Is this stone a "Cubic Zirconia", or a "Diamond"? => 17 photos

 This essay might seem like a repeat of a previous essay, but this is very essential to learning about these subtle differences.
 This photo is exactly how a genuine diamond crystal appears after it has been removed from the earth & cleaned. These lines are the 'growth lines' during the millions of years of being formed.

 The names of these facets were not of my writing but 'official diamond names'. These names are also used to differentiate one facet from the others. Let's call them a 'GPS' on the gemstone. 

 This photo is a picture of genuine, uncut diamonds. The darker-looking stones are not of gem quality, but will be used solely in industry.

 Here is a packet of unpolished diamonds of various shapes.

If these were CZ stones, they would never be seen in this condition, as the stone supplier wouldn't manage to sell them.

 These gemstones are of "Olde European Cut"; these are not designed for today's standards. You can observe the small "Table facet" and the removal of the Culet that has been totally polished off or partially removed.

 This 'stone cutting-designing' is not done on Cubic Zirconia stones.

 Here are a few names of previous gemstone facets. Again, CZ or "Cubic Zirconia" stones were never cut like these. You can now see the progression of 'facet cutting'.

 This is my interpretation of the angles of the facets in showing how light is reflected as it enters a CZ. The light will not equally reflect back to the viewer, hence appearing to be non-reflective.

 In this photo, you can see just how the rays of light are reflected back to the viewer. The light is bouncing back off the 'Pavilion Facets', thus giving an equal reflection, and this does not happen in any CZ.

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 THESE NEXT THREE PHOTOS ARE TAKEN ON Cubic Zirconia stones. Normally, these damaged facets are not common on diamonds.

1) This damaged Girdle Facet will basically occur on 'softer gemstones'. Softer stones mean they have a Moh's Scale rating of less than 8.0; a Diamond has a rating of 10.0

  2) This damaged facet cannot be repaired on any CZ facet. It's cheaper to exchange for a newer stone as the repair is not worth the financial costs.

  3) On a CZ, this thoroughly ruined Culet is beyond repair, and the stone should be discarded. Such damages are not seen on diamonds.

 Here is another example of a 'natural diamond' with its "VVS" clean interior. VVS refers to a grade of a diamond which is "VERY, VERY SLIGHT".

  This 'triangular' blade displays the exact Pavilion Facet angles for the Diamond Polisher to cut every new diamond. This angle is not commonly used in CZ stones. To get the correct reflection, all diamonds must adhere to exacting proportions or angles.

 These are diamonds that are of poor quality but not for gem purposes. The only use that they have is in industry, such as in construction and machine cutting blades & tools.

 No matter what the colour of each stone is, the 'hardness' is never a deterrent, as each diamond is always on a Mohs Scale of 10.

 Here is another display of diamond facet names. These names are very common in gemstone designing; each facet should be given its own angle. If not, the reflected light will not be returned to the eye, and CZ stones usually do not have such accurate angles.

 If the angles are not of exact proportions, the stone will look dark.

 

This diamond crystal could be cut into many shapes, such as Baguettes or even Marquise-shaped stones.

 This photo is of triangular-shaped diamonds and is being made ready for polishing & shaping.

For your information, this exquisite diamond now sits in the "Royal Crown" in London, England. Breathtaking gemstone, agree?