Ways to Save Money

In these hard times, money is hard to come by so you should know how to save it until things get better. Since it is a balancing act that is somewhat challenging, here are a few ways that can teach you how to save money. If you don’t want to lose your home like a lot of Americans have over the past year, you have to kill your debt first. You do that by calculating how much money you spend in a month and then see where the budgets can be made so there is money you can use to pay ...

Five Practical Ways to Save Money for Students

It can be hard to think of ways to save money especially for students since they don’t have their own money yet. This is because at times, for all the expenses while on campus, there is barely left to save. Although it is hard, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible for students to save money while studying. All they need is to develop good time management skills, strict budgeting, and practicality. If you are one of those who are thinking of ways to save money while on campus or even before you enter one, here are some of the ...

Six Simple Ways to Save Money

No matter where you look at it, there will be always ways to save money if the person has the will do so. If you are one of those who are trying to come up with ways to save money in this unstable economy, it is best to start with developing a simple lifestyle. When you are able to do this, the rest will follow. But, if you are one of those who are not sure where to start, here are some eight simple ways to save money. 1. Cut down on grocery or shopping sprees. Although buying groceries is a ...

Save Money Without Feeling Poor

Yes. You are feeling the economic crunch. Times are hard and you are finding it hard to even make both ends meet with the rising costs of basic necessities and the fact that you lost one of the part-time jobs that you are holding. This is the common scenario that people, not only in the US, is feeling. They may not have lost their jobs but they have certainly found it hard to earn extra. Can you blame them then if they look for ways to cut costs and save money? Although it looks like a pretty daunting task, it’s not ...

Products You Can Save Money On

US Money Saving Products Australian Money Saving Products Austrian Money Saving Products Belgian Money Saving Products Canadian Money Saving Products French Money Saving Products German Money Saving Products Irish Money Saving Products Italian Money Saving Products Dutch Money Saving Products Spanish Money Saving Products Swiss Money Saving Products GB Money Saving Products

Taylor 514ce Guitar With OHSC Excellent Condition LOOK SAVE MONEY $1,999.99

Daiwa Saltiga Dog Fight Z6500HDF save money $1,099.99

Daiwa Seaborg Megatwin SB750MT Brand New in Box Save Money $1,079.99

Save Tax Moneycom Message Domain Put website Names $995.00

Shimano Stella SW Brand New in Box save money $829.99

Apple 2011 Mac Mini 23GHz i5 w Dual HDD 4GB RAM Save Money Here $799.99

Daiwa Tanacom Bull TB750 Brand New in Box Save Money $759.99

PENN INTERNATIONAL V2SPEED SERIES BRAND NEW SAVE MONEY $729.99

Spa CONTROL PUMP and BLOWER Bundle 3 pack SAVE MONEY $639.00

Diamond or Cubic Zirconia: Knowing the difference can save you money!

Learn why cubic zirconia has been recognized as a beautiful synthetic gemstone that has quickly become a desirable substitute for diamond. Knowing the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia can help you make better purchasing decisions and in turn, save you time and money.

So what is the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia? Why is cubic zirconia (CZ) quickly becoming more popular as a desirable substitute for diamond? Gemologists can agree that CZ comes closer than any other gem material to matching the characteristics of a diamond.

Most people, even trained gemologists, cannot tell the difference between diamond and CZ, with the naked eye. Moreover, to the untrained eye, CZ looks identical to a good quality diamond. However, under closer inspection, CZ appears to have slightly less brilliance (or sparkle) than a diamond, and more fire, or flashes of color.

CZs were originally developed by the Russians, for their space program. They were developed as an alternative to diamonds that were used in the optics of their lasers. CZs have a refractive index, dispersion and hardness so close to a diamond it's uncanny.

So what are some key features that can guide you in telling the difference between diamond and CZ? Do keep in mind, though, in order to accurately distinguish the two gems, gemological equipment such as microscope, or loupe, must be used for testing and verification.

To start, let's take a look at the hardness factor: Did you know CZ ranges between 8.5 to 9.0 on the Mohs? hardness scale, whereas diamond, one of the hardest materials known to man, is rated 10, lying at the top of the hardness scale?

Furthermore, glass (or sand) is rated approximately 5 to 6 on the hardness scale, therefore, dust and dirt will not scratch CZ. Indeed, CZ can scratch glass just like regular diamonds, making it more resistant to chipping.

One great difference between diamond and CZ is weight. CZs are heavyweights in comparison to diamonds; a CZ will weigh approximately 1.75 times more than a diamond of equivalent size. So basically, a piece of CZ the same size as a one-carat diamond weighs about 1.75 carats. Well?isn't that interesting?

Contemporary production of CZ is virtually flawless, whereas diamond usually contains impurities and inclusions, or have some sort of defect, be it a feather, included crystal, or perhaps a remnant of an original crystal face (e.g. trigons).

In regards to color'more precisely, the lack of color?only the rarest of diamonds are truly colorless, as most have a tinge of yellow or brown to some extent. By comparison, CZ in most cases can be made entirely colorless, equivalent to a perfect "D" on diamond's color grading scale.

Also, under close inspection with a loupe, the facet shapes of some CZs appear different from diamonds. Both gems disperse light a little differently. Dispersion is just a scientific term for the breaking up of light into its spectral colors. With a dispersive power greater than diamond (0.060 vs. 0.044), the more prismatic fire of CZ can be seen by even an untrained eye.

Dispersion occurs based on the gem's refractive index. In this case, refractive index simply indicates how much a beam of light will bend, based on the direction in which it is traveling when it passes between two materials of different optical densities (such as between diamond and air; or between CZ and air). Being that CZ has a refractive index of 2.176, compared to a diamond's 2.417, diamonds are therefore said to be brighter than CZ.

Another difference between the two gems is that CZs are thermal insulators'meaning, they reduce the rate of heat transfer?whilst diamonds are among the most efficient thermal conductors'meaning, they allow heat to easily pass through them. Without testing the gems? heat conductivity, it can be difficult to tell them apart.

Remember, it is a 50/50 guess to identify a gem by visual inspection; it is not a scientific method of authentication. That is why even certified and degreed gemologists use gemological equipment for testing and verification.

You will also be glad to know that CZs are not only durable and inexpensive, but just like diamonds, they come in any color of the rainbow, making them even more desirable.

There have been many instances to see if jewelers can tell the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia, just by examining the gems with the naked eye. Over and over again, it was inconclusive; jewelers could not tell the difference just by looking at the gems. So you can now understand why the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia rests in the price, and in the mind?

? 2007 Pennybest.com. All rights reserved. Reprinting or republishing of this article is allowed provided the author's information including and resource link is retained to accompany the article.

About The Author