The cubic zirconia stone is a man-made gemstone and is characterized by its high brilliance and diversity. It comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and cuts. That is why it is one of the most popular stones in the jewelry industry. Moreover, its similar appearance makes it a very popular diamond imitation. The name 'zirconia' comes from the so-called zirconium oxide from which it is made.
Overview
- Abbreviation CZ (Cubic Zirconia)
- Artificial crystal
- Consists of zirconium oxide
- High purity: no inclusions
- Diamonds optics
- Wide variety of colors
- Mohs hardness 8-8.5
- Resistant to scratches
History
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) was discovered in 1892. In 1973, two scientists, at the Lebedev Institute of Physics, in the city of Moscow, produced zirconia crystals for the first time. They were originally looking for a crystal that would be used for laser technology due to special properties. Since the late 1970s, the crystal was first used commercially in the jewelry industry.
Production
The artificial crystal consists of zirconium oxide, which stabilizes at a melting temperature of 2700 C° and forms a cubic crystal structure.
During production, the first step is to heat and melt zirconium oxide powder. An additive, such as calcium or yttrium oxide, is added as a stabilizer so that the cubic lattice retains its shape after cooling. The temperature is gradually reduced until the melt is completely cooled. Under a protective cover, the crystals grow, which can then be further processed for jewelry production.
Cubic zirconia stones or diamonds?
How much does the diamond really resemble the cubic zirconia stone? Is there a visible difference and is the high price worth it? Here you can find out the most important differences between the two gemstones.
Optics
To be visually particularly similar to the diamond, the cubic zirconia stone is often processed into a brilliant cut. Compared to a diamond. The two stones are very similar in high brilliance. That's why laymen can't tell the visual difference between diamonds and zirconia stones. Even experts cannot tell the difference with the naked eye. They can only distinguish them based on light refraction or heat conduction.
Price
Due to the fact that the cubic zirconia stone is a man-made crystal, it can be produced in unlimited quantities. The number of gemstones that only occur in nature is limited and therefore more expensive. A diamond is a very rare gemstone and therefore has a correspondingly high price. A carat of a diamond costs 4000-6000€ depending on the clarity, while a carat of a zirconia stone costs only a fraction of that, about 10€. This makes the cubic zirconia stone an inexpensive alternative.
Hardness
The diamond is the hardest stone there is, and is at the top of the hardness scale, called the 'Mohs' scale. The hardness of a diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale and a cubic zirconia stone is between 8 and 8.5 in comparison.
Carat
The weight of a gemstone is measured in carats. One gram is equal to 0.2 carats. The cubic zirconia stone is slightly denser than a diamond and therefore heavier. This means a cubic zirconia stone and a diamond with the same carat weight are not the same size. A cubic zirconia stone is slightly smaller than the diamond.
Cubic Zirconia in different colors
Cubic Zirconia stones are available in a wide variety of colors. Even colors of certain gemstones can be imitated. To achieve a particularly similar gemstone imitation, small flaws such as cracks or inclusions can also be artificially created. To create different color shades, various metal oxides such as cesium, nickel, chromium and calcium are added.
Cubic Zirconia as a gemstone
We sell only earrings in 14k gold set with cubic zirconia stones to offer our customers both conductive and high quality jewelry at the same time. Due to the low price of zirconia, even elaborate designs with large stones are possible. We find the artificial crystal is the perfect imitation of diamonds due to its high radiance and hardness.