What’s the difference between Swarovski Crystal, Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia?
By Khaled.
Sourced from: http://www.crystalandglassbeads.com/blog/2012/diamonds-cubic-zirconia-swarovski-whats-the-difference.html
‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,’ a phrase made famous by the 1949 movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in which Marilyn Monroe first performed the song. Today the saying is very much true. Traditionally, gold bands were the symbol of a wedding union until 1938, when DeBeers launched their advertising campaign “A Diamond is Forever”. The campaign is regarded as one of the most successful in history and changed the general public’s perception of diamonds. No longer were diamonds seen as a gem reserved only for Royalty and the highest of society, they came to represent love, affection and faithfulness. Now, Diamond engagement rings are not only glamorous but have a very special meaning attached to them. They symbolise commitment and the next chapter in a couple’s life. Combined with their beauty, they have become one of the most desirable stone of our world. For years, the price of diamonds were kept high by carefully controlling the quantity of diamonds allowed to reach the market by one company who had monopoly over their distribution. Today this is no longer the case. Diamonds are available from various channels around the world and their price, governed by globalized market economies. There is still a growing demand for diamonds but with their diminishing supply and extremely high costs other less expensive substitutes are used in their place.
Unlike other gemstones, diamonds are formed in the earth's mantle; a semi-molten layer between the earth's outer core and crust that is subject to extreme heat and pressure. At depths of over 100 miles below the earth’s surface, the simple carbon minerals are transformed into diamonds through heat and pressure of their surroundings. All of this happened between 1 billion to 3.3 billion years ago, when the earth was much hotter than it is today. We can’t mine far enough to reach the earth’s mantle but fortunately, volcanic eruptions have done the job for us. The last of these magma volcanic eruptions occurred over 20 million years ago, which brought diamonds close enough to the surface so that they could be mined.
Real Diamonds
Diamonds are naturally occurring gems that are composed of carbon atoms arranged in a particular structure. They are extremely hard and were regarded as the world's hardest natural material with a rating of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Although diamonds are extremely expensive, their price is very much governed by what’s known as the four Cs - carat, cut, colour, and clarity. It is very rare to find a diamond that does not contain flaws, which is why such diamonds demand a high price. The same can be said for colour. Most diamonds, other than having small amounts of defects or impurities, will have a tinge of yellow or brown which is why truly colourless diamonds are so rare.
Diamonds have a high refractive index of 2.417 and a dispersion of 0.044, which means that when light passes from air to a diamond, which has a different density to air, the speed of light slows down and bends the light due to the angle of refraction. The different colours that make up a white light slow at different speeds and are split up or separated once they enter the diamond. This separation of the colour spectrum is called dispersion and as light leaves the diamond and enters the air, the angle of refraction again bends and the dispersion increases, giving us a colour spectrum. A Diamond is also an excellent thermal conductor. This means it does not conduct heat, so if you touch a diamond to your lips it will always feel cold. Diamonds have a specific gravity of between 3.5 – 3.53, which is the density of the material in comparison to the same amount of water and is useful for gem identification by gem buyers and gemologists.
Cultured Diamond
Cultured diamonds or synthetic diamonds, have been in production since the mid 1950’s, although the technology could only produce small diamonds then. Over the past few years, the technology has rapidly advanced and now companies are able to produce diamonds that are identical in hardness, dispersion, gravity, refraction and chemical composition to the highest quality natural diamonds available. Where as a one-carat top quality diamond would cost thousands to buy, the same man made version could go for a few dollars only. This obviously has a huge impact on the diamond industry over the next few years, when comparing a cultured and mined diamond become virtually undistinguishable. However, they can still be differentiated by spectroscopy, infrared, ultraviolet, or X-ray wavelengths. Cultured diamonds can be grown from a single crystal by using a technique called chemical vapor deposition. The technique works by placing cultured crystal seeds in a chamber where hydrogen and methane gases are passed through. The chamber is then subject to high heat and pressure causing hydrogen and methane deposits to collect on the diamond crystals, steadily growing them in the process.
