What is Cubic Zirconia?

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) was introduced in the commercial market in the 1970s. For those of you who are old enough to remember its early days, CZ was widely regarded as a fake diamond and spawned scores of jokes at the expense of the frugal, the fiscally responsible, or flat out broke buyers.

Material Make-Up

Cubic Zirconia is the crystalline form of zirconium dioxide. This doesn’t mean much to the average consumer so let’s just say that CZ is not as hard as a diamond with a rating of 8.5 on Mohs Scale of Hardness (a diamond scores a 10). It is heavier than a diamond with the same carat rating.

Cubic Zirconia or Zircon

There is a natural gemstone called Zircon that is often confused with Cubic Zirconia. Unfortunately these two gems share a similar name. Zircon is a beautiful natural occurring gemstone that is most commonly found as a blue gemstone. These two gemstone should not be confused.

Cost vs Practicality vs Usage

Cubic Zirconia costs far less than diamond. Some sources claim a CZ gem should cost around 10% of its equivalent carat weight diamond. However, discussions about prices continue and while some may claim that this is the cost of craftsmanship, others claim that CZ costs far less than 10% of the diamond’s value.

Normally, used as a diamond replacement in engagement or wedding rings, Cubic Zirconia tends to lose its lustrous appearance over time and is easier to scratch than a diamond. Those who cannot afford the hefty costs for fine diamonds often choose CZ as an acceptable substitute. Diamond fanatics tend to state that there is no price on love and that diamonds are the way to go, but if there is no price on love, then what’s the difference which you choose?

Long Run

In short, Cubic Zircona is a durable gemstone and a reasonable short term substitute for diamonds or higher cost gemstones. For the long term, Cubic Zirconia may not be the best solutions since it is most likely to sustain damage (scratches), it will eventually lose its sparkle, and it will become quite clear that the gem you purchased is not a diamond but a diamond substitute. So as a long term solution, try to budget money to purchase an ageless diamond. By the time the CZ starts to really show its imperfections (compared to a diamond) and its true identity becomes revealed, you should have sufficient funds for that beautiful diamond.