Difference between CZ Jewelry and Diamond Jewelry
Ask almost anyone and their first choice in jewelry would be diamonds…if money was no object of course. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to purchase a "woman's best friend" and far too often the choice has to be made to settle for something of lesser value and sadly, lesser appearance. There is another option to consider however and that is CZ jewelry. While there is no doubt that diamonds are still at the top of the jewelry food chain, CZ jewelry has more than enough charms to present some competition as you will see in this comparison article.
Hardness
CZ and diamonds are both pretty hard, although diamonds still have the edge, which is hardly surprising since it is one of the hardest substances in existence. Nevertheless, CZ exhibits pretty respectable qualities in this regard, coming in at 8.5 to 9.0 on the Mohs' hardness scale. Diamonds on the other hand tip the scales at 10 on the same hardness scale. In order to illustrate just how hard these two substances are, consider that glass–which is rated at 5 to 6 on the hardness scale–will scratch neither CZ jewelry or diamond jewelry, although both can easily scratch glass.
Weight
Weight is another criterion in which CZ jewelry and diamond jewelry differ and that they do fairly considerably. CZ is actually 1.75 times heavier than a diamond of equivalent size, which means that a 1.75 carat piece of CZ jewelry will be about the same size as a 1 carat piece of diamond jewelry.
Appearance
While CZ jewelry and diamond jewelry look pretty much the same to the casual observer, they are actually quite different when scrutinized more carefully, even without using a jeweler's loupe. Modern technology has resulted in CZ jewelry that is virtually flawless, while all but the rarest and most expensive diamond jewelry will exhibit impurities and inclusions of some sort. In addition, true diamond jewelry is rarely entirely colorless, with most having a hint of yellow or brown. In contrast, CZ jewelry can be made to be entirely colorless, with such examples being equivalent to diamond jewelry ranked "D" on the color grading scale. That being said, CZ jewelry also comes in a variety of different colors just as diamond jewelry does.
Summary
CZ jewelry
- Ranges from 8.5 to 9.0 on the Mohs' hardness scale
- Cannot be scratched by dust or dirt
- Can scratch glass just like diamonds
- Resistant to chipping
- Generally weighs 1.75 times more than diamonds
- Virtually flawless
- Are often entirely colorless
Diamond jewelry
- One of the hardest materials in existence
- Rated 10 on the Moh’s scale
- Cannot be scratched by dust and dirt
- Can scratch glass
- Resistant to chipping
- Often contains impurities and inclusions
- Only the rarest ones are totally colorless
