Zirconia, the great alternative in jewelry
It has become popular as a visual substitute for diamond, but zirconia also stands out on its own. He arrived in the world of fashion around 1978 and he did it to stay. To this day there has not been another synthetic jewel that has impacted as much as cubic zirconia, also known as zirconia or zirconia.
Zirconia is a synthetic stone that is produced only in laboratories specialized in the treatment of zirconium oxide, whose synthetic and crystalline substance arises by melting powdered zirconium and powdered zirconium oxide at 4.982 F. It is characterized by its brilliance and clarity of its crystal, which makes it a great alternative to diamonds. If you are a lover of this precious stone, but you cannot afford it, zircon is your best option.
Doubts often arise as to whether or not what we acquire is what we are promised. Even for a professional it can be difficult to differentiate a diamond from a zircon, but despite their similarities to the naked eye, the truth is that they could not be more different from each other. And not only because of the obvious price difference.
The differences already begin in their composition: diamond is a mineral that is made up of carbon and has its origin in the earth's mantle, sediments or volcanic phenomena. Meanwhile, zircons can be a fine stone -when they originate from zirconium oxide- but they are mostly 100% synthetic and manufactured in laboratories for use in jewelry. Therefore, it will be easier to get a replacement for a zirconia if it is lost or damaged.
Diamonds are more durable than zirconia in terms of hardness. On the Mohs scale, diamond has a grade of 10, while zirconia has a grade of 8. This means that diamonds are more resistant and can be used regularly without fear of being damaged, chipped or scratched, what's more, a diamond can only be scratched by another diamond. In short, this stone offers long-term durability with little maintenance, but zirconia requires more care and polishing more frequently to maintain its shine.
Despite the hardness of diamond, it is more brittle than zircon and no less dense. With both stones in hand we can appreciate how the weight of the zirconia is greater. Twice as much as that of a diamond of the same size.
Another of their main differences, and that can help us distinguish them with the naked eye, is the way in which light falls on them. Zirconia has a more colorful brilliance, while diamond tends to white. The best way to tell them apart is to look at them in natural light. Ideally, a jeweler would do the pertinent tests on the stone that you have to find out whether or not it is an authentic diamond, but if you cannot wait, we leave you with two experiments that you can do at home to try to find out.
home tricks
Take a blank piece of paper and make a dot on it with a black pencil. Center the stone well on top of the point and look through it. If you have trouble seeing it or its reflection is distorted, it's a diamond. In case you see it clearly, you will have before you a zircon.
Put the stone in a glass of water. If it shines through the water, it's clear: it's a diamond. On the contrary, if it becomes almost transparent, it is a zirconia.
