Cubic zirconia is a synthetically produced stone that is extraordinarily similar to diamonds in a number of its properties – including look, texture, luster, density, and clarity. Since cubic zirconia has so much in common with diamonds and is relatively inexpensive, it is often used as a stone in jewelry.
Although cubic zirconia (CZ) is produced in synthetic form to optimize its affordability, it is based on the naturally occurring compound zirconium oxide (ZrO2). The natural version of the substance was first identified in 1892. However, it is not plentiful enough to serve as a less costly counterpart to diamonds, so the artificial form is used.
To produce cubic zirconia in a lab setting, chemical engineers in Germany and Russia combined yttrium oxide (Y2O3) with zirconium oxide – aka zirconia – at high temperatures to produce “man-made” cubic zirconia. The additional compound was added to avoid cracking of pure zirconia due to stress from the rapid temperature shift.
Clarity of CZ
The colorless nature of cubic zirconia is particularly notable. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed the most widely used scale for evaluating and describing the color of a diamond. The scale ranges from “D” to “Z,” with those letters representing a spectrum of appearances: “colorless” to “near colorless” to “faint yellow” to “very light yellow” to “light yellow.” The best quality cubic zirconia – Russian Formula – can achieve the highest rating of a “D” on the GIA scale.
Cubic zirconia (CZ) does not have to be made colorless, though. It is frequently produced with a subtle yellow shade to approximate diamonds naturally exhibiting that hue. Also, CZ is incredibly hard, reducing the likelihood of damage. The latter factor, along with its cost-effectiveness, is the reason many women purchase a CZ stone in the same design as their wedding ring, for use during travel and rugged activity.
How light hits CZ vs. diamonds
One aspect of cubic zirconia that is especially notable is its dispersion rate. Dispersion allows a stone used in jewelry to divide rays of light into individual wavelengths. CZ disperses light more effectively than do diamonds.
Cubic zirconia allows you to purchase a ring, necklace or other jewelry item in the design you want most, while avoiding the sometimes prohibitive expense of a diamond. Birkat Elyon, renowned worldwide for our consistently inspired and expertly crafted creations, hires trained artisans to hand-cut and hand-polish every CZ stone we use.
By Kent Roberts