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Cubic Zirconiais well known as a substitute for diamond, due to its high hardness and great fire. But in recent years, it has established itself as a gorgeous gem in its own right. Cubic zirconia is a beautiful synthetic gemstone that is durable and inexpensive and now even comes in any color of the rainbow, making it even more desirable.
Cubic Zirconia is a cubic form of zirconium oxide that is created in a laboratory, thus it is not a mineral. However, it was found naturally occurring once at one site in the 1930's, but has yet to be discovered since then. Cubic zirconia has a hardness of 8.5 on Moh's Scale of Hardness and a white streak. The refractive index of CZ is between 2.088 and 2.176, which is very high. Since cubic zirconia is transparent, it is often faceted. It can be made in nearly any color and can be faceted into many cuts. Cubic Zirconia is an oxide of the metallic element zirconium. Mostly all Cubic Zirconia on the market also contains yttrium oxide that acts as a stabilizer. In colored Cubic Zirconia, other oxides are added to produce the colors. Most Cubic Zirconia is about 87.5% zirconium oxide and 12.5% yttrium oxide.
Cubic Zirconia was discovered in its natural state in 1937 by two German mineralogists, von Stackelberg and Chudoba. It was in a highly metamict zircon given to them by B.W. Anderson. The zircon contained tiny crystals that were determined to be the cubic form of zirconium oxide by x-ray diffraction. The two mineralogists thought so little of their discovery that they did not even give it a name; which is why it is still known by its scientific name, cubic zirconia. It wasn't until the 1970's, however, that Soviet scientists learned how to grow the crystals in the laboratory. But Cubic Zirconia really took off in the 1980's when Swarovski & Co., a world-renowned Australian producer of leaded crystal, began producing cubic zirconia for mass consumption.
Caring for Cubic Zirconia Cubic zirconia can be cleaned with any conventional jewelry cleaner or detergent. With such a high hardness and durability, you can use a brush to clean off dirt or oil also. Ultra sonic jewelry cleaners may also be used on CZ and will not damage the stone. However, when using soaps or detergents to clean CZ, one should wipe the jewelry dry thoroughly to avoid residue from the soap leaving a film that will dull the brilliance of the stone. Cubic Zirconia should be cleaned frequently to remove oils from skin that also dull the brilliance of the gem.
Cubic Zirconia compared to Diamond To the untrained eye, cubic zirconia looks identical to a good quality diamond, but Cubic Zirconia has slightly less brilliance or sparkle than a diamond and more fire or flashes of color. The overall effect is so similar that it can even fool a trained gemologist on occasion. One great difference between cubic zirconia and diamond is weight; Cubic Zirconia is about 75% heavier than diamond. A piece of Cubic Zirconia the same size as a one carat diamond weighs about 1.75 carats. Cubic Zirconia is also more brittle than diamond and softer. Cubic Zirconia is also flawless, whereas diamond usually contains impurities and inclusions.
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