CubicZirconia.com- The Clear Choice — about our cubic zirconia

Certified cubic zirconia: IGI - IFI - GIA - AGS - EGL - CIA (or whatever stone certification)...we’re not interested 0

We’ve seen what an IGI Certification looks like and, frankly, we believe it’s just a useless piece of paper designed to jack up the price of cubic zirconia stones being sold by other companies than ours.

As a customer, what information does an IGI Certification give you apart from the carat weight?  You should have been told the specific dimensions of your stone in the first place before purchase-- so you should already know this information.  You certainly know that when you buy our stones. Does this report tell you the cutting quality?  Does it confirm the color or clarity?  It doesn't even confirm the claim to be a certain quality.

So if you're asking why we don't provide this service, it doesn't seem like a necessary cost to pass along with each purchase. In fact, it’s not just IGI certification that deserves our disdain. IFI- GIA - AGS - EGL - CIA or whatever, we’re not interested. 

We do not acknowledge any independent, industry-wide and international authority on the making of diamond-quality synthetic cubic zirconia stones. That means anyone out there claiming to make a better stone or a "certified" stone may as well be making that claim up from thin air as far as we are concerned. Certification schmertification. That whole industry gets nothing but our disdain. 

The diamond industry, as a cartel, has an incentive in banding together to adopt generalized rules for grading of stones. The makers of cubic zirconia are much more informal, and not at all working together. Therefore, what other makers of cubic zirconia call certain grades of CZ, we can't control. We also can't help it if our competitors want to manufacture inferior stones to ours and call them "6A (AAAAAA)" when we call our best CZ stone "5A (AAAAA)" (see our FAQ's “What does “6A quality” or “6A quality” Cubic Zirconia mean?” question for details). 

Our expertise is all the assurance our customers need, and as for CubicZirconia.com, we make and sell 2 grades of cubic zirconia:

1. 5A/AAAAA cubic zirconia (the best: sold wholesale, sold retail, and used in our retail finished jewelry product line; see our FAQ question “What does “5A quality” or “AAAAA quality” Cubic Zirconia mean?” for more details) .
2. 3A/AAA cubic zirconia (lesser grade: sold wholesale in bulk lots only and most often for use in cheaper ‘costume jewelry’; see our FAQ question “What does “3A quality” or “AAA quality” Cubic Zirconia mean?” for more details).
   
   

Our process to make 5A/AAAAA cubic zirconia is simply to use the absolute best formula for making cubic zirconia that we know of, consistent for producing perfect color and perfect clarity every time (see our FAQ question “How is cubic zirconia made?” for more details).

The 5A/AAAAA stones that make it through our quality control process are perfect, with zero internal inclusions or blemishes. The same stones we sell as 5A/AAAAA at retail prices on our website, are the same stones we use in our finished jewelry. To our knowledge, no better cubic zirconia stones exist.

We then carefully cut these stones to ideal diamond-weight carat proportions (see our FAQ answer to “How do your cubic zirconia stones compare with natural diamonds as far as cuts, shapes, facets, measurements are concerned?” question for full understanding of what that means).

Lastly, we get rid of any stones that aren't flawless, or have any issues with creation or cutting (these are set aside as 3A/AAA stones to be sold only in wholesale lots to other jewelers that want the absolute cheapest CZ stones they can get because they focus on making cheaper ‘costume jewelry’).

For these reasons, we can assure you that the 5A cubic zirconia stone(s) you're buying loose for setting yourself or already in our finished high-quality cubic zirconia jewelry is the very best cubic zirconia we at CubicZirconia.com can make, or have ever seen made.

With the longevity of our site (online since 1999), and the reputation we enjoy from having served thousands of satisfied customers...we think that ought to seal the deal! If need be, we’ll even send you a sample pack of stones at our cost and risk to 100% convince you. Just reference this answer and ask us!

Take a look and you’ll agree: certification schmertification.

When Was Cubic Zirconia Invented? 0

Well, the truth is, it wasn’t invented per se.

Cubic zirconia is a naturally occurring substance. Some place its discovery as far back as 1892, with the discovery of naturally occurring zirconium oxide, or baddeleyite. But that’s a long way from your shiny cubic zirconia engagement ring! The natural form of cubic zirconia (or CZ, as it is popularly known) is so rare, that you can assume the CZ you find in any piece of jewelry has been synthesized. 

