People often look for fake diamonds instead of the real ones for a variety of reasons. Of course, the main motivation is their low price which may seem very attractive, but let’s take a look and find out if it’s worth to purchase faux diamonds and which ones are the best.
What is a Fake Diamond?
A fake diamond is a stone that looks like a real diamond but is made of a different material. They are also referred to as faux diamonds, imitation or simulated diamonds.
Faux diamonds are very close in physical properties and appearance to real things. The best imitations are nearly as hard as real diamonds and often come without flaws.
Fake diamonds should not be confused with lab-created or artificial diamonds, whose chemical composition is the same as that of real diamonds.
The difference between synthetic and natural diamonds is their origin – synthetic diamonds are created in labs.
What are the Best Fake Diamonds?
The best stones that are very similar to real diamonds are moissanite, white sapphire and cubic zirconia.
Let’s take a closer look at each of them and see what makes them a good choice.
Moissanite
Moissanites are probably the best diamond imitations that exist and for a good reason. They are almost as hard as real diamonds, moissanite’s hardness is 9.5 on the Mohs scale, while diamond’s hardness is 10.
Since moissanites are lab-created they usually come without internal flaws and reasonably white colour. What gives away their non-diamond origin is the sparkle. Moissanites have very colourful scintillation.
White Sapphire
White sapphire is another diamond imitation and its appearance is quite similar to that of a real diamond.
It’s a natural gemstone and the second hardest material in the world (9 on the Mohs scale).
However, the first thing you will notice when comparing a white sapphire with a real diamond is the difference in brilliance and sparkle. White sapphires tend to appear somewhat cloudy and milky inside and simply can’t compete in shine.
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic zirconia (CZ) is one of the most widely used stones to imitate a real diamond. It has a synthetic origin and consists of zirconium dioxide.
The reason for its popularity is its cheap price, which is only a fraction of what a real diamond costs. However, cubic zirconia is not among the hardest diamond imitations. It has an 8-8.5 rating out of 10 on the Mohs scale.
Compared with moissanites and white sapphires, cubic zirconia tends to scratch more easily. When it has too many scratches on the surface, it looses its original brilliance.
