How to tell the difference between a real diamond and cubic zirconia?

Russian diamonds, or otherwise known as Cubic Zirconia (CZ), are synthetic stones that resemble diamonds. People often use them as diamond substitutes because they are many times cheaper. Often, customers bring in old rings to see if they are genuine diamonds, or sometimes they keep their rings mixed together and can't remember which is real and which is fake. Let's take a look at some simple ways to tell them apart. So, grab your jeweler’s loupe and let’s take a look! ..

Some observations may require practice to distinguish, so keep using your magnifying loupe and compare the facets of both types often. I assure you, it’s not as difficult as you might think! ^ ^