Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Cubic zirconia rings and diamond ones placed side-by-side can fool even a jeweler’s naked eye. Cubic zirconia sparkles and even has the dazzling fire diamonds are famous for. After all, they were both made under extremely high pressure and temperature. It may take thousands of years underground to produce a diamond. But it takes much faster, a matter of hours for cubic zirconia.
How Different Are They?
Cubic zirconia may look indistinguishable from a real diamond. But a jeweler, examining it closely will make out the differences. They sparkle, yes, but is not as radiantly as a diamond. The colors are less intense. But they have a greater fire or bursts of color, more than a diamond. Another distinction is weight. Cubic zirconia are about three fourths heavier.
Crystal Beginnings
Worth digressing for is the fact that a cubic zirconium-like mineral has once been found to occur in nature. The mineral had the same chemical composition and was called baddeleyite. This happened in the 1930s. No other similar occurrence is reported after that.
It was in the 1970s when Soviet scientists learned how to synthesize these crystals. The next decade, the Australian leaded crystal manufacturers, Swarovski & Co. began mass-producing the stuff.
Cubic zirconia is the oxide of the metallic element zirconium. Still, these synthetic jewels, used in cubic zirconia engagement rings, for example, are gorgeous gems. They are the substitute for diamonds. They’re almost as hard but much less expensive. So, if you’ve just been hitched, you may want to say, “Move over diamond. It’s a cubic zirconia engagement ring I’m after.” Then, eventually you embark on the search for cubic zirconia wedding rings. Yes, you can afford those.
Chemicals For Color
A cubic zirconia ring, in some respects, can make a diamond ring seem like a trinket. While a diamond has impurities, cubic zirconia can be completely unblemished. It can also be made to take on an array of color. This may be true of diamonds, too. But the process may take millennia and indeed are only happy accidents. Cubic zirconia can be made to have any and all colors of the rainbow easily. All is takes is a process called chemical doping. Specific oxides are added to produce different colors. Cerium oxide gives red, orange and yellow. Cobalt oxide makes lilac and violet, erbium oxide, pink. Those cubic zirconia eternity rings with emerald-like stones have vanadium oxide, turning them green.
The Affordable Option
Cubic zirconia is less delicate to cut than diamonds. Many jewelers combine them with the less expensive quality metals. Cubic Zirconia wedding rings, for instance, may be fashioned using rhodium plated sterling silver. A cubic zirconia solitaire ring may have be brilliant cut within a sterling silver setting. Those princess cut cubic zirconia rings may use a little copper in their settings.
Many couples do have diamond wedding rings. But, for safekeeping, a good number of people change to silver or white gold cubic zirconia rings whenever they travel. They look as beautiful as naturally-sourced precious stones and metals.
Caring for Cubic Zirconia
Since cubic zirconia is a hard material, you can use a nylon-bristle brush to clean them without fear of scratching the crystals. Brush gently first, then soak for some minutes in a mild detergent solution. Rinse and wipe dry with a clean cotton cloth. Make sure no soap residue is left because this will dull the gleam. Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners are also safe to use on cubic zirconia without fear of damage. Mens cubic zirconia rings should be cleaned more frequently to eliminate skin oils. Men tend to sweat more.
They may be simulated diamonds, but definitely not fake jewelry. Cubic zirconia are gemstones, precious in their own right.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
When shopping for cubic zirconia rings, one of the most popular styles is the eternity ring. However, before purchasing one of these stunning creations, there are some things you should consider, to make sure that you are comfortable with your new ring. A full CZ eternity ring can have as many as 40 stones around the band and therefore they can’t be very large or the ring will be uncomfortable to wear. That is why I suggest an alternative to a full eternity band and recommend half eternity rings or three stone designs.
Large Stone CZ Eternity Rings by Almost Diamonds
There are some very large stone CZ eternity rings like what I’m talking about at a place called Almost Diamonds. They have baguette cut stones that total 1,5 carats and are set all along the top so the ring looks like an eternity band, but the sides and back have no gems. Another version has four baguette cut CZs and are set high, and still another has 5 brilliant cut stones in a beautiful classic half eternity band set in silver. All these styles have larger than average stones and all have a total weight of around 1.5 carats or more. None are over $40, so they’re really affordable pieces.
