You have many choices when you're buying jewelry. Cubic zirconia and synthetic diamonds compete with natural diamonds. The average person has a difficult time seeing the difference between diamonds, natural or synthetic, and cubic zirconia.
Hardness
Synthetic diamonds are true diamonds, rating a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale along with the natural variety. Cubic zirconia are not quite as hard, rating a Mohs 8.5, making it 500 times less hard than diamond.
Manufacture
Cubic zirconia are not diamonds, but are made of zirconium dioxide in a special high-temperature furnace that produces a stable crystal. Synthetic diamonds are carbon crystals made in exacting conditions of high temperature and pressure, replicating the forces that produce natural diamonds in the Earth's crust.
Cost
A 2009 survey put the cost of a synthetic diamond at about $4,000 per carat. Cubic zirconia came in at less than $20 per carat.
Appearance
Synthetic diamonds share the same optical properties as a natural diamond and have the same sparkle and "fire." Cubic zirconia have a lower index of refraction and a higher optical dispersion, so they have slightly less brilliance but a little more fire.
Colors
You can find both synthetic diamond and cubic zirconia in colorless and colored varieties. Manufacturers add tiny amounts of chemical impurities during the gem-making process to put color in otherwise clear stones.
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