Diamonds have been in use for jewelry for thousands of years. It is judged that they were first used and actively mined 3,000 years ago in India, but there is also proof that it was used there around 6,000 years ago. In those days it was almost impossible to cut or polish the diamonds.
The recognition of diamonds as jewelry truly rose in the Eighteenth Century, at which time more 'modern' techniques permitted the acts of cutting and polishing to be achieved more easily. Successful marketing ploys helped make diamonds more popular to the general population.
Cartels of diamond miners and retailers such as De Beers restricted the supply of diamonds which has successfully held the cost unnaturally high for decades. An instance of highly successful marketing is Argyle or brown diamonds in Australia
Brown diamonds were considered useless for jewelry because of their dirty colour. However, one mine in Australia produces 7,000 kg of brown diamonds a year, so began a campaign to make them acceptable. These days, they may be worn as jewelry in Australia and sell nicely.
Because of the high price of diamonds and the restricted quantity, jewelers have sought a man-made, cheaper alternative. Cubic Zirconia is one of the best synthetic diamond-like materials that they have come up with so far.
Some individuals would rather purchase cubic zirconia than real diamonds because they do not want to be manipulated and in the end cheated by the diamond companies. Surveys suggest that numerous diamonds have been 'altered' to raise their apparent value and that far too many diamonds are too highly priced.
Some others are shying away from diamonds for reasons of conscience. 'Blood Diamonds' and forced child labour have made the headlines. The conditions in these forced labour camps is horrendous and was accurately depicted in the film 'Blood Diamond' with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Cubic zirconia is a very decent copy of diamonds and is difficult to distinguish from the real thing without specialist tools and a thorough knowledge of gemstones. Many well-known rich people are refusing to wear diamonds, not because they cannot afford them, but because of their above associations.
There are several other options to cubic zirconia including moissanite and nexus, but cubic zirconia is the firm favourite. Russian cubic zirconia is among the principal forms of the 'gemstone'.
It is worth stating here that cubic zirconia does not exist in nature, although its raw form zircon (zirconium silicate) and zirconium dioxide does. Russian cubic zirconia is manufactured to the specifications laid down by the Gemological Institute of America.
If you are happy to wear cubic zirconia, you will be following the green route in jewelry and saving plenty of money too. Cubic zirconia is approximately 25% of the cost of diamonds, so you could afford to spend more on the setting instead of on the stone. Cubic zirconia looks great in a solid platinum or pure gold mounting.
The recognition of diamonds as jewelry truly rose in the Eighteenth Century, at which time more 'modern' techniques permitted the acts of cutting and polishing to be achieved more easily. Successful marketing ploys helped make diamonds more popular to the general population.
Cartels of diamond miners and retailers such as De Beers restricted the supply of diamonds which has successfully held the cost unnaturally high for decades. An instance of highly successful marketing is Argyle or brown diamonds in Australia
Brown diamonds were considered useless for jewelry because of their dirty colour. However, one mine in Australia produces 7,000 kg of brown diamonds a year, so began a campaign to make them acceptable. These days, they may be worn as jewelry in Australia and sell nicely.
Because of the high price of diamonds and the restricted quantity, jewelers have sought a man-made, cheaper alternative. Cubic Zirconia is one of the best synthetic diamond-like materials that they have come up with so far.
Some individuals would rather purchase cubic zirconia than real diamonds because they do not want to be manipulated and in the end cheated by the diamond companies. Surveys suggest that numerous diamonds have been 'altered' to raise their apparent value and that far too many diamonds are too highly priced.
Some others are shying away from diamonds for reasons of conscience. 'Blood Diamonds' and forced child labour have made the headlines. The conditions in these forced labour camps is horrendous and was accurately depicted in the film 'Blood Diamond' with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Cubic zirconia is a very decent copy of diamonds and is difficult to distinguish from the real thing without specialist tools and a thorough knowledge of gemstones. Many well-known rich people are refusing to wear diamonds, not because they cannot afford them, but because of their above associations.
There are several other options to cubic zirconia including moissanite and nexus, but cubic zirconia is the firm favourite. Russian cubic zirconia is among the principal forms of the 'gemstone'.
It is worth stating here that cubic zirconia does not exist in nature, although its raw form zircon (zirconium silicate) and zirconium dioxide does. Russian cubic zirconia is manufactured to the specifications laid down by the Gemological Institute of America.
If you are happy to wear cubic zirconia, you will be following the green route in jewelry and saving plenty of money too. Cubic zirconia is approximately 25% of the cost of diamonds, so you could afford to spend more on the setting instead of on the stone. Cubic zirconia looks great in a solid platinum or pure gold mounting.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, and is now involved with Amber in Poland. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Jewellry and Watches.
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