Cubic Zirconia Is A Girl's Best Friend Quiz

Answer: 8-8.5

This means that a CZ has a greater hardness than most semi-precious natural gems. On the Mohs scale, corundum ranks 9 and diamond ranks 10.

Answer: dispersion of light

Think of when you turn a diamond or a CZ to the light and a rainbow of colors appears. The white light is being split into all those colors. The refractive index of diamond is higher at around 2.4.

Answer: the way light interacts with the surface of a substance

The luster of the cubic zirconia is described as "adamantine," which means it is extremely high. Minerals in this category would be either transparent or translucent like diamonds.

Answer: Sri Lanka

The mineral was named for Joseph Baddeley who was working on a railroad project in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1892. He sent specimens to the Museum of Practical Geology in London where geologists noted that one sample was different. Further analysis showed it was actually ZrO2 or zirconium dioxide.

Answer: Yes

Because CZs are a synthetic substance, they can be absolutely colorless. It is very rare to find a totally colorless diamond as most will have a faint yellow or brown color.

Answer: No

Zircon's chemical name is zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4) and is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "cubic zirconium." Zircon is considered brittle and ranks around 7.5 on the Moh's scale.

Answer: False

Diamonds have a melting point of 3550 C (6422 F), while the melting point of a CZ is 2750 C (4976 F). Both heat and pressure can damage cubic zirconia.

Answer: moissanite

Moissanite was first discovered by Henri Moissan in 1893 in rock samples from an Arizona meteor crater. He first thought the crystals were diamonds, but later identified them as silicon carbide. Moissanite is stronger than sapphire or ruby, ranking at 9.5 on the Moh's scale. In 1998 moissanite began being sold as a diamond simulant.

Answer: thermal and electrical conductivity

Thermal conductivity is the ability of the diamond to transfer heat. This is why diamonds are cool to the touch. If the diamond tester emits a steady beep, a jeweler will know it is a true diamond. A fake will cause the tester not to beep or just give a warning beep. Moissanites, man-made diamond simulants, are the closest to diamonds in heat transfer and will give off a steady beep which then changes to a higher pitch. This is why a jeweler will check for both thermal and electrical conductivity when testing a stone.

Answer: No

CZs are brittle and tend to chip easily. Over time they can lose their sparkle. Another problem arises if the CZ ring has to be sized. CZs will crack and explode if heat or pressure is applied. If a couple wants the cheaper CZ, it is better to go with a one carat or smaller because the larger sized ones will begin to look fake sooner.