Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia can be a perfect alternative to diamonds if you are looking for something more cost-efficient that has the same brilliance and beauty. To date, cubic zirconia is the most successful simulated diamond. In fact, CZs are often so good that only a jeweler with a jeweler's loop can tell the difference between a cubic zirconia and a diamond.

Properties such as refraction and hardness are remarkably similar to diamonds. Unlike other synthetic diamonds which are not of particularly high quality, cubic zirconias are considered high-enough quality to be set in real gold and precious metals. Interestingly, the main obvious difference between CZs and diamonds is that CZs are almost twice as heavy.

The Creation of Cubic Zirconia

While cubic zirconias were first created to mimic diamonds, they are now recognized as gems in their own right. They are also available in all the colors of the spectrum, To produce colors, oxides of cerium, copper, titanium, iron, nickel, and many other elements are added to the molten baddeleyite which makes clear CZ.

Almost any item of jewelry made with a diamond could be made with cubic zirconia. The cuts and settings for other precious stones are also suitable for CZ. While some people may always consider CZs to be "fake diamonds," their rise in popularity and the number of exquisite settings in which they can be found indicates that cubic zirconias are coming into their own as semi-precious gems