Diamonds are becoming increasingly unattainable by most women of today’s society. We have less disposable income than we have had over the past decade, but our passion for jewellery has not suffered from deflation. Although we love to buy special pieces for ourselves, not many of us can afford to any more, and so we are looking for better valued alternatives that still have the allure of diamonds. We do not like to admit that out Chanel handbag really came from the high street, just the same that we would rather people thought our jewellery was designer. With contemporary cubic zirconia jewellery, no one would guess otherwise as it has all the qualities of diamonds, without the hefty price tag.
Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is the cubic crystalline form of Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). It is a hard, optically flawless and usually colourless material although it can be made in a variety of colours. This can make it look like other precious gemstones such as sapphire and ruby. You can choose which colour matches your colouring the best. Because CZ can be cut into an array of shapes and styles, it is a suitable material for timeless classics and more fashionable pieces of costume jewellery.
In many ways, cubic zirconia actually out performs diamonds. Modern CZ production techniques have flawless results whilst most diamonds come with some kind of flaw, be it a feather or cloud in the internal structure of the stone. Whilst our perception of diamonds is ‘perfection’ very few actually are. Only the rarest of diamonds are completely colourless, having a yellow or brown tinge to them, CZ has no colour whatsoever, unless the manufacturer wants it to have a colour.
Of course the main attraction of cubic zirconia is the price. CZ jewellery pieces cost a fraction of the price of their diamond counterparts and the untrained eye can rarely tell them apart. Why spend thousands of pounds on a diamond necklace when you could have a bigger, more fashionable and more noticeable cubic zirconia one? You are guaranteed to get more passing glances and favourable comments sporting a cubic zirconia pendant than you are with a small and relatively plain diamond piece.
Cubic Zirconia jewellery is available to buy on the internet, in high street shops and some specialist jewellery stores. Its low cost means you can buy several pieces to suit your mood and all your different outfits. The quality of CZ jewellery is so good that it is also suitable for special pieces of jewellery, including engagement rings. If you are desperate for a showy ring but simply cannot afford a diamond, cubic zirconia is the perfect substitute.
Whatever your jewellery needs, cubic zirconia is guaranteed to look attractive, suit your skin, eyes and hair colouring, and be affordable enough to buy as much as you want.