Moissanite. Currently, the most sought-after fake diamond stone name in the industry is the moissanite. Moissanite has developed a reputation for being the best alternative to natural diamonds since they can rival them in brilliance.
Moissanite Arguably the best faux diamond in existence, moissanite comprises silicon carbide, which means it is almost of the same hardness as a natural diamond. It also has reasonable colorlessness, although the glow is far more colorful than what you would see in a real diamond.
Cubic Zirconia
Because of its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to diamond, CZ is widely considered as one of the best faux diamonds. Since its market entry in 1976 CZ quickly dominated the diamond simulant market and it remains the most gemologically and economically important simulant.
Moissanite is harder and more durable than cubic zirconia, so it is less likely to chip and crack when in a ring setting. Choose cubic zirconia if you are shopping for earrings or a pendant, as this type of jewelry is less likely to be damaged. People are less likely to get a close-up look at earrings or pendants.
The most common diamond simulants are high-leaded glass (i.e., rhinestones) and cubic zirconia (CZ), both artificial materials. A number of other artificial materials, such as strontium titanate and synthetic rutile have been developed since the mid-1950s, but these are no longer in common use.
Yes, some diamond simulants can pass a diamond tester.
For example, moissanite, a man made gem, may pass as a diamond on a standard tester pen. This is because moissanite also has very high thermal conductivity! Other diamond simulants, such as CZ, will not pass the tester.
This means that diamond jewelry is often imitated and sold as a real diamond. If you have been sold a fake diamond it is most likely to be CZ (Cubic Zirconia), an imitation created in a lab. While some choose to knowingly buy and sell CZ gems, others attempt to exploit the industry and sell them as real diamonds.
Unlike cubic zirconia, Swarovski crystals can only be cut in a small number of specific ways and are much softer. They don't reflect the light well and only score a 1.5 rating on the refraction index so there's no comparison with cubic zirconia and Swarovski crystals have indeed fallen out of fashion.
Will Moissanite last forever? Yes it will. Moissanite is a beautiful gemstone that is very hard – a 9.25 on the hardness scale! So, just like a Diamond is forever, so too, is Moissanite.
Downsides. One of the cons of a zirconia crown is that it can be tricky to match it exactly to the color of the tooth. It often appears just a shade different from your natural tooth color. Zirconia crowns look closer to tooth color than metal crowns, but they are not as easy to match as ceramic.
Diamonds are a good choice for buyers who want brilliance and fire in a genuine stone that comes from a mine. They are popular engagement ring stones because diamonds last forever. However, if you want a lovely stone at an affordable price, cubic zirconia is a good choice.
Moissanite is not made from carbon like diamonds – instead, it is made of silicon carbide and has its own unique physical properties. The beauty of moissanite is that it comes with all of the advantages of being a real gemstone and just happens to look very similar to a diamond!
If you visit any jewellery shop and find it difficult to differentiate between these stones, you should observe them in the brightest light. You will see that the diamond has white or silvery sparkles only. However, cubic zirconia will give out colourful sparkles such as red, yellow or blue.
I3 diamond clarity represents the lowest diamond clarity grade available.
Sparkle Test Using Reflectivity
Do you see both bright white shimmers and colorful pops of light? With a real diamond, there should be exceptional brilliance and fire when compared with the relatively dull reflectivity of fake diamonds like a Cubic Zirconia.
"Natural diamonds typically range anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 per carat based on quality and exact specifications," Wegman says. "A cubic zirconia is typically less than $30 per 'carat.
They're Way Too Shiny. Moissanite has a crazy amount of sparkle. Its refractive index is higher than a natural diamond's, producing more shine and a special kind of fiery rainbow brilliance. While some people go crazy for these sparkles, others turn up their noses at them.
Moissanite also has the most brilliance of any gem in the world. Brilliance is measured by the amount of light reflected back at your eye. In other words, moissanite is measurably more beautiful than diamonds. In addition to its surface toughness, moissanite can also withstand much higher temperatures than diamonds.
There is no definite way to differentiate these jewels from one another. They are difficult to differentiate to the naked eye, and even under a jeweller's loupe. Moissanite is a true alternative to diamond offering unrivalled beauty and incredible value.
Cubic zirconia is one of the three types in Pandora's man-made stone assortment and is the stone we use most in our jewellery designs, due to its alluring appearance but also its lower environmental impact.
But, when used for an Engagement Ring, they are worthless. Diamonds can cost $5,000 a carat and up, and a Cubic Zirconia probably wouldn't fetch more than $20 a carat. Recall that a Diamond should never be viewed as an investment.
For those seeking a diamond alternative, choosing cubic zirconia stones may depend on what you expect from an engagement ring. Cubic zirconia stones are easily cut and can be set in rings just like a diamond. However, this stone is not as durable as a diamond or other gemstones and may be prone to scratches over time.
Professional jewelers and gemologists cannot tell the difference between a lab created diamond and a natural one just by looking at it with the naked eye. They will have to use a microscope to look for the tiny differences in its inclusions that indicate how it was formed.
The way that diamonds reflect light is unique: the inside of a real diamond should sparkle gray and white while the outside should reflect a rainbow of colors onto other surfaces. A fake diamond, on the other hand, will have rainbow colors that you can see inside the diamond as well.