Cubic Zirconia: Durability And Density. While diamonds score a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, cubic zirconia, on the other hand, ranks at 8.5. Since it’s a synthetic material, cubic zirconia does offer some durability. It can be set and worn in jewelry – but won’t have the longevity of a diamond, of course. Cubic zirconia is the transparent, crystallised form of a naturally occurring mineral called zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ). Due to its popularity with buyers, cubic zirconia is in high demand so much of the cubic zirconia used in the jewellery we buy is engineered in a laboratory. Cubic zirconia is favoured for its remarkable closeness to a diamond. For instance, if your stone is a cubic zirconia, it will be about 50 percent heavier than a real diamond of equal size. If you really want to be positive, you need to go electronic. It can be challenging to determine if a diamond is real or not. Ron Samuelson at Samuelson's Diamonds and Estate Buyers walks you through the differences bet Cubic Zirconia versus Moissanite versus Diamond (Toughness) According to the comparison table, moissanite is the toughest of the three stones (7.6 metrics) on the official PSI scale of toughness determining gemstones’ ability to withstand. Next is a diamond with a 3.4 toughness and finally cubic zirconia rated at a low 2.4. A key difference for why synthetic diamonds aren’t the same as CZ is because even man-made diamonds are made with carbon atoms. CZ stones are made to look like diamonds. What is the difference between zircon and zirconia? Zircon is made of zirconium silicate, and CZ is made of zirconium oxide. The Durability of Moissanite vs Cubic Zirconia. Ranking at a respectable 9.25 on the Mohs scale, moissanite is almost as durable as diamond. This means the stone is impervious to abrasions from nearly every other substance (except diamond). On the other hand, cubic zirconia has an 8.5 Mohs rating, making it less durable than moissanite. Cubic zirconia “CZ” was introduced to the market in the 1970s and remains incredibly popular today–it is a lab-created version of natural cubic zirconia discovered in the 1930s. Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (GGG) is a synthetic stone used to substitute diamonds, invented in the 1960s. Diamonique is more affordable and works as a substitute for diamonds in jewelry. However, in terms of industrial use, cubic zirconia is far less useful than real diamonds. Real diamonds are far more durable and far less brilliant. On the Mohs hardness scale, a diamond is a 10, while a Diamoniqe or CZ stone is an 8.5. Available on the jewelry market since 1976, CZ is created from zirconium dioxide, making it heavier than a natural diamond. The added weight makes it more difficult for light to pass through the stone easily, giving the CZ a lower refractive index (and therefore less brilliance) than the natural diamond. While the affordable price of the CZ is DaiTk41.