If you're thinking about buying a diamond for yourself or as a gift, you'll surely want to know how to tell whether the precious stone they are selling you is really authentic. For example, cubic zirconias are stones that can be confused with diamonds as they have a similar shape. And although diamonds and zirconias are aesthetically similar, their prices are very different. In this OneHowTo article we'll explain some tips on how to tell the difference between a diamond and a cubic zirconia.
The first step to tell the difference between a diamond and a cubic zirconia is to take a look at the price. The price of a diamond ring is usually 5 to 15 times greater than that of a zirconia. You can look in the shop windows of jewelers and search for one like it to compare the prices of both stones.
Another trick, when available, is to get a 10X or 18X lens and look at the stone carefully under natural light to see if the piece has no imperfections and has a white color; if so it is almost certainly a zirconia. Most diamonds have imperfections inside, which make them unique and unrepeatable with another of the same size.
The best thing is to go to an expert jeweler who can test the stone in front of you with a diamond tester or a tungsten pencil. You can also take a look at our article: How to know if a Diamond is real.
Diamonds are not transparent at the bottom, unlike zirconias. This can be seen very clearly when you put a diamond face down on a piece of paper with a line. With a diamond you cannot see the line through it but with a zirconia, you can.
Another way to tell these two stones apart is by applying heat on them. Hold the precious stone in the palms of your hand and breathe on the diamond or zirconia. Take a look at the stone. If it still has damp and a foggy texture to it, you have a zirconia, if all of the mist has disappeared, it is a real diamond.
Also, in ultraviolet light a diamond will have a fluorescent blue hue, whilst a zirconia will have a slight lilac tinge. In fact the bluer the light is, the less valuable your diamond will be.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Tell the Difference Between a Diamond and a Cubic Zirconia, we recommend you visit our Fashion & Style category.