THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL DIAMONDS, MOISSANITE, CULTURED DIAMONDS AND CUBIC ZIRCONIA.

DIAMOND

Diamond, also known as adamant, is composed of Carbon atoms arranged in a particular structure. The material is the hardest known to be found in nature. Also, it is very rare to find the natural Diamond without inclusions, chemical imperfections and structural irregularities.

Some facts about Diamond:

Hardness (Moh's Scale) - 10 (highest)

Index of Refraction (brilliance) - 2.42

Dispersion (fire) - 0.044

Specific Gravity - 3.52

Main Chemical Component - Carbon

Cleavage - Octahedral

MOISSANITE

It's origins go back to 1893, when Dr. Henry Moissan, a French chemist and a Nobel Prize winner, identified minor quantities of natural Silicon Carbide, known as Luthenite, in the meteorite found in Arizona. These elements were replicated in a material to produce a synthetic gemstone with similar properties of Diamond. It has been on a market since 1990. Moissanite can cut the glass, because it's hardness is close to the natural Diamond. This stone is expensive, and almost impossible to find in a pure white color. The stone usually appears slightly greenish tone. It is easy to distinguish Moissanite from the Diamond, because Moissanite has more radiance and is more brilliant than natural stone.  But it replicates Diamond so well that it could be sold as Diamond to the unwary buyer.

Some facts about Moissanite:

Hardness - 9.25

Index of Refraction (brilliance) - 2.65-2.69

Dispersion (fire) - 0.104

Specific Gravity - 3.21

Main Chemical Component - Silicon Carbide

CULTURED DIAMOND

These Diamonds are man-made stones. Cultured Diamonds are comparatively new on the market. Two companies, Gemesis and Apollo Diamond, are competitively developing production of these diamonds since 2004. Cultured Diamonds are produced using a method that grows crystals from a seed under high pressure and temperature. Cultured Diamonds can be up to 2 Carats, and come in a variety of colors, making them perfect stone for the jewelry making. Cultural Diamonds are ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL to Natural Diamonds. But these stones are pure and don't have such imperfections as inclusions, structural irregularities or chemical impurities. Such imperfections are often added to simulate nature and produce colored Diamonds. It is even cheaper to synthesize the color stone because it takes just several days to grow such crystal versus several weeks for the clear stones.

Some facts about Cultured Diamonds:

Hardness - 10

Index of Refraction (brilliance) - 2.42

Dispersion (fire) - 0.044

Specific Gravity - 3.52

Main Chemical Component - Carbon

Cleavage - Octahedral

CUBIC ZIRCONIA

Unlike Cultured Diamonds, Cubic Zirconia is made of a different material than Natural Diamonds. It primarily consists of Zirconium Dioxide. Therefore, it's chemical properties are close, but different from Diamonds. While Cubic Zirconia has more fire, it is heavier and does not have such hardness as Diamonds. Being pretty decent replica of Natural Diamond, this stones are highly recommended alternative for highly priced Natural and Cultural Diamonds.

Some facts about Cubic Zirconia:

Hardness - 8.5

Index of Refraction (brilliance) - 2.17

Dispersion ( fire) - 0.066

Specific Gravity - 5.80

Main Chemical Component - Zirconium Oxide