Cubic zirconia So you’re interested in cubic zirconia?  Maybe you’re just wondering what it is exactly, and what all the hype is about?  Maybe you’re just interested in mineralogy, or have a fascination with anything that sparkles?  Well, whatever the reason for your interest, here’s some background information on the world’s most popular diamond substitute. Most people know that cubic zirconia is commonly synthesized in a lab for commercial use as a diamond substitute.  Most people don’t know, however, that cubic zirconia is actually a naturally occurring gemstone in its own right.  On Earth, it is extremely rare, far more rare than diamonds even.  It was first discovered by a couple of German scientists right before the second World War.  Their discovery apparently did not make much of an impact on them and they did not even give the substance a name, which is why it usually goes by its scientific name, cubic zirconia, today.  It was rediscovered by the Soviets in the 1970s, who learned how to synthesize the rare gemstone in a lab at a very low cost.  It was then marketed with the name ‘Djevalite’, and really became popular in the 1980s when the Australian crystal company, Swarovski & Co., began making it on a large scale to sell as a diamond simulant. Cubic zirconia is an oxide of the element Zirconium, or Zr on the periodic table, and goes by the chemical formula ZrO2.  It has many of the same properties of diamond, and to an untrained eye its very difficult to tell the difference.  However, cubic zirconia is a softer material than diamond, is much heavier, and it tends to refract light slightly differently; someone that knows what to look for can spot it with no trouble at all.  More recently, zirconia has had some competition for its diamond simulating properties with the introduction of the mineral moissanite.  Moissanite is an even harder gemstone, weighs closer to a real diamond, and is even harder to tell apart.  It is at this point a more expensive alternative, however, and has yet to be produced on the scale that cubic zirconia is today.  Although always thought of as just a ‘fake diamond’, cubic zirconia is a beautiful material of its own.  Unlike diamonds, which often have impurities, cubic zirconia is a flawless substance.  Today it is available in a variety of colors, and makes an excellent gemstone and a valuable gift.