How to Detect CZ Diamonds

Hundreds of millions of years in the making, diamonds not only possess a singular beauty, they have become symbols of wealth, love and power. Today, they are almost universally prized. As a result, contemporary manufacturers developed imitation diamonds, marketing their synthetic gems to those who don't want to spend huge sums on the real thing. The most common diamond substitute is cubic zirconia, or CZ. Whether you want to identify a stone you already own, or are interested in purchasing a new one, there are several ways to determine just what you're looking at and how valuable it really is.

Instructions

1

Observe the stone's sparkle. Because diamonds refract a greater amount of light, they appear more brilliant than cubic zirconia. Compared side by side, CZ will look slightly dull.

2

Examine the stone's "fire," or dispersion. Cubic zirconia is known for its flashy, colorful prisms. Diamonds throw more white prisms, with subtle sparks of color.

3

Look for flaws. Because it's artificially produced, CZ rarely has imperfections. Under your magnifying glass however, you'll discover that diamonds often have minute irregularities.

4

Study its facets. While cubic zirconia will have faintly smooth edges, as they're made of a softer material, diamonds' facets are sharp and clean. Diamonds score 10 out of 10 on the hardness scale. Although it's true that diamonds can scratch glass, this type of test is discouraged. Not only can some impostors cut glass, you might end up with a damaged gem, even if it's real.

5

Hold it. Although diamonds are significantly harder than cubic zirconia, CZ will weigh 1.75 times more than a diamond of equal size.