Difference between diamond, glass and zirconium
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend" already wrote Leo Robin and the American musician was right to this day. But as is well known, not everything that glitters is gold and it is the same in this case. There are a number of diamond-like gemstones that are often difficult to distinguish from the original for laypeople. The best known are cut crystal glass and zirconia. But what is the difference between these seemingly identical materials? And how can they be differentiated from one another in a simple and experimental way?
Diamonds, crystal glass and zirconia - what exactly is it?
Even if these materials look almost identical at first glance, there are three Completely different chemical compounds with different chemical and physical Properties.
- Diamonds are a cubic modification of carbon that is formed over a long period of time under high pressure and temperature conditions in the earth's mantle. Due to the rare occurrence of this mineral and its difficult workability, the costs for this coveted gemstone are very high. Diamond also defines the upper end of the Mohs scale of hardness as 10.
- Zirconia is the name for the zirconium dioxide used as an imitation diamond, which stabilized in its cubic high-temperature phase by adding small amounts of other compounds became. It has a Mohs hardness of 8-8.5 and can therefore be processed more easily than diamond. In addition, it has a light refraction behavior similar to that of diamond, which makes it an inexpensive alternative.
- Crystal glass is an amorphous quartz glass of the highest quality, which contains various additives. Due to the good availability of the raw material quartz and the comparatively low Mohs hardness out of 7, this is the cheapest option for a diamond-like gemstone. However, glass has a significantly lower refraction than diamond or zirconia.
Experimental distinction
To easily differentiate between the three materials, either the refractive index, i.e. the strength of the refraction of light, or the density can be examined. For you at home, a density measurement based on the Archimedean principle is the best option. All you need is a finely scaled dynamometer and some household items. Proceed as follows:
Ask yourself if there is a difference between a diamond and a brilliant ...
- Mount the dynamometer in an elevated position and place an empty glass underneath.
- Now hang the stone to be examined with a very thin, light cord on the dynamometer so that it is completely in the glass. Attention: It must hang freely and must not touch the side edges!
- Now read the weight FG on the dynamometer and make a note of it.
- Now the glass is filled with water to such an extent that the stone is in its entirety below the surface. A little tip on the side: If the stone now floats on top, it is plastic and you should change your jeweler. Make a note of the weight F, which has now been reduced by the buoyancygr .
- Finally, you can calculate the density of the material as follows: Densitymaterial = FG / (FG-Fgr) in g / cm3
Now you can compare your received value with that of diamond, zirconia and glass.
Diamond: 3.5 g / cm3
Cubic zirconia: 5.8 g / cm3
Glass: 2.6 g / cm3
Small deviations in your result are to be expected in view of the test procedure and the measurement uncertainty and are not a problem. Nevertheless, you should always consult a specialist who will carry out a professional test and precisely determine the material density.
