Why Cubic’s?  They say, “diamonds are forever”, but in fact, they are also NOT for everyone.  While many people appreciate the beauty of the precious gemstone, they may not want to support the diamond industry, since the practice of diamond mining is very controversial & has been linked to rumors of child labor, cruelty & even violent deaths (know as blood diamonds).  In addition, the cost of diamond is considered by some to be highly inflated by the diamond industry leaving some jewelry-lovers seeking other options.  That’s where Cubic Zirconia’s come in.  These man-made gems are very beautiful, look just like real diamonds, can be made in any color, & are very affordable, without strip mining or putting BIG holes in our earth.

Cubic Zirconia (CZ):  Is the Cubic Crystalline form of Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO₂).  This synthesized material is almost as hard as a Real Diamond (Note: Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance found on earth).  A Cubic Zirconia has a rating of approximately 8.5 on Mohs’ Diamond Hardness Scale vs. a rating of 10 for a Real Diamond; a CZ is Optically Colorless & Flawless where a Real Diamond is rarely Colorless or Flawless.  By comparison, a Cubic Zirconia is entirely Colorless: equivalent to a perfect "D" on a Real Diamond Color Grading Scale.  A Cubic Zirconia has NO Interior Inclusions or Surface Inclusions like a Real Diamond might have.  Because of their Low Cost, Durability, & Close Visual Likeness to a Real Diamond, synthetic Cubic Zirconia has remained the most geologically & economically important competitor to Real Diamonds since commercial production began in 1976.  When a Real Diamond &a Cubic Zirconia are shown to a customer side-by-side for the very first time most people picked the Cubic Zirconia thinking it’s the Real Diamond because a Cubic Zirconia has a much Higher Brilliance & Reflective Quality than that of a Real Diamond.  A Diamonds reflectivity is 0.044 while a CZ’s reflectivity is 0.066.  Also, Cubic Zirconia are currently on average 200 to 600-Times Cheaper than the cost of a Real Diamond & finally, our Cubic Zirconia are actually mounted in some of the same bands that our Real Diamonds are set in.  A cut and polished round 1.0 Carat cubic zirconia stone will cost about $20.00 & a similar round 2.0 Carat CZ will cost about $30.00.  Where as, a cut & polished 1.0 Carat diamond stone will currently start at around $2,112 .00 to $3,265.00 & a similar 2.0 Carat diamond will start at  $9,844.00 to $17,719.00 depending on its cut & grade & as diamond sizes increase their price gets exponentially more expensive.

Grading Scale:  It’s a common misconception that all CZ Stones are the same.  Just like Diamonds, there are a number of Quality Levels, & there are a range of Price Points for these beautiful look-a-likes.  CZ stones are graded 1A or A+ (Low Grade), 2A or AA+, 3A or AAA+ (Middle Grade), 4A or AAAA+, 5A or AAAAA+ (High Grade), 6A or AAAAAA+ (The World’s Highest Quality CZ’s).  There are also 8A or AAAAAAAA+ CZ’s know as “Crushed ICE”.  The middle grade is what you will find in most jewelry pieces these are very beautiful-looking stones that are very affordable.  Let’s take a closer look at the 4-Grades The Callista Company SELLs.

AAA+ Grade Stones (3A+):  Cubic Zirconia that are rated AAA+ are usually more highly polished than A+ grade stones.  They tend to have more Luster, Shine, & Brilliance. They have 57 Facets just like a Real Diamond.  To create the most reasonably priced jewelry these stones are usually set in Stamped “S925”, 92.5% Pure Sterling Silver or Silver Plated bands, Vermeil, Titanium, Tungsten, Rose, White, or Yellow Gold Plated bands, & Platinum Plated bands.  AAA+ CZ’s are the most popular grade of stone on the market today, because they offer Great Quality & are the most Affordable of all the man-made stones.  3A+ CZs look just like Real Diamonds & wear just like Real Diamonds without the Real Diamond Price.

