I was looking at some crystal jewelry (in a jeweler’s shop), and the crystal jewelry seemed more flashy that the diamonds.
In fact, I actually preferred the look of the rhinestones/crystals to diamonds.
Is this the case? Does lead crystal have a higher index of refraction than diamonds?
A five second Google search reveals:
[ul]
[li]Ordinary glass has a refractive index of n = 1.5, while the addition of lead produces a range up to 1.7.[/li][li]Diamonds - 2.4175–2.4178[/li][/ul]
I think the biggest problem (heh), is virtually nobody can afford a diamond BIG enough for its theorectical optical superiority to show easily. Or show period for that matter IMO.
With cubic ziconium, leaded crystal and the like, you can make those suckers big. And such big stuff, with the right shape, and under a bright light, can look pretty nice.
Think about it for a moment. Whats the biggest diamond you’ve seen and could have possibly handled? For me, its something the fraction of the size of a marble.
CZ has a higher dispersion than diamond, and moissanite has a better refractive index, btw.