Are Diamonique Stones Like Genuine Diamonds?

Diamond

A diamond is a gemstone made of carbon that has many unique properties. Diamond is one of the hardest substances on Earth, having a Mohs scale hardness of 10. It also has the highest melting point of any substance and is the greatest conductor of heat. For the purposes of jewelry, diamond has one of the highest refractive indexes of any gemstone, 2.42, which means that few gemstones can match or exceed its capability for sparkle and shine. Colorless diamonds are most often used in jewelry, although fancy diamonds, which can be many colors, are rare and desirable.

Cubic zirconia is an artificially created material with the chemical name zirconium dioxide. When found naturally, zirconium dioxide is called baddeleyite and has the same chemical composition as cubic zirconia but a different crystal structure. To form the crystal structure of cubic zirconia, small amounts of yttrium oxide or calcium oxide are added. Changing the crystal structure means that the stone can be cut like a diamond. Cubic zirconia is colorless, and other chemicals can be added to create cubic zirconia in different colors. Cubic zirconia has a Mohs hardness of 8.25 to 8.5, a refractive index of 2.15. Cubic zirconia is one of the most popular and least expensive diamond simulants and is the main material for Diamonique stones.

To an amateur, visually distinguishing a cubic zirconia from a diamond can be difficult. Both have a high refractive index, meaning that they have a similar sparkle when cut. Cubic zirconia can have the same cuts as a diamond, meaning that the shape of cut diamonds and cut Diamonique stones are identical. The most obvious difference between these two materials is that a Diamonique stone will weigh more than a diamond of the same size. Visually, true diamonds and Diamonique stones are almost indistinguishable.

Chemically, Diamonique stones bear no resemblance to true diamonds. Diamonique stones are also much softer and can be scratched by many other materials, though if proper care is taken, the wearer of a Diamonique stone may never notice as these stones are still quite hard. In addition, because Diamonique is a simulated stone and not a true jewelry-quality diamond, which is much rarer, Diamonique lacks the resell value of a real diamond. While Diamonique stones and diamonds may look nearly identical, diamonds have more value due to their rarity.