Diamonds are common gemstones in our daily lives, but did you know that there are more dazzling gemstones than diamonds? There is a material that is not only comparable to diamonds in appearance, but also more affordable than diamonds. This material is the protagonist we are going to introduce to you today - cubic zirconia!
Cubic zirconia is a synthetic gemstone that was first synthesized by the Soviet Union, so people jokingly call it the Soviet diamond. Cubic zirconia is very similar to diamonds in appearance, and it is difficult to distinguish them with human eyes. In addition, the addition of different color elements gives it a variety of colors! Are you curious about such gemstones? Below we will explain cubic zirconia to you from many aspects.
How is cubic zirconia made?
The synthesis of cubic zirconia is mainly divided into four steps: preparation of zirconia powder, melting, cooling, and cutting and polishing.
The main raw material for synthesizing cubic zirconia is zirconium oxide (ZrO2). When preparing zirconia powder, stabilizers such as CaO or Y2O2 are usually added to maintain the stability of the cubic crystal structure of zirconia.
Melting the raw material powder requires a high temperature of over 2700°C. Professional operators will control the atmosphere and temperature to completely melt the raw material powder.
The raw materials in the molten state are gradually cooled. The cooling step is very critical to the production of high-quality cubic zirconia. Only by reasonably controlling the cooling rate and grain growth can the quality be guaranteed!
The cubic zirconia crystals formed after cooling are very large. At this time, we need to process and grind them and cut them into the shape we need. Professional cutters will finely grind them according to the optical properties of cubic zirconia, so that the gemstone can show the greatest sparkle effect!
What is the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond? How can you tell them apart?
Although diamond and cubic zirconia are not much different in appearance, they are essentially different in various properties! The hardness and value of diamond are much higher than cubic zirconia. Many people do not know the difference between the two, nor do they know how to distinguish them. Below we will tell you the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond from various properties, and tell you how to distinguish them.
Diamond has a Mohs hardness of 10, making it the hardest natural material in the world, while cubic zirconia has a Mohs hardness of only 8, making it far less hard than diamond. Higher hardness means better wear resistance, and the high hardness of diamond allows it to maintain its luster and appearance for a longer period of time, and is not prone to scratches, while cubic zirconia will lose its luster and scratch more easily after long-term wear or use.
Diamonds have a higher refractive index, which means they will sparkle more than cubic zirconia! Although cubic zirconia can also refract light, it is not as good as diamond in this regard.
Compared to cubic zirconia, diamonds will weigh less! This is because cubic zirconia has a higher density, which means we can tell the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond by measuring the weight of the two.
Although diamond is superior to cubic zirconia in all aspects, its price is much higher than cubic zirconia. In comparison, cubic zirconia is more economical in some non-essential decorative purposes, which is also an important reason why cubic zirconia is popular in the market.
So, how to effectively distinguish cubic zirconia from diamond?
We have summarized the following methods for you: fire test, light transmittance test, weight test, and professional instrument test.
Fire Test: Fire is used to describe the flash of color in a gemstone. Diamonds have a more brilliant fire, while cubic zirconia has a softer fire. When two gemstones are compared, the diamond usually shines more.
Light transmission test: This is based on the principle of optical refraction. You can put two gems under the text and try to see the text through the two gems. Due to the strong light refraction of diamonds, it will be difficult to see the text clearly. In contrast, cubic zirconia may show clearer text.
Weight test: The above two methods rely on human eyes and are more subjective, so we can distinguish them by weight. If the two gems are the same size, cubic zirconia will be heavier than diamond; and if the two gems weigh the same, the larger one is likely to be diamond.
Professional instrument measurement: The above methods all rely on experience to distinguish. If you want accurate results, you must rely on professional gem testing equipment to verify. Gem testing instruments can detect the optical properties of gems. By comparison, we can accurately distinguish.
What Are The Uses of Cubic Zirconia?
When it comes to uses, decorations will immediately come to your mind. Yes, most of the uses of cubic zirconia are decorations, but in addition to decoration, cubic zirconia also has additional uses in other fields, which we will introduce to you one by one below.
Decorations: Because its appearance and some properties are similar to diamonds, cubic zirconia is often used as a cheap substitute for diamonds and is used in various decorations. It is the best choice for many manufacturers to save costs!
Optical lens: Cubic zirconia has good refractive index and light transmittance, which makes it the preferred material for optical lenses and prisms.
Industrial use: Cubic zirconia has a very high hardness. Although it is not as good as diamond, it can be used to cut and grind most materials. In addition, cubic zirconia can also be used as a ceramic coating to play a wear-resistant and fire-resistant role.
Electronics Industry: Cubic zirconia has electrical insulation properties, which makes it also suitable for use in the electronics industry, with common uses such as high-temperature sensors and ceramic substrates.
Summarize
Many people simply regard cubic zirconia as an inferior substitute for diamonds. In fact, cubic zirconia is also a gemstone. It has many superior properties and is widely used in various industries!