They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but there comes a time when we want to try something new or we don't want to have to pull off a jewelry heist to get the pieces we are looking for.
We want something that is new but somehow similar to what we are used to. When we think of that, Cubic Zirconia comes to mind. Cubic Zirconia is one of the most popular alternative for a diamond. But even though it’s slowly gaining popularity among jewelry buyers, this affordable alternative is often confused to a natural zircon. Zircon vs Cubic Zirconia: which is which and what distinguishes it from one another? The sounding of their names often leads to confusion, but there are a lot of differences between a Zircon and Cubic Zirconia.
Zircon or Zirconium Silicate is a natural gem that has a staggering optical beauty that resembles a diamond - this is the reason why it is widely popular among jewelry and gem connoisseurs. The two qualities that make it very similar to a diamond is its fire and luster. Buster describes how a certain gem or mineral reflects to light, it is either brilliant or dull. A Zircon is known to have a brilliant luster and has a reflective quality similar to a diamond. Aside from the colorless zircon (that resembles a diamond), there are other colors of zircon such as green, golden-brown, pink, purple, white, yellow and blue which is the most popular color often seen in a jewelry. The colors of Zircon compared to Cubic Zirconia, are natural but can be heat treated to either make it colorless or to enhance the color. The only thing that distinguishes a zircon from a diamond is the fuzzy appearance or double reflection it displays.