mineralogical simulant / gemstone
Cubic Zirconia
Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2)
Hardness: 8-8.5 Mohs scale. Color: Colorless. Luster: Adamantine to sub-adamantine. Crystal structure: Cubic. Specific gravity: 5.5-6.0. High dispersion (fire).
- Hardness
- 8-8
- Color
- Colorless
- Luster
- Adamantine to sub-adamantine
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Physical properties
Hardness: 8-8.5 Mohs scale. Color: Colorless. Luster: Adamantine to sub-adamantine. Crystal structure: Cubic. Specific gravity: 5.5-6.0. High dispersion (fire).
Formation & geological history
Synthesized in a laboratory using the skull melting process. Natural baddeleyite (monoclinic ZrO2) is rare and almost never found in cubic form naturally.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as a diamond simulant in jewelry, and for industrial applications requiring high thermal and chemical resistance.
Geological facts
First synthesized in the laboratory in the 1970s, it became the primary competitor to diamonds due to its low cost and high visual similarity.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its weight (nearly 1.7 times heavier than a same-sized diamond) and its tendency to show more colorful 'fire' or dispersion flashes under light.
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Diamond (or Cubic Zirconia)
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