| Properties | Diamond | Simulants | ||
| Earth Mined | Lab Grown | Cubic Zirconia (CZ) | Moissanite | |
| Chemical Compositions | C | C | ZrO2 | SiC |
| Crystalline Structure | Cubic | Cubic | Cubic | Hexagonal |
| Refractive Index | 2.42 | 2.42 | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| Dispersion | 0.044 | 0.044 | 0.066 | 0.104 |
| Hardness | 10 | 10 | 8.25 | 9.25 |
| Density | 3.52 | 3.52 | 5.70 | 3.21 |
| Thermal Conditions | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | High |
| Intrinsic Purity | Only 2% are Type IIa | Rare and Purest (100% Type IIa) | NA | NA |
| DC03 | Carats | Carats | Carats | Carats |
| Blue Fluorescence | Strong to None | None | None | None |
| Phosphorescence | No | Some | NA | NA |
| Colour Distribution | Even | Even | NA | NA |
| Advantages For Industry | ||
| Earth Mined | Lab Grown | |
| Origin Guaranteed | No | Yes |
| Security of Supply | No | Yes |
| Security of Future Growth | No | Yes |
| Security of Employment | No | Yes |
| Conflict Diamond | ||
| Earth Mined | Lab Grown | |
| Is it a Conflict Diamond | Possibly | No |
| Engages Bonded Labour | Possibly | No |
| Engages Child Labour | Possibly | No |