It was a long research road from naturally occurring CZ to the jewelry store, and to your love story, in the form of jewelry.

In 1937, German mineralogists noted its presence as a byproduct of an unrelated experiment. They didn’t even bother to give it a name. Early research sought uses for laser technology and other optical applications.

No one bothered about CZ’s amazing bling potential.

CZ carried on in relative anonymity until Soviet scientists discovered how to grow CZ crystals in a lab.

Cubic Zirconia melts at such high temperatures that no metal can serve as its container. Soviets discovered the method of using a skull crucible, which is a super-cool name, and which allowed the CZ to grow successfully.

Oh, those Russians! Their research was not published until 1973 (perhaps something to do with an unfortunate business called the Cold War?).

By 1976, commercial production began world-wide. Cubic Zirconia has graduated from obscurity to becoming the most important competitor of the diamond industry. 

Tekla Luchenski
Staff Writer

10 Great 10th Anniversary Gifts from Him to Her 0

Want the best gift ideas for your 10th Anniversary celebration together? Whatever your taste or budget, we are sure we have ideas you haven't considered!

Your Search for CZ Loose Stones Begins and Ends Here 0

Are you looking for the right stone for your jewelry? Look no further.

Loose cubic zirconia stones provide a great opportunity to enhance, repair, or even design a jewelry piece that you will love forever. Lost the original stone? Maybe the original stone wasn’t the one you wanted, and you’re ready to transform your jewelry piece into something that she will absolutely adore. Maybe this time, she can choose the stone size for your setting. Whatever the reason, CubicZirconia.com is the right place for you. 

Speaking of design and getting what you want, have you ever considered designing the piece yourself? Of course, we would be delighted to send you loose stones in your desired shape and size. 

Unsure about the shape of the center stone for the ring you're designing? Check out our article Which Center Stone Shape Is Right For Me/Her? 

Or perhaps, you're unsure about the size of the center stone for the ring you're designing. Read our article, Which Center Stone Size Is Right For Me/Her? 

No matter what stone shape or size you end up choosing, the clarity of our CZ stones will be perfect, and the quality will be AAAAA (5A), just as you would expect from industry standard set by that overpriced, undersized, imperfect stone you might have been thinking of (we try not to mention the “D” word here, except when we preface it with the term blood,’ and we educate about why CZ is a better choice, both morally and economically). But since you are here, and we are looking after your important purchase, why not consider customizing with us? 

Contact us with your ideas for customization. We will astonish you. Whether you are starting from scratch, or upgrading an old friend, we invite you to consider entrusting your beloved piece to us for a spectacular, well priced result you can be proud to show off.

When you work with us to design the perfect piece, we can offer you special pricing on accent stones you might consider. Talk to us about your customization hopes and dreams. You will be pleased from start to finish. We have excellent shipping, including 2 days from the United States for most orders. We will be with you every step of the way. 

So, what do you think? We’re here, waiting for you. Contact us for a quote! Don’t hesitate! We will make sure you are excited about the process, the cost, and, of course, the result. 

Tekla Luchenski
Staff Writer

Is Cubic Zirconia A Diamond? 0

Cubic Zirconia, commonly known in jewelry circles as “CZ”, has been the most popular more-affordable alternative to natural diamonds since the stone was first produced for commercial use in jewelry, industrial machinery, lasers and other applications almost 4 decades ago (1976). The highest-quality CZ stones are flawless, with brilliant sparkle, tremendous clarity, and radiant fire, good durability and hardness, and are visually indistinguishable from natural diamonds to the naked eye.

But is cubic zirconia actually in fact a diamond?

While cubic zirconia exists in nature (see Is Cubic Zirconia a mineral?), the mineral is rare enough that the CZ used in most commercially produced jewelry manufactured over the last 4 decades is of a man-made origin. If you want to get the scientific skinny, cubic zirconia is actually the cubic crystalline form of a physical compound made up of the elements Zirconium and Oxygen (ZrO₂ to be precise) called Zirconium Dioxide.

ASIDE: No wonder we adopted name ‘Cubic Zirconia’, right? It’s got a pretty sexy sound, while ‘Zirconium Dioxide’ honestly sounds like a laundry detergent.

Natural diamonds are found in nature, and as such cannot be considered the same as cubic zirconia stones, the majority of which used in commercial jewelry are man-made.

