What is the difference between zirconium and diamonds?
Diamonds are pure carbon in a 3-dimensional crystal lattice (the other common form of carbon, graphite, is a 2-D lattice that forms sheets). Zirconium is a silvery gray metal. You might be thinking of zircon, which is a crystal formed of the oxide of the element zirconium and the oxide of the element silicon. Zircon looks similar to a diamond, but is cheaper and softer (therefore easier to cut and polish) than diamond. Part of the beauty of a diamond is its very high optical index of refraction. Zircon has a high index of refraction, but not as high as diamond.
