a real diamond.
The important thing is that to the untrained eye, a CZ looks identical to a real diamond. CZ's under magnification do have less sparkle and brilliance than the real stones, and offer more variation or "fire" in the reflections they produce.
Russians were the first to develop the stones, as a replacement for lenses and optics in their space program, diamonds were too expensive.
CZs are just as reflexive in most cases, and their light dispersion and hardness are extremely close to a diamonds.
There are some key factors and determinants that will distinguish between a diamond and a CZ. Remember however that the naked eye is not enough to distinguish between the two, microscope lenses and other tools are necessary.
The hardness of the stone is the first thing examined, CZ often range around 8,5 to 9,0 Mohs' of hardness and diamonds, are rated 10. Diamonds being the hardest substance known to man, are at the top of the scale, 10 is the highest possible ranking presently.
Glass, sand, and rock are rated around 5 or 6 so they will not damage or scratch a CZ, leaving no worries about their durability.
CZs and diamonds do differ greatly in weight. CZs are aprox 1,75 times heavier than a diamond of equal size. Basically, a CZ the same size as a 1 carat diamond, actually weights 1,75 carats, making a comparison difficult in terms of size and weight alone.
Although it is difficult or nearly impossible to find a flawless diamond, CZs are virtually all perfect because they are man made and manufactured in labs. Most diamonds contain some imperfections, possibly only noticeable under magnification.
The perfection of a rock either means it is a flawless rare extremely expensive diamond, or it is a CZ.
Talking about color, and the lack of color, only the most rare and perfect diamonds are colorless, most have a yellow or brown tint. Most CZs are completely colorless, giving them a perfect rating on the diamond color scale, again, very difficult to obtain in nature.
Also, under microscope, the structure of CZs differs greatly from diamonds. It is obvious (under magnification) which stones were produced in nature, and which ones were produced in a laboratory.
The thermal insulation of CZs and diamonds also differs, this is not so important in jewelry, but in other applications where the stones are used. Machining and cutting, production durability, heat applications and lenses are examples of thermal dynamics affecting the stones.
Remember is it nearly impossible to distinguish a CZ from a real diamond with the naked eye. Only tests will prove for sure. If you're looking for the best, cheaper alternative to the real stone, a CZ is your right choice.
Author: Josh Whitford
Source: ezinearticles.com
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