There’s the short answer to your burning question about whether cubic zirconia are diamonds.

While the stone looks like a diamond and possesses many diamond-like qualities— to the degree that even jewelers with decades of experience cannot tell the difference between a high-quality CZ and a perfect diamond by simply comparing the two side by side with the naked eye alone— Cubic Zirconia is not a diamond.

However, the difference in cost between diamonds and diamond simulants such as cubic zirconia—and others that are somewhat deceptively sold under ‘diamond’ names—can be thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why perhaps a more important question to answer than if cubic zirconia is a diamond, is whether that DIAMOND you are thinking about purchasing is actually a real diamond?

Before you shake your head or walk away confused from this webpage, bear with me a moment…OK? The truth is: in order to FULLY answer your question if cubic zirconia is a diamond, really you first have to decide in your own mind what a ‘diamond’ is to you.

When you think of diamonds, you probably think of a handful of extremely rare and valuable gemstones mined with great cost and difficulty from deep in the earth, a finite resource that is dwindling in supply…am I right? What if I told you that a large percentage of diamonds sold as ‘diamonds’ today were in fact grown in a lab, created by combining various physical elements into compounds that mimic natural diamonds— very much like cubic zirconia are also manufactured?

What if continued down the rabbit hole and I told you that there was absolutely no limit on the number of these kinds of ‘diamonds’ that could be created in the lab?

That’s right! Those lab-grown diamonds are sold to unsuspecting customers at prices that are just a bit cheaper than natural diamonds mined with sweat and sacrifice (and innocent blood, too, but that’s another story) from the earth…but prices still high enough to be damned difficult to justify in this man’s opinion—an opinion shared by increasing numbers of savvy consumers who know what their money is worth—for a product that is limitless in supply, as opposed to more rare natural diamonds.

And these folks even have the nerve to give their lab-grown ‘diamonds’ an appraisal, and a report, and a certification just like real diamonds mined from the earth and limited in supply…as if they didn’t just whip up a batch in the back-room with a chemistry set.

So, maybe you won’t think it’s such a silly question anymore to ask “Is that DIAMOND really a diamond?”

Listen, natural diamonds have their place. Historically, there is a great tradition that links a diamond in the minds of women—and men—as a rock that symbolizes much more than just geology. And natural diamonds do have some intrinsic value, because they have uses in industry beyond just looking pretty, and a scarcity upon which much of the value of any natural resource is based.

Though, frankly, they’re not as rare as the diamond mining cartels would have you believe— they own full warehouses bursting with them, stones they intentionally keep off the market to inflate prices— natural diamonds still are a finite resource.

If the tradition concerns you and money is no object, by all means…purchase a diamond. We think the money can be much better spent in other ways, but that’s just our opinion and you came here for hard facts about cubic zirconia. After all, some people want to light cigars with $100 bills, too.

However, I want you to think very hard before you pay anything more than $200 USD for any ordinary-size and non-custom-cut substitute gemstone made in a lab, no matter what they call it or how many reports, certifications, or appraisals the faux diamond may receive as part of the proof provided to entice you to pay a bunch of money for something God didn’t have a hand in creating.

$5000 for a lab-grown diamond loose stone? It boggles the mind anyone would pay such high prices for a lab-grown diamond when natural diamonds of good size can be obtained for not much more, and high-quality 5A cubic zirconia for 1/100 or less of the cost.

I hope you’ve learned a few things in this post. No, cubic zirconia is not a diamond. But for that matter, a large percentage of ‘diamonds’ sold today aren’t diamonds either, not by this man’s definition.

What do you think?

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below/

Danny Welsh
Vice President
CubicZirconia.com

P.S. Want to know more of the nitty-gritty about the differences between Diamonds vs Cubic Zirconia? We’ve got an ever-growing resource, with case studies and more, ready for your reading pleasure. Take a few minutes and read up, especially if you’re shopping for an engagement ring…after all, if everything goes right, you’ll only be buying ONE. And if what I’m telling you is true—and it is, and our company will prove it to you— you don’t need a diamond engagement ring, when you can get a cubic zirconia replica engagement ring with a lifetime guarantee, and have no one know the difference while you take the difference in price and spend for fun or invest for the future in ways that will satisfy you much more than a rock.

"Give Cubic Zirconia a Chance as Diamond Replacement for Bridal Jewelry" says Journalist 0