What is Cubic Zirconia?

We have some very exciting news that we would like to share with you right now!Janeojewels.com is proud to bring to you and introduce a most exciting new line of Cubic Zirconia Jewelry! This sparkling collection is derived from only the finest in cut and quality Grade A Zirconia that has the brilliance of crystal.We are introducing the first two pieces of this fine collection for a starter set and they are wonderful cubic zirconia pendants and earrings set in rhodium and 18 k gold-plated finishes. As the days go by we will be releasing more and more fine high-quality cubic zirconia pieces so that the collection will be very "busy" in the following months.

Getting to Know Cubic Zirconia

To start things off on the right foot, so to speak, we need to be very clear about what cubic zirconia actually is and how this man-made material adds beauty and brilliance to the world of costume jewellery. Cubic zirconia is a gemstone that has the appearance of a sparkling diamond. That is the main reason why this man-made and rather-inexpensive (compared to a real diamond of any cut and clarity) gemstone is so popular with the bridal sector as well as the everyday costume jewelry industry.

No Bride Left Behind

Cubic zirconia was and is created so that the market does not have to be left out from the world of brilliant rings and bracelets, which are normally reserved for incredibly-expensive and very rare natural stones and gems. Although cubic zirconia is synthetic (man-made), it is inspired by its natural counterpart, zirconium oxide (ZrO2), first discovered in 1892 but was considered to be far too-expensive to be a viable jewellery component. The discovery of how to circumvent that issue and produce a nearly-identical synthetic gemstone in the laboratory, that could retain the shapes required for costume jewellery, was initiated and founded by two separate teams of mineralogists.

Stackelberg and Chudoba Discover Lab-Grown Cubic Zirconia

The first breakthrough came in 1892 with the German mineralogists team comprised of M. V. Stackelberg and K. Chudoba, went searching for alternatives for laser production materials. These Fathers of Cubic Zirconia discovered naturally-occurring cubic zirconia in the form of microscopic grains included in the mineral metamict zircon. The problem with using this wondrous brilliantly-sparkling gemstone in the costume jewelry industry was impossible at this time since they could not get past the issue with the high-melting point of the cubic zirconia (4,982ºF).

Russians Seal the Deal

Enter Soviet scientists V. V. Osiko at the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow. Dr. Osiko perfected the technique of heating the cubic zirconia and then placing the heated-material in a form he called the skull crucible. The world of costume jewellery as well as to the delight of bridal and bridesmaid jewellery shoppers the world over, celebrated this wonderful breakthrough in the realm of cubic zirconia and now so can you!