Everyone knows that diamonds come from deep inside the Earth and were formed over many, many years, but what about simulated diamonds?<\/p>\n
Cubic zirconia is a simulated , man-made gemstone that first came onto the market in the late 1970s. At the time, no one had seen anything like it before. Here was a gem that looked reminiscent of diamonds. In fact, the highest quality \u201cCZ,\u201d as it is often called, looks so real that almost no one can tell the difference. Russian Formula CZ can look so much like \u201ca girl\u2019s best friend\u201d that even experienced gemologists can have trouble discerning the difference between the two.<\/p>\n
Because these stones that so uncannily resembled diamonds were so new, they immediately took off in popularity. Sales were high, and prices reflected that demand. Today, however, you can buy a beautiful piece of CZ jewelry at an inviting price. But that\u2019s not why these stones were made to begin with. Let\u2019s take a trip down memory lane.<\/p>\n
Where Did It Come From?<\/strong><\/p>\n A natural form of the synthetic stone was first found in 1937 by everyone\u2019s favorite dynamic duo of German mineralogy: M. V. Stackelberg and K. Chudoba. OK, so they weren\u2019t exactly rock stars, but the two were responsible for unearthing some interesting microscopic grains that were so interesting that they, well, didn\u2019t even bother to document at the time. X-ray diffraction would, however, later prove that these were the natural equivalents to today\u2019s synthetic diamonds.<\/p>\n A few decades later, the first simulated cubic zirconia stones weren\u2019t made to be worn on your finger. Or to hang off your wrist, ears or neck. Nope, they weren\u2019t made to be used in jewelry at all. The first cubic zirconia was made in Russia for use in laser technology. Facing a shortage of the natural rubies it needed to generate laser beams at the time, Russia got to work creating an alternative. The result of their research and development was cubic zirconia, a stone that is not actually particularly close to a ruby gemologically, but one that has all of the optical qualities the Russian laser tech of the time needed.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long until someone asked a rather brilliant question: what if they used these CZ stones in jewelry? Everyone then quickly realized that CZ indeed looked a heck of a lot like diamonds, a truth that had been staring them in the fact all along but had slipped by their laser-focused minds.<\/p>\n What Is It?<\/strong><\/p>\n Cubic Zirconia is a bit of an oxymoron. Zirconium is a metal that crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system into the form of the gemstone zircon. That being said, zircon is a zirconium silicate, but a cubic zirconia is a zirconium oxide. Are you with us so far? Great.<\/p>\n So why is all that important? Because by switching the oxygen for the silicon, the zirconium metal can be made to crystallize in the cubic crystal system. Adding a tiny bit of calcium or an element called yttrium can force stabilization of zirconium metal into crystals. Since diamonds are also cubic in crystal formation, any real diamond imitations must be cubic in order to look real enough to fool the eye.<\/p>\n The whole process requires heat\u2026like a lot of heat. Things need to get so hot, in fact, that there is no crucible or container that is able to withstand the temperatures. Platinum won\u2019t even do the trick. And that\u2019s the reason why cubic zirconia wasn\u2019t mass produced for the jewelry industry until the late \u201870s.<\/p>\n So, how is it done today? Just ask Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers.<\/p>\n That\u2019s right \u2013 it was the microwave that made it possible. In a delightfully cheering-sounding process called \u201cskull melt,\u201d the material itself makes its own crucible when microwaved. Since microwave ovens heat from the inside out, the outside of the material can stay cool while the interior gets incredibly hot.<\/p>\n