How to identify Faceted Clear Gemstones

To correctly identify Faceted Clear Gemstones (Unidentified faceted gemstones (likely cubic zirconia or glass)), check each of these features in order. Many rocks and minerals look alike, so cross-reference multiple properties before deciding.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Color

   Overall color and any zoning or banding

   Colorless, transparent. May exhibit slight tints depending on impurities or manufacturing processes.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Adamantine to Vitreous (glassy). Cubic Zirconia often has a higher dispersion (fire) than diamond, leading to more rainbow flashes.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth, hard, and non-porous.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Cubic Zirconia forms in the cubic crystal system, but as a faceted gemstone, its external form is dictated by cutting. Glass is amorphous and has no crystal form.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   Cubic Zirconia has indistinct cleavage. Glass has no cleavage.

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Not found in natural geological environments. These are laboratory-grown or manufactured materials.

Key Facts

Hardness

Cubic Zirconia: 8-8.5 on Mohs scale. Glass: 5-7 on Mohs scale.

Specific Gravity

Cubic Zirconia: 5.6-6.0. Glass: 2.4-2.8.

Crystal System

Cubic (for Cubic Zirconia). Amorphous (for glass).

Color

Colorless, transparent.

Luster

Adamantine to Vitreous.

Transparency

Transparent.

Fracture

Conchoidal.

Cleavage

Cubic Zirconia: Indistinct. Glass: None.

Composition

Cubic Zirconia: Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2). Glass: Primarily Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with various modifiers.

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Cubic (for CZ, though typically cut). Amorphous (for glass).
• Cleavage Type: Indistinct (for CZ). None (for glass).
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal.
• Tenacity: Brittle.
• Luster Type: Adamantine to Vitreous.

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