How to Spot a Cubic Zirconia

Diamonds are forever and a girl's best friend. You've heard all the sayings about diamonds, but nothing comes as close to the diamond as a cubic zirconia, a popular imitation that's much less expensive than the real thing. It's hard for the untrained eye to identify the cubic zirconia, but here's how to spot one.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Buy a magnifying lens. Although a cubic zirconia isn't as brilliant as a diamond, it's hard for most people to tell the difference without some aid to the naked eye.

2. Look for wear and tear on the jewel. A cubic zirconia facet wears down eventually with use. A diamond's facets won't wear down as easily.

3. Weigh a jewel of similar size and design that you're sure is a diamond. The diamond weighs less than a cubic zirconia.

4. Search for jewels that seem to have the perfect look. A cubic zirconia looks perfect with beautiful shine and perfect edges. In fact, most diamonds aren't perfect. If the jewel looks too perfect, it likely is a cubic zirconia instead of a diamond.

5. Check for color. Most diamonds have a tinge of color to them as they show imperfection. A cubic zirconia is colorless and shows the synthetic make of the jewel.

6. Test the hardness. A cubic zirconia is brittle and breaks easily. Diamonds are hard and can only be broken under special conditions such as heat, pressure and with special tools.

Tips & Warnings

• Take the jewel to an expert. A well versed jeweler can spot fakes and real diamonds.

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