Cubic Zirconia commonly referred to as CZ can be found in jewellery today and remains one of the best substitutes for a diamond. It is obviously not a diamond.
So what exactly is a CZ and how is it different than a diamond?
Cubic zirconia is an artificial stone which simply means it's a man made stone whereas a diamond is a naturally occurring stone, i.e. made by God! However scientist today are able to create diamonds in a lab. CZ looks like a diamond and is very difficult for the untrained eye to differentiate. The diamond is imperfect. CZ is flawless.
The affordability of CZ is directly linked to the abundance of zirconia, the abundantly, naturally occurring stone which is used in the production of CZ. Because of the affordability, CZ is quite often used as a substitute for diamonds.
Additionally, with the lab created CZs, a variety of colours can be introduced, which explains its amplified popularity.
And if you really want to get scientific (which we happen to enjoy) CZ is the crystalline from of zirconium dioxide.
It is sometimes mistaken for Zircon which is zirconium silicate. It is made from zirconium and hence sometimes mistakenly called cubic zirconium.
CZs are a good substitute for diamonds in jewellery because of their relative hardness (they are almost as hard as a diamond) and the ability to sparkle like a diamond. In other words, they will last almost as long as a diamond (almost forever, i.e. Diamonds are forever!).
There are different qualities of CZ with the best quality stones being quite expensive. Unlike diamonds the major determinant of cost is the weight or carat. So yes, CZ is real, a real, lab created, flawless stone. Qirat Fine Jewellery proudly offers you the option to use CZ when creating your custom jewellery. Check us out to get started.