What is cubic zirconia

They are what bring diamonds from the core of the Earth up near the surface. What is present in volcanic eruptions is intense heat and intense pressure. How could humans harness such extreme conditions? In the 20th century, scientists figured out how to do just that. This is where lab-created diamonds come in. American and Swedish researchers found out, in the s, how to turn carbon and molten iron into diamonds in a lab. But eventually they got to that point. Now, most cheap diamonds you get were created in a lab.

First, for a couple of scientific factors. The Mohs scale measures the hardness of gems and stones. Diamonds score a 10 out of 10 and are the hardest objects on Earth. Famously, they can cut glass, and they have a mysterious ability to maintain their incredible shine. They reflect light in a brilliant and amazing way. Because of the durable and long-lasting quality of these ultra-hard stones, diamonds have become synonymous with eternity. This gave rise to the idea that a more valuable prospect for a husband was one who bought a more expensive and larger diamond.

This in turn has cemented the reputation of diamonds as not only a gorgeous and lovely item, but a very culturally-significant one.

In fact, some diamonds were formed from the impact of asteroids. However, these days, a lot of diamonds are created in a lab anyway, and that might level the playing field just a bit. So where does cubic zirconia come from? Its origin is zirconium oxide. Zirconium oxide is a white crystalline powder. One use of this element is in glazes and ceramic colors.

When it is melted at an extremely high heat, it creates crystals, which are then polished and known as cubic zirconia. Stabilizing agents are added to Zirconium oxide to form cubic zirconia.

Like diamonds, cubic zirconia is clear and colorless, with a good degree of hardness with a Mohs score of One of the reasons these synthetic stones have become famed as substitutes for diamonds is that their shapes are similar to various diamond cuts, like oval cut or fashion cut.

The gem was originally intended—like its parent Zirconium oxide—for industrial purposes. But when folks recognized these stunning similarities to diamonds, they began producing cubic zirconia stones for use in rings and necklaces. The process for doing so was perfected in the s, and brands like Swarovski started taking advantage. By the mids, more than 50 million carats of cubic zirconia were being sold for fashion jewelry! These will be explained in greater detail below. This is your quick way to tell which one you are working with, except for the price tag of course, wink wink.

Diamonds are classified by color. The grading scale starts at D and ends at Z. The D colored diamonds are clear. The Z colored diamonds, on the other hand, are yellow. Cubic zirconia is a heavier material than natural or synthetic diamonds. You can tell stones apart simply by comparing the weight of each, noting that cubic zirconia is much heavier.

Lab grown diamonds have the same properties as mined diamonds, making them much more expensive than cubic zirconia but slightly cheaper than naturally occurring diamonds.

This makes cubic zirconia a great option for those on a really tight budget. Cubic zirconia costs a fraction of the price of a lab diamond made with a similar colour, clarity and size. Although cubic zirconia is much clearer and more colourless than natural diamonds, man-made diamonds are more likely to have colour and clarity that are just as good as mined stones.

While lab-created diamonds feature yellowish tints and feature natural-looking flaws, the method used to produce the stones ensures the defects are often minimised.

We can say the same for the creation of cubic zirconia. Diamond testers measure the conductive properties of materials, which can easily spot the difference between man-made diamonds and cubic zirconia.

This tool is great for also identifying if you have a diamond or something else entirely. They will identify if a stone is cubic zirconia, because of its different properties to diamonds. When your situation improves, you can upgrade your diamond. Lab grown diamonds represent a more affordable option for couples seeking an engagement ring, wedding ring or eternity ring.

It's a qualitative grading system that determines scratch-resistance of different minerals using harder, stronger minerals than the one being tested. The scale is named after German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, who invented the grading system in Cubic zirconia can be evaluated using the same qualities that diamonds and other gemstones are graded by using the Four Cs color, clarity, cut, and carat weight.

Their grading is handled a little differently:. A CZ is not as durable as a diamond, sapphire , or ruby, and that means it is more likely to become scratched over time. If you cannot budget a diamond or other very durable gem, an engagement ring set with a cubic zirconia could be a good alternative -- at least in the short term. Even if the stone gets scratched, it is inexpensive enough to replace without too much headache.

Cubic zirconia works nicely when set into necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and other jewelry that is not worn on a daily basis.

Cubic zirconia itself can be cleaned in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, but consider the setting materials before you drop the jewelry into the tank and turn on the switch. Use a less intense method to clean CZ jewelry crafted from sterling silver or from plated metals -- dishwashing detergent and a very soft brush may be all it takes to remove the film from the CZ and return its fire. Store cubic zirconia jewelry by itself, or well separated from gemstones that are rated as harder or softer on the Mohs scale -- that type of storage is important for all jewelry to avoid scratches.

Zircon and cubic zirconia are not the same:. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.