Diamonds are known for their sparkle and brilliance making them popular in jewelry as their shine is unmatched by any other gemstone.

Symbolizing eternal love, diamonds are popular in engagement rings and wedding jewelry. Because of their hardness, diamonds are also used to cut and wear away other substances and are used for industrial purposes in drills, saws and engraving tools.

The jewelry and industrial use of diamonds not only creates a demand for the stones, but also prompted the discovery and expansion of simulants which seek to imitate the attractive qualities of a diamond. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are the two main competitors in this market.

Whereas CZ is considered a simulant, Moissanite is not. This is because the optical properties of CZ are similar to diamond whereas that of Moissanite are not. In other words, it is harder to tell a cubic zirconia engagement ring apart from a diamond engagement ring. Either way, both are less expensive than a diamond and have their advantages and drawbacks.

Cubic Zirconia vs. Diamonds

Cubic zirconia (or CZ) has been used in jewelry since the 1970’s. Cubic zirconias are more reflective than glass or crystal so they sparkle like diamonds. A CZ is not as hard as a diamond but weighs more, a fact that does not lessen its appeal since traditional carat sizes are small enough that their weight isn’t perceived as greater.

The majority of diamonds have inclusions, or flaws (these are measured by the ‘Clarity’ component of the four C’s of diamond buying) but CZ is optically flawless and colorless like only the most expensive diamonds are.

Moissanite vs. Diamonds

Moissanite is the jewelry name for silicon carbide and was introduced as a gemstone in the late 1990’s. Moissanite has a greater refractive index than diamond. This means that it can actually appear more sparkly than a diamond and this in fact is one of the easiest ways to tell it is not a diamond.

Moissanite is not as hard as a diamond but is harder than a cubic zirconia and it weighs less than a CZ. Moissanites do have inclusions like diamonds and may have green shading to them.

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