Diamonds Alternatives and Their Pros and Cons
Why do people love diamonds and alternatives?
When we choose jewelry, diamond necklaces or rings are a well-known type of jewelry and a symbol of high quality. Diamonds are the hardest substance in nature and have a crystalline structure. Generally, it is bought for an engagement, wedding, or wedding anniversary to wear for a long time. People look forward to their relationships lasting forever and remaining constant like diamonds.
Diamond-like products are also often found on the market. As dazzling as diamonds are, they also have their characteristics. They are popular and frequently purchased as diamond alternatives due to their lower price and similar quality. You don’t even need to worry about the ethical issues brought about by mining gems.
The choice of diamond alternatives
There are no rules or conventions for selecting rings. It’s entirely up to your needs and tastes. Diamond substitutes even beat natural diamonds in shape, cut, and color. We list the following options and their benefits and drawbacks to help you make decisions: Moissanite, cubic zircon, zircon, and laboratory diamonds can imitate the fire, hardness, and transparency of diamonds to varying degrees.
Moissanite has a high refractive index, between 2.6 and 2.69; the higher the refractive index, the more brilliant the gemstone. The refractive index of natural diamonds is 2.417. In other words, moissanite sparkles in the light more brilliantly than diamonds. The fire of a diamond typically has two colors: blue and orange, whereas the fire of a moissanite has a greater variety of colors that shine. Moissanite’s hardness is also very comparable to that of a diamond. This characteristic effectively shields the gemstone’s surface from scratches in daily life.
Cubic Zirconia From the perspective of the refractive index, it is inferior to diamonds. So cubic zirconia of the same size will be darker. Since it is a synthetic material, cubic zirconia is frequently larger when used in jewelry, which allows more light to pass through. The sensory brilliance will appear similarly bright to the naked eye. Although the hardness of cubic zirconia is slightly lower than that of diamond and moissanite, it is much higher than most natural gemstones, reaching 8.6. For buyers, it’s still a good item to wear for a long time.
Zircon Before moissanite came into the public eye, zircon, one of the planet’s oldest minerals, was the most commonly used material for imitation diamonds. Unlike cubic zirconia, it is a naturally occurring gemstone. Based on the zircon’s hardness, density, and refractive index, three quality levels can be distinguished: high, medium, and low. High-quality zircons can rival diamonds in terms of cutting and facets. Zircons have an adamantine luster and a diamond-like appearance after cutting. As zircons contain more or fewer impurities, which result in zircons of different colors, this gives wearers more options for additional colors. Zircons that are colorless, blue, or red are typically the most expensive ones. A disadvantage is that it has a 7.5 out of 10 hardness rating. After wearing it for a while, slight scratches may occur due to friction or bumps. The wearer can wipe it with a soft cloth from time to time and store it properly when not in use.
Laboratory diamonds Laboratory-produced diamonds have comparable chemical and optical properties, but the production takes a while. Even though it is more expensive than other gemstones, the price is less than that of natural diamonds.
Although alternatives come very close to matching the qualities of diamonds in a certain sense, for those who love diamonds for their purity, hardness, and brilliance, no gemstone can compare. If you are passionate about diamonds’ invincibility and the unparalleled visual experience they provide, the previously mentioned options might fall short. This article may be of assistance to you if you’re looking for a reasonably priced and attractive gemstone. Some cubic zirconia and zircon rings are available on shiningthing.com; if you require other designs, kindly let us know.