Another option is to choose a unique CZ eternity ring that has 2.5 carats of sparkling CZs in a princess cut, but the three stones are set together so the top of the band appears to be a solid long curved diamond. There is no metal separating the stones. This style is more expensive, but still under $70. For another option try choosing cannel set designs that allow for larger stones that don’t stick out or get caught on clothes like the large prong set stones tend to do. A channel set eternity band that has about 7 stones and weighs a total of about 1 carat and is set in sterling silver will cost about $40.
Create the illusion of larger stone….
There’s a fun way to create the illusion of larger stones without having huge prong set CZs catching on everything or being uncomfortable on the back side of your finger and that is to choose a setting that has three or four large stones on the top, prong set is okay, and then a series of pave or bezel or channel set stones around the rest of the band. No it’s not a classic eternity ring. But it can allow you to have the look of a 2 or more carat ring with the comfort of smaller stones.
In conclusion, if you want really large stones in you eternity band, I do not recommend going with a full band. The most stones you will want for comfort and a balanced design will be 4 or 5 large stones or up to 7 medium ones. Go for channel settings and baguette cut stones and you can have more sparkle and comfort all in one.
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Thursday, December 24th, 2009
The Internet is awash with jewelry outlets looking to sell you the perfect item, whether you are shopping for yourself or for the ultimate gift for someone close to you. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, you will get it Online, and you might save some money in the process.
Although the number of us who decide to buy cheap jewelry online is rising every year, there are still some people who prefer try on the jewelry before they make their purchase. Other’s simply like the process of going to a shop and speaking with the salespeople, I suppose it makes the process that little bit more personal. But even those of you who think Internet jewelry shopping isn’t for you would probably benefit from giving it a shot. Even if you only use the Internet jewelers for those pieces of throwaway costume jewelry that only gets worn a few times before being buried at the bottom of the jewelry box, you will find the experience worthwhile.
Speaking of throwaway costume jewelry, you should really take a look at the products which are available from a shop called Emitations. They have perhaps the greatest range of cubic zirconia rings, necklaces and earrings for ridiculously cheap prices that you are just going to love trying out. For imitations of celebrity jewelry, rings you have seen on the movies and pieces that have been featured in magazines, this place is a goldmine.
My favorites from the Emitations range are their celebrity inspired rings, every time I open their shop in my browser I feel obliged to buy something. They make extensive use of lab created diamonds to create cubic zirconia rings that look the spitting image of the real thing for prices that are so cheap it is almost embarrassing. No matter if you are looking for a copy of Jennifer Lopez’s Engagement Ring or a look-a-like of the design Penelope Cruz wore on the red carpet to her latest movie, you should be able to find it here. And if you don’t like it you can always sent it back for a refund.
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Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
For anyone looking for a gemstone ring there are always a few choices available, the one you choose if probably going to come down to personal preference. If you are picking an engagement ring then you might feel that you have to automatically opt for diamonds but this isn’t the case just because that’s the traditional choice. In reality we actually used to use ruby rings for an engagement but diamonds have just become more popular over the years due to marketing and the fact they are a girl’s best friend.
If you want something a little different then you could certainly go for a ruby ring, or if you prefer you could combine both rubies and diamonds. Every jeweler you find will be able to offer you many combination of shapes and sizes with several which will pique your interest. Its all just a case of selecting the one you like best.
For rings to be worn like costume jewelry you won’t want to be spending anything like the money required for diamonds and maybe ruby rings will also be too expensive if you are on a budget. In these cases you might want to have a look at lab created stones usually known as cubic zirconia.
Cubic zirconia rings are so cheap you will want to buy several all at the one time, and they look great too. They come in all different colors so you can get imitation of whatever gem is your favorite and you will only be spending around $50 for each.
Don’t fear about buying something that is a fake either, as most people won’t be able to tell the difference and will be none the wiser. One tip is no to go overboard with the size of lab created gem you buy to ensure its believable that you could have bought the same ring with the real gemstone.
Whether you decide to buy the real thing when shopping for diamond and ruby rings or go for imitation ruby and cubic zirconia rings, you will find the best prices are available online from a wide variety of retailers.
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