Difference Between Zircon and Diamond

Zircon is so similar to diamond that it is difficult for the average consumer to tell the difference

• Diamond is a rare gemstone in nature. It is the hardest substance found in nature and it is also a luxurious and noble decoration. Jewelry inlaid with diamonds is the crown of jewelry and everyone loves it. However, diamonds are extremely expensive because of their rarity, especially large diamonds.
• Zircon is divided into two types: natural and artificial. Natural zircon is a silicate mineral, and its hardness is slightly lower than that of man-made ones. Artificial zirconia, namely "cubic zirconia", was first artificially synthesized by former Soviet scientists in the 1970s. The so-called zircon mostly refers to this kind, and its color, refractive index, and hardness are mostly similar to diamonds. But whether it is natural zircon or artificial zircon, the price is quite low. One carat of zircon only costs a few hundred yuan. Generally, the larger the weight of zircon, the more expensive it is, while the price of diamond is much more expensive.

But in essence, apart from the appearance, zircon and diamond are two completely different substances. In real life, people generally like bright diamonds. Since diamond identification requires equipment and identification experience, ordinary consumers cannot judge Come out, so encountering counterfeit diamonds is easy. The common ones include zircon, etc. In fact, the characteristic of zircon is that it is much cheaper than diamond and looks similar to the naked eye. Let me share the difference between zircon and diamond, and how to distinguish zircon from diamond.

different hardness

Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature and is often used for industrial cutting. The Mohs hardness of diamond has reached 10, and it will not leave traces when scratching the surface of diamond with hard objects such as industrial stainless steel; while the hardness of zircon is only 8, and it will be easy to scratch the surface of zircon with hard objects such as stainless steel. leave obvious marks.

ingredients are different

Diamond, also known as diamond, is the hardest gemstone in nature, and its main component is carbon; zircon generally refers to "cubic zirconia", which is a synthetic product, and its main component is zirconium silicate. Light yellow, garnet red and other colors.

Density is different

The relative density of diamond is 3.52, while the relative density of zircon is up to 4.73. That is to say, if diamonds and zircons of the same volume are weighed together, the heavier one is zircon, and the lighter one is diamond.

different refractive index

The refractive index of diamond is 2.417, and the refractive index of zircon is 2.176. The refractive index of diamond is higher than that of zircon. Through this distinction, the two can be roughly distinguished. For example, put the diamond and zircon countertops on a white paper with horizontal lines, and carefully observe the horizontal lines. The larger the range, the greater the refractive index. When the diamond is turned, it only reflects faint yellow and blue colors. But if it is zircon, it will reflect more colored light when it rotates, and there is a significant difference.

different thermal conductivity

The thermal conductivity of diamonds and zircons is different. No matter how you touch a diamond, it will be cold, and it will not be hot; zircons will become hot when you hold them in your hand for a while.

The cut surface is different

Zircon is not as hard as diamond, and the cutting effect of the two will be somewhat different. Observed under a magnifying glass, the cut surface of diamond is as bright as new, while the cut surface of zircon generally has small pits and pits.

How to identify, there are many ways to distinguish zircon from diamond.

The more formal and commonly used method is to use a "thermal conductivity meter" for identification

Zircon has a much lower thermal conductivity than diamond, so the industry took advantage of this property and invented a 'thermal conductivity meter' to differentiate the two. In addition, zircon has a larger specific gravity, and zircons of the same volume are heavier than diamonds; all sides of zircons have similar luster, and the "fire color" is not as beautiful as diamonds; when zircons are observed with a magnifying glass, there are obvious double shadows on the bottom surface and ridge lines, which is similar to that of diamonds. No.

straight line method

The most common way is to draw a straight line. This way is to prepare a piece of white paper, then a pen, and then use the pen to draw a straight line on the white paper, and then hold the diamond against the straight line to see if it can penetrate the diamond. Seeing the straight line on the opposite side, if it is a real diamond, you cannot see it, because the diamond has the characteristics of total internal reflection, so you will not see anything, but zircon is different, if you use zircon to face The black line on the white paper, you will find that although the black line is distorted, it can still be seen, so this method is the easiest way to identify diamonds and zircons.

Aspect presentation

Because there is a difference in hardness between diamond and zircon, although there is no special difference in appearance between the two to the naked eye, if you look at it with a magnifying glass, you can see that there is a difference between diamond and zircon. There is a big difference. The cut surface of a diamond cannot see any unevenness under a magnifying glass, but the zircon surface will have small unevenness, and some may have scratches or missing corners, but These can only be seen under a magnifying glass, and there is not much difference in appearance to the naked eye.

The above summary, I hope it will be helpful to those of you who are planning to buy diamonds. Nowadays, the phenomenon of substituting substandard products for genuine ones happens from time to time in the market. Consumers are advised to go to specialized jewelry brand stores to buy diamonds, to avoid losing money due to being cheated, to look for regular channels when purchasing, and to pay attention to relevant certificates. When buying expensive diamond rings, be sure to be careful.