Rhinestones vs Cubic Zirconia

When purchasing jewelry, it's important to know what your jewelry is made with. And most iced out jewelry sold today is made with either rhinestones or cubic zirconia.

These stones differ in many ways. Here are a few.

Differences Between Rhinestones and Cubic Zirconia

Material and Durability

Rhinestones are imitation gemstones that are made from either glass, acrylic, or crystal. While some rhinestones, such as Swarovski's, are considered quality gemstones, a lot of rhinestones in hip-hop jewelry are made from less expensive crystals.

In comparison, cubic zirconia are man-made stones that are crafted from the mineral zirconium oxide. The way this mineral is processed into cubic zirconia makes the stones harder and therefore, more durable.

To give some context, a diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth, so it receives a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Cubic zirconia stones receive between an 8 and 8.5.

Shine

Compared to cubic zirconia stones, rhinestones don't have as high of a "refractive index." This means rhinestones don't shine as bright as cubic zirconia.

Diamonds have a refraction index of 2.42, cubic zirconia stones have a refraction index of between 2.15 and 2.18, and most rhinestones have an index of 1.50.

Stone Settings

Also, there is usually a difference between how rhinestones are set in jewelry compared to how cubic zirconia stones are set.

Rhinestones are normally glued into the jewelry. Even though this glue is usually industrial grade and very strong, the crystals can still fall off.

In comparison, cubic zirconia stones are usually prong-set or bezel set in the jewelry.

Bezel Setting

Bezel setting means the stone is completely surrounded by a precious metal band (called a bezel) that fastens the stone in place, as shown below.

Source: https://www.liveabout.com/about-bezel-ring-settings-4685696

Prong-Setting

Prong-setting is when four precious metal "prongs" securely cradle the stone in place.

The benefit of prong-setting is that it exposes more of the stone so more light can be captured reflected. This produces a brighter shine.

Source: https://www.whiteflash.com/jewelry-education/the-ultimate-guide-to-prong-settings/

Final Thoughts

Most rhinestones found in hip-hop jewelry are made from less expensive crystals that are usually glued onto the jewelry.

Rhinestones don't shine as bright, are less durable, and can fall off. But since they are less expensive to produce they're more affordable.

In comparison, cubic zirconia stones shine brighter, are harder, more durable, and are set in jewelry the way a diamond is set. However, this means they're generally more expensive.

At the end of the day, if you're on a tight budget, rhinestones may be for you. But if you prefer jewelry that has a shine similar to diamonds, go with cubic zirconia stones.