Should You Choose Diamonds Over Cubic Zirconias?
According to the experts at Glamour magazine, when it comes to buying jewellery, "it's always better to buy diamonds over cubic zirconia."
Are you wondering why you should choose diamonds over cubic zirconias? Well, they're both kinds of diamonds, right?
Errmmm...
No, absolutely not. One is the real thing, the genuine article, and the other is a wannabe, cheap, sparkly simulation of a diamond's natural beauty. But don't let that put you off! Cubic zirconia has a valuable place in jewellery, and I have pretty much given away the answer to the title question!
In this article, we will look at what diamonds are, what cubic zirconia crystals are and why, in most cases, a diamond is a better choice for jewellery.
Two Beautiful, But Very Different Stones
The answer is simple. Diamonds and cubic zirconias are both beautiful stones. Most people would argue that the flashy brilliance of a CZ crystal cannot compare to the beauty of a natural diamond. Diamonds, by nature, are much rarer than cubic zirconias. As a result, diamonds are more expensive.
When you buy a diamond, you're investing in something unique; no two diamonds are alike. It's something that you will cherish for years to come. On the other hand, cubic zirconias are made from abundant minerals on the Earth's surface, mixed together and created in a factory in huge quantities. When you buy cubic zirconia, you're purchasing something common and low-cost. As a result, you can find cubic zirconia engagement rings for a price much lower than the cost of a diamond ring that, at first glance, might look similar
Cubic zirconias are manmade gemstones, sometimes called fake diamonds. There are plenty of reasons why you should avoid them.
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1) The Different Origins Of CZ And Diamonds
While diamonds can today be manufactured in laboratories, until the past few years, they came exclusively from deep below the ground, created over millions of years. Even today, lab-created diamonds are a tiny part of the diamond jewellery scene.
Cubic zirconia is a crystal formed from zirconium oxide. Cubic zirconia crystals are always made in a laboratory or factory, and while they often look similar to diamonds, they are not even made from the same materials. For example, a diamond is a pure carbon lattice crystal structure.
Cubic zirconia was first identified and created in laboratories in 1929, but it took decades until jewellery-sized crystals could be created. During the 1960s, larger crystals were made and used in optical equipment and lasers. In 1977 cubic zirconia finally made it to the mass market in jewellery.
2) The Colour Of Cubic Zirconia Compared to Diamond
Because they are made in a factory, it is possible to control the entire process. This control in manufacture means that most cubic zirconia crystals are as colourless as the highest-quality diamonds. Diamonds, on the other hand, apart from the highest graded examples, will have some degree of colouration. In most cases, this colouration can only be spotted by experts and under controlled lighting conditions.
If you want coloured gemstones, then both diamonds and cubic zirconia can help. Both CZ and diamond are available in a range of colours. However, in the case of CZ, coloured crystals are inexpensive, costing just a few pounds for a large one. Coloured diamonds can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds for large, deeply coloured gemstones.
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3) Durability Of Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia
Diamonds are known to be the hardest naturally occurring material on Earth. Using the Mohs hardness scale, diamond measures a perfect ten. CZ is much less durable, coming in at about 8.00. As the Mohs scale is not linear, cubic zirconia is only about 25% as hard as diamond, which makes a big difference!
When it comes to wearing diamond jewellery, it is unlikely to get scratched or chipped in normal conditions. On the other hand, CZ crystals will inevitably pick up scratches and become cloudy, losing their initial sparkle. Over time the edges of the facts that give cut and polished gemstones wear away, leaving rounded edges with little sparkle or brilliance. Given the low cost of cubic zirconia, professional cleaning and polishing are hardly worthwhile - it is probably cheaper to look for a replacement on Amazon or eBay!
Diamonds really are forever! They took millions of years to make and can last for millions more! Keep CZ for costume jewellery where long life is not expected or even wanted! The facet edges and surfaces will remain undamaged for future generations. Regular cleaning is enough to indefinitely retain a diamond's optical properties, brilliance, fire and sparkle.
4) How Does The Clarity And Sparkle Of CZ Crystals Compare To Diamonds?
Diamond clarity is one of the 4Cs of diamond quality. A totally flawless diamond probably does not exist. All diamonds have some degree of imperfection, even those graded as Flawless by diamond experts. The imperfections make it easy to tell a real diamond apart from almost all fakes and simulants - including cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia should always have perfect clarity with no internal flaws or inclusions.