AAAAA+ Grade Stones (5A+):  Are some of the highest quality CZs you can get.  They are crafted by the best stonecutters &are polished just like any top rated Diamond would be.  These stones are remarkably similar in appearance to Diamonds & are set in the same type of mountings as their Diamond counterparts; it is virtually impossible to tell them apart.  When a Real Diamond & a Cubic Zirconia are shown to a customer side-by-side for the very first time most people pick the Cubic Zirconia thinking it’s the Real Diamond, because Cubic Zirconia have a much Higher Brilliance & Reflective Quality than that of a Real Diamond.  These pieces are the Highest Quality, yet Most Affordable, choices for a shopper looking for a stunning piece jewelry without the stunning Diamond Price.  Even jewelers have a hard time telling them apart & must use a Diamond Thermal Conductivity Pen Tester to figure out which one is the Real Diamond & which one is the 5A+ CZ.

AAAAAA+ Grade Stones (6A+):  Are the World’s Highest Quality CZ’s.  They are crafted by the best stonecutters & are polished just like any top rated Diamond would be.  These stones are remarkably similar in appearance to Diamonds & are set in the same type of mountings as their Diamond counterparts; it is virtually impossible to tell them apart.  When a Real Diamond & a Cubic Zirconia are shown to a customer side-by-side for the very first time most people pick the Cubic Zirconia thinking it’s the Real Diamond, because Cubic Zirconia have a much Higher Brilliance & Reflective Quality than that of a Real Diamond.  These pieces Are The World’s Highest Quality CZ’s, yet Most Affordable, choices for a shopper looking for a stunning piece jewelry without the stunning Diamond Price.  Even jewelers have a hard time telling them apart & must use a Diamond Thermal Conductivity Pen Tester to figure out which one is the Real Diamond & which one is the 6A+ CZ.

AAAAAAAA+ Grade Stones (8A+):  Also, know as “CRUSHED ICE”.  What is a Crushed Ice Cut?  A crushed ice stone is simply a stone with a center that looks like “Shattered Glass” or “Crushed Ice”.  The Crushed Ice look comes from much smaller facets on the Bottom or Pavilion of the stone than on other cut stones you may have seen.  These small facets bounce & reflect light off each other, giving the stone the Crushed look.  Crushed Ice Cut gemstones are up to 75% Thicker Or Deeper than regular stones.  These stones come in more than 60-Colors,  & dazzle uncontrollably even in the faintest of light.

Cubic Zirconia & Carat Weight:  For diamonds, carat weight refers to how heavy a diamond is.  However, a CZ is denser &will weight approximately 50 to 75% more than a diamond of the same size, which makes the two stones impossible to compare side-by-side by weight.  How we determine a CZ’s carat weight relative to a diamond is by comparing the millimeter dimensions of a diamond to that of a CZ to get a relative CZ carat weight.  For example, a 1.0 Carat CZ has the same dimensions as a 1.0 Carat Diamond.

Jewelry Care:  Just common sense, do NOT wear your jewelry when taking a shower, washing dishes, or swimming in a pool (to avoid damaging chemicals), digging in your garden, or exercising at the gym.  When in doubt just take your jewelry off, & store in a clean dry place.

Jewelry Cleaning:  The best homemade jewelry cleaning solution is a mixture of a few drops of DAWN dish detergent in warm, NOT hot, water.  Let the jewelry sit in the solution for a few minutes, then gently scrub with a Brand New, Baby-Sized, VERY SOFT Bristle Toothbrush, Rinse, Pat Dry with a soft towel.

If you would like to see everything I sell on eBay click on Seller’s other items to the right below.  If you have questions about an item or need help with a purchase click on Contact to the right below, & send me a message.  I would love to hear from you.  Have a wonderful day.

Callista means “Most Beautiful” in Greek, & is the Trademark name of The Callista Company, since 2002.

Copyright © 2002, The Callista Company