I see laboratory 'grown' diamonds and other gems for sale out of Russia. Are they chemically identical to ones mined from the ground? I see the hardness for the diamonds listed as '8.5-9.0' instead of 10 which suggests they aren't . Are they better(as in closer to the real thing) than CZ?
2006-09-28 02:00:13 · 7 answers · asked by AmigaJoe 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
To put it simply, no they're not identical.
"Russian Brilliants" and such are just improved cubic zirconias.
Moissanite is crystalline silicon carbide, which is chemically completely different and has significant crystalline differences.
Lab created diamonds are flawless and pure, but natural diamonds contain flaws and defects, along with impurities, which make them not 100% carbon.
2006-10-02 01:38:12 · answer #1 · answered by T.M.I. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the hardness on the MOHS scale is only 8.5 -9, then what they are trying to sell you is NOT the same as a diamond. Moissanite comes in at a 9, along with Corundum (sapphire and ruby). Yes, there are lab-created diamonds out there that are chemically identical to natural diamonds, but these are obviously not them. So, since we don't know exactly what these rocks they're trying to sell you are made of, we can't tell you if they're better then CZ - I would doubt it, for the prices I imagine they're asking. Don't waste your money. Save up and get the real thing.
2006-09-28 13:50:18 · answer #2 · answered by Randi L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they are much better than CZs. Only a jeweler could probably tell the difference. Most lab created stones are flawless, and most all of natural stones are not, so you would be skeptical if you found a flawless natural diamond. There is also a tester that can detect a natural diamond. Any jeweler would have one of these and can test the stones to see if they are lab created or not. There is a difference.
2006-09-28 02:03:40 · answer #3 · answered by misscongeniality711 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cz is crap. Moissanite, lab diamonds, are almost identical. If you look with a 10x loop at a Moissanite diamond you can see a slight green hue, other than that, its hard to tell. It even fakes out my diamond tester. I had to get a Moissanite tester.
2006-09-28 02:04:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
currently, there are " lab" diamonds which are even better than natural diamonds. " lab" diamonds last forever unlike natural diamond which last for about 5 thousand years. Some " lab " diamonds are even " purer" than natural diamonds
2006-09-28 02:07:37 · answer #5 · answered by bjm 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it's diamond, it should be the same - if it's other gemstones, definitely not.
2006-09-28 02:04:20 · answer #6 · answered by chemistry_freako 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
STRUCTURALY, they are as close as you can get.
2006-09-28 02:12:01 · answer #7 · answered by S.A.M. Gunner 7212 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