Sterling CZ Jewelry

Sterling CZ jewelry is the modern equivalent of traditional gemstone jewelry. It doesn’t use gemstones like citrine, emerald and ruby but instead a comparatively new stone, cubic zirconia, that can be created in a wide range of colors. It can be cut in all the traditional shapes and facets so that it catches the light beautifully.
A sterling silver CZ jewelry item is made with 925 sterling silver, a proven material that is durable and hard wearing. The innovation is in the stones. There is a high demand for coloured stones but the traditional gems can be rare and expensive, especially in the larger sizes. Cubic zirconia or CZ is much more cost effective and very well suited to jewelry gifts and presents, whether for a friend or as a treat to yourself.
Cubic zirconia is created in a lab from the metal zirconium (not to be confused with zircon, a gemstone which also contains zirconium but is formed naturally). It is only in the last decade that CZ has been used in jewelry designs. Designers have realised that the range of colors, the brilliance of the stones and the consistency of quality make