mineral

Cubic Zirconia (Diamond Simulant)

Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)

Hardness: 8–8.5 on the Mohs scale; Color: Colorless (in this specimen), can be tinted; Luster: Adamantine; Crystal Structure: Cubic; Specific Gravity: 5.6–6.0

Hardness: 8–8
Color: Colorless (in this specimen), can be tinted
Luster: Adamantine

Identified May 3, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 8–8.5 on the Mohs scale; Color: Colorless (in this specimen), can be tinted; Luster: Adamantine; Crystal Structure: Cubic; Specific Gravity: 5.6–6.0

Formation & geological history

The natural mineral baddeleyite is rare; commercial cubic zirconia is an isotropic synthesized material created through the 'skull melting' process where zirconium oxide powder is heated until it crystallizes during cooling.

Uses & applications

Primarily used as a lower-cost alternative to diamonds in jewelry; also used in industrial applications requiring high thermal and chemical resistance.

Geological facts

First synthesized in 1970 by Soviet scientists at the Lebedev Physical Institute; it is much heavier than diamond, weighing about 1.7 times more for the same size.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its high dispersion (more 'fire' or rainbow flashes than diamond), use of a thermal conductivity probe (it is a thermal insulator, whereas diamond is a conductor), and lack of natural inclusions under magnification.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral

Epidote

Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)

mineral