Diamonds have, throughout history, been famed for their light performance. Alongside clarity, the performance in light tells CZ apart from a real diamond. Diamonds and CZ crystals share an optical property called 'dispersion.' This is the ability of both crystals to break down white light into all the colours of the rainbow. Diamonds have a dispersion rate of 0.044; this is enough that a well-cut and polished diamond will have a lot of sparkle and fire.
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Cubic zirconia also has excellent light dispersal with a dispersal rate of 0.066. The difference may appear small in terms of the numbers, but it is enough to cause CZ crystals to have a distinct rainbow effect under lights. Unlike diamonds, the dispersed light, the sparkle, has a distinctive flash of multiple colours, whereas diamonds sparkle with much less of a rainbow effect - it is much 'whiter'.
This rainbow effect becomes more noticeable as the size of the crystal increases. It is less pronounced and harder to spot in smaller stones. But if you buy smaller CZ crystals to minimise the effect, you might as well spend just a bit more money and get the 'real thing'.
Many jewellery lovers, recognising the difference in light performance between the two crystals, prefer the less gaudy effect of diamonds to the showy effect of CZ. Of course, when anyone wears CZ, this is something that other people will notice. People quickly understand that they are looking at CZ rather than beautiful diamonds - so take care that you don't try to trick people into thinking your CZ jewellery is made with real diamonds; your deception will not last long!
5) Is A Cubic Zirconia Crystal More Brilliant Than A Diamond?
The brilliance of a gemstone is directly related to its refractive index. The refractive index is a measure of how much a beam of light is bent as it passes through a transparent material such as diamond or CZ. The refractive index (RI) of diamonds is around 2.42, while that of CZ is lower at anywhere from 2.15 to 2.18. Both crystals will sparkle, but CZ crystals with the same time of cut, shape and size will always have less sparkle and brilliance than a diamond.
A diamond will always look better than a cubic zirconia crystal. Of course, when seen in isolation, the sparkle of a CZ can be impressive in its own right; but it is distinctly second-class compared to the real thing.
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6) Is A Cubic Zirconia Worth Anything In Comparison To A Diamond?
The simple answer here is 'no'. A cubic zirconia crystal weighing one carat might cost as little as £10, while a similar weight natural diamond might cost more than £10,000. So, in those terms, CZ has almost no value at all. But money isn't everything. Jewellery is purchased, given and worn for many reasons.
Diamond jewellery is almost always connected with powerful emotional events such as engagements, birthdays, graduations, and other important milestones. We wear high-quality jewellery as a status symbol to show off our success.
Most women would be disappointed to discover that their boyfriend gave them a CZ engagement ring. It would not say much positive about how the man thought about the relationship, his generosity or even his material success. This tells us that the monetary value of cubic zirconia is very low, and the emotional value is too!
On the other hand, sometimes we wear jewellery because it looks pretty! We want something flashy and different, something we can buy today, wear a couple of times and then never again. That's what costume jewellery is for! Unless one is wealthy and can afford to buy and wear diamond jewellery that way, then CZ jewellery is a good choice. CZ jewellery allows women to change their look, show off, to have a touch of glamour at a very low cost.
The Last Word
The bottom line is this, in our society, diamonds are prestigious. We know that they are rare, difficult to make into high-quality jewellery and require high levels of skill to turn an unassuming grey pebble into a beautiful gemstone that will last for many generations.
It does not matter how sensible buying a piece of cubic zirconia jewellery might be, at least in terms of its price; CZ can never match the prestige of wearing a large, well-cut diamond in a beautiful, precious metal setting.
Because CZ crystals are so cheap, they never have the emotional weight that goes along with being diamond jewellery because, as a society, we recognise that the effort required to acquire the wealth to buy a valuable item is worthy of respect. That's why diamond jewellery is a status symbol.
Every piece of diamond jewellery worn by any man or woman represents a degree of sacrifice to acquire it. That's partly why women like their boyfriends to give them a large diamond engagement ring - it shows her and the world just how much he is willing to sacrifice for her. As an individual, it might be that you do not like this aspect of diamond jewellery, but that does not lessen the reality. It has been the reality for thousands of years, and it is not likely to change any time soon!
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All Diamond Does Not Sell Cubic Zirconia Jewellery!
As the name suggests, all of our jewellery is made with diamonds. There is no CZ anywhere to be found. We use high-quality diamonds and other precious stones alongside gold and platinum to create beautiful fine jewellery that will delight the wearer whenever they choose to wear it. Our British designers and artisans work hard to create beautiful pieces to delight the wearer and everyone who sees the jewellery.
Please browse through our collections of diamond rings, bracelets, earrings and other items. We are confident that you will be inspired by what you see and look forward to helping you make a lifetime of good memories with our creations!
