 | Cubic Zirconia | Moissanite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cubic zirconia (or CZ), the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), is a mineral that is widely synthesized for use as a diamond simulant | Moissanite is a rarely occuring natural mineral, but can also be synthesized in the laboratory (silicon carbide) as a diamond simulant. |
| Cost | Low cost | Not very expensive. One-tenth of a diamond. |
| Color | Since CZ are synthetic, they can be made absolutely colorless | Transparent, green, yellow |
| Use | Mainly as a gemstone, as it bears high similarity to diamond | Jewelry, most often as diamond simulant. High-pressure experiments, replacing diamonds |
| Hardness | Relatively hard, though nowhere near diamond but harder than most natural gemstones found. 8.5 on Mohs hardness scale | Very hard. 9.5 on Mohs scale. |
| Luster | Adamantine | Adamantine to metallic |
| Material | Synthetic | Natural, synthetic |
| Dispersion | 0.060 (higher than diamond) | 0.104 |
| Crystal habit | Dipyramidal prismatic | Hexagonal |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal; 4/m 2/m | Most common: 6H hexagonal (6mm), space group: P63mc |
| Chemical formula | ZrO2 | SiC |
| Refractive Index | 2.176 | nω=2.654 nε=2.967, Birefringence 0.313 (6H form) |
| Thermal conductivity | CZ are thermal insulators | Good thermal conductivity, comparable to diamond. |
| Specific gravity | The specific gravity of CZ is between 5.6 to 6 and is relatively 1.7 times more than that of a diamond of the same size | 3.218–3.22 |
| Melting Point | 2750 C (4976 F) | 2730 °C (decomposes) |
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