Saturday, January 3, 2009

Cubic Zirconia Jewelry - Affordable, Diamond-like Brilliance!

By Ned Dagostino

Cubic zirconia jewelry is very popular because it has all the qualities of a real diamond and yet costs less than half the price of comparable diamond jewelry. There are reservations about using it for fear of being caught wearing a cheap imitation. This social stigma is absolutely uncalled for since cubic zirconia is a semiprecious gemstone itself. That it is affordable should not deter people from wearing it.

Imitation jewelry is a bonafide segment of the jewelry market. Cubic zirconia jewelry is the best in this segment because it is the closest to a diamond in all important characteristics. It is not glass or plastic or paste jewelry. Cubic zirconia jewelry may not become a family heirloom, but it will last you a lifetime without losing any of its original brilliance and clarity. Cubic zirconia (abbreviated to CZ in trade parlance) gemstones are available in many qualities and, though much cheaper than diamond, there are some varieties which cannot be called cheap at all. Therefore cubic zirconia jewelry is the best alternative to diamond jewelry.

All that brilliance is yours at a fraction of the price of a real diamond. This is what makes it so appealing to fashion conscious buyers: you get the look and feel of the genuine article and end up paying less than a quarter of the latter's price, and sometimes much less than even that depending on the setting, cut and quality of the cubic zirconia.

If you think that cubic zirconia and genuine diamond can be told apart by the casual onlooker, then think again. Cubic zirconia is slightly more colored than the absolutely transparent diamond, and is slightly less brilliant. Even experts can be taken in by the looks of cubic zirconia. The two gemstones will have to be juxtaposed for the diamond expert to tell the difference visually. More telling is the difference in weight by size, cubic zirconia being somewhat less than twice the weight of a diamond. The other difference is in hardness, with cubic zirconia being more brittle than diamond.

It is a fact that cubic zirconia is perfect. It has no flaws, no defects. This is because it is created under stringently controlled conditions, in high tech manufacturing facilities. Regular diamond has its share of flaws and defects, from those which are virtually undetectable to the ones that make the diamond worth less than a good quality cubic zirconia of comparable size.

Cubic zirconia not only looks like diamond it is remarkably similar in all the other important characteristics of diamond. The brilliance is there, the clarity is there, the durability and hardness are all there. The only drawback is that these qualities are less in cubic zirconia. How much less depends on the quality of the cubic zirconia. The difference will be less than noticeable in good quality cubic zirconia, and noticeable in poor quality cubic zirconia. This difference will naturally affect the price of the cubic zirconia. The price of high quality cubic zirconia will be less than half the price of good quality diamond, whereas the price of poor quality cubic zirconia will drop to a tenth of the price of good quality diamond. Cubic zirconia jewelry is ideal for dressing up for all but the most exclusive occasions. This protects your diamond jewelry from accidental loss and even theft.

Cubic zirconia can come in handy for dressing up a great outfit and turning it into something elegant and special. All forms of jewelry like earrings, pendants, rings, and brooches are suitable settings for cubic zirconia.

Cubic zirconia can be worked into any form of dress jewelry. It takes the same cut and shape of a genuine diamond. Exquisite designs can be crafted using cubic zirconia. Why hold yourself back? Do what the world is doing, use cubic zirconia and set the room ablaze! - 16003

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