A: Zirconium oxide or baddeleyite (more commonly known as &#;cubic zirconia&#; or &#;CZ&#;) is a naturally occurring mineral. However, its natural form detailed in the answer for our &#;Is cubic zirconia a mineral?&#; question is not the same as the shiny and brilliant synthetic gemstone that gives genuine diamonds a run for their money in jewelry-making. 

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In , German mineralogists in a lab noted this substance&#;s presence as a byproduct of an unrelated experiment. Not realizing what they had, they didn&#;t even bother to give it a name. Early research sought uses of cubic zirconia for laser technology and other optical applications but no one thought about jewelry applications until much later. CZ was relatively unknown until Soviet scientists discovered how to grow cubic zirconia crystals in a lab. 

Cubic Zirconia melts at such high temperatures that no metal can serve as its container. The Soviets discovered the method of using a skull crucible-- which is a super-cool name-- that allowed the CZ crystals to grow successfully. Oh, those Russians! Their research was not published until (perhaps something to do with an unfortunate business called the Cold War?).

Nowadays, the cubic zirconia stones we&#;ve come to know and love are mostly all lab created (&#;synthetic gemstones&#;; for a definition on that, see question &#;What is the difference between natural and synthetic gemstones?). Cubic zirconia stones used in jewelry are mostly made in a lab using a derivative of the original &#;Russian formula&#;-- including the AAAAA (5A) diamond-quality cubic zirconia stones we use in our finished CZ jewelry, cubic zirconia rings, pendants and earrings. 

Cubic zirconia can be created in a wide variety of shapes (see &#;What shapes of cubic zirconia stones are available in your store?&#; question), many different sizes (see &#;What sizes of cubic zirconia stones are available in your store?&#; question), and an entire rainbow of colors (see &#;Do you sell colored cubic zirconia stones? What colors are available? Cost and shipping details?&#; question). This flexibility not only allows cubic zirconia to be the world&#;s best-known and most cost-effective substitute for clear, natural diamonds in jewelry-making, but also an effective precious colored gemstone simulant.

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Please note that &#;cubic zirconia&#; is sold now by companies other than the official CubicZirconia.com-- and we are not responsible for their stones&#; quality, hardness or suitability for precious metal jewelry such as what we create and sell. Inferior cubic zirconia may not be as hard and durable as it should be and what Wikipedia says the substance is, nor may other stones not sold by CubicZirconia.com have the same fire, clarity and brilliance-- since methods of making the stones vary and not every maker has the same standards, quality control, or integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

I found a clear, colorless stone that I think may be a diamond because it scratches glass. How can I find out for sure?

Many minerals are colorless in their purest state. Anything with a hardness the same as or greater than glass (5 to 6 on the Mohs hardness scale) can scratch glass. Therefore, other gemological tests must be performed to confirm identification. You can submit your stone to GIA for identification or have a local gemologist help you identify the stone.

Learn more about GIA diamond identification and colored stone services.

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