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia is currently the most popular substitute to a diamond because to the untrained eye they look identical. Cubic Zirconia or CZ, is made from zirconium dioxide, a completely different material from diamonds. Yet, although a different chemical composition altogether, it comes closer than any other gem to matching the characteristics of a diamond. Natural CZ was first discovered in 1899 but it was not until the late 70’s that man made CZ first came into production for use in jewellery. CZ on first impression, looks just like a diamond, but under close inspection there are differences. It has a gravity of between 5.6 and 6.0, which means it’s 1.6 times the weight of a diamond. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, a refraction index of 2.176 and a dispersive power of 0.060, meaning that it is not as hard as a diamond, is slightly less sparkly but displays more prismatic fire which means more colour sparkles within the gem. Another point to note is that natural diamonds display impurities which CZ does not. It is clear in colour, which most diamonds are not, but they can be coloured by adding metal oxides during the production process. Unlike diamonds, CZ are good thermal insulators which mean they become warm but can’t withstand the same kind of heat a diamond can. This is one test that is used to distinguish diamonds from CZ. Caring for CZ is important because they are more brittle and susceptible to wear and tear such as chipping and scratches over time.
Moissanite
Moissanite is another diamond substitute which is a rare mineral that can be found naturally in small quantities although jewellery grade Moissanite is artificially made. It is made from Silicon Carbide which means it is able to withstand high temperatures and is very hard with a Mohs scale reading of 9.25. There is currently only one manufacturer of Moissanite gemstones, Charles & Colvard whose patent will expire in 2015. Once the patent expires, it will likely become more readily available and at a cheaper price when competitors can also manufacture the gemstone. Moissanite is slightly lighter than a diamond with a gravity of 3.21 which is not that noticeable, but it has a refraction index of 2.65-2.69 and a dispersion of 0.104. This means that Moissanite is noticeably much sparklier and displays more prismatic fire than a diamond which is noticeable even to an untrained observer. Moissanite does have inclusions like a diamond and it may also have a greenish tinge to its colour.
Swarovski Crystal
Swarovski Crystals are not a gemstone or even a crystal. It is a form of glass that is made at high temperatures by melting silicon oxide powders with lead to form what is known as lead crystal. The exact process is one that is patented by Swarovski but it has approximately 32% lead content to increase the crystals refraction index to resemble that of a diamond. To produce a diamond-like effect, the crystal glass is precision cut and then polished, again by a Swarovski patented process, that gives the crystal a high quality finish. The crystals are often further enhanced by coating the glass with an Aurora Borealis or AB coating that gives the surface a rainbow like appearance to simulate dispersion from a diamond. Swarovski crystal has a Mohs hardness of between 6-7, so it is susceptible to scratches and chipping from wear and tear, but at the same time, it is harder than standard glass. The lead content in the crystal increases the refraction index of the glass from 1.5 to 1.7 to give the faceted faced a more sparkly appearance.
Whichever gem or crystal you decide to use for your jewellery designs, you can be sure that any of the above will provide the beautiful sparkle they are all intended for. For most, the choice will come down to cost. Swarovski is undoubtedly the most cost effective diamond alternative. It is a brand that is synonymous with quality and elegance, which is why it is used by so many of the top fashion houses around the world both in their designs and in conjunction with promoting their own brand. Cubic Zirconia on the other hand doee not have a brand name, costs slightly more, but offers a more hard-wearing solution for a diamond substitute to designs. It is worth noting that Swarovski makes a CZ range which is worth looking into as you get the brand coupled with a high quality gemstone without the stigma of a CZ fake diamond. As we see more cultured Diamonds enter the market and become more readily available, it is likely that we will see a price drop in the genuine article. Or maybe people will learn to be perfectly happy to accept a man made version in its place because after all, it is appearance that is important when you are looking for an engagement ring not the rings history.
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Edited by: Mei
End Notes: I did not write the article, merely edited it for some punctuation and grammatical errors. Any opinions are solely those of the original author and DO NOT necessarliy reflect my own opinions.
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