Telling the Difference Between a Cubic Zirconia and a Diamond

Many people have always relied on the same old method of telling a real diamond from a fake. If it scratches glass, then it is a real diamond. However, that is not true anymore. Over the years a cubic zirconia has been made to fool the most discerning eyes and they can cut glass, too.

To be able to tell the difference between a cubic zirconia and a diamond you must learn the characteristics of the cubic zirconia. These same characteristics make them look similar to a diamond and also make them different from a diamond. Chances are you are not going to have this kind of scale put away on a shelf, but the cubic zirconia's hardness is measured to be 8.3 on the Mohs scale whereas the diamond will register a 10. The cubic zirconia is flawless where as a flawless diamond is not only rare, but also very expensive. All diamonds will have some impurities in the stone.

Another characteristic of the cubic zirconia is the gray color it will have when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. You can mark the stone in question with a grease tip pencil or felt tip marker. Because diamonds attract grease while cubic zirconia repels grease the marking will not stay on the cubic zirconia.

Checking the transparency of the stone is another test you can do on the stone you have purchased. Lay the stone in question on top of a newspaper, if you can read the print through the stone chances are it is not a diamond. However, this test is not 100 %, so there is a chance it is a diamond.

Also, the facet edges of a stone can help you determine the real from the fake. The cubic zirconia's edges are sometimes rounded with some chipping. If the stone has very sharp edges, you may have a diamond.

Then there is the fog test. Put fog on the stone like you would a mirror. If the stone stays fogging for a few seconds, you may have a cubic zirconia. Real diamonds will quickly dissolve the heat. However, the result of this test is not reliable if the stone has accumulated any dirt and oil.

If by chance you have access to a carat scale or a gram scale. You can analyze the stone's weight. A cubic zirconia weighs more than a diamond with the stones both being the same size.

These tests can not be 100% reliable in determining the fake from the real diamond. If you have paid for a diamond and think you may have received a good fake take it too a qualified gemologist or jeweler.

There is nothing worse than paying for something you did not get. Thieves are using cubic zirconia stones to switch with real diamonds while pretending to shop at a jewelry store. Don't always assume your jeweler is a thief. It could be he was robbed first and hadn't noticed the switch in the fake diamonds for the real one.