What is Cubic Zirconia?
Commonly known as CZ, Cubic Zirconia is the most popular manmade diamond substitute. It’s a nice substitute because like diamonds, it is cubic in its crystal formation and omits a fairly similar fire and sparkle when held up to the light. On the Mohs scale of hardness, a genuine diamond is a 10 while cubic zirconia is a 8.5-9.
How is Cubic Zirconia made?
CZ crystals are made by melting powdered zirconium and zirconium dioxide together and heating them up to 4,982ºF. When the heating has been completed, the main crystal is cut into the same shape and design as a diamond. It can also be made in different colours to simulate the different colors of a diamond.
How much does Cubic Zirconia cost?
To the naked untrained eye, a Cubic Zirconia looks just like a diamond, but CZ is much more affordable. While a flawless 1 carat diamond would cost about $7, 000, a flawless 1 carat CZ can be purchased from as little as $10 and can go up into the hundreds based on the quality of the CZ. CZs are great for cocktail jewellery and bridal jewellery. If you are looking for the fire and sparkle similar to a diamond then CZ is a quality choice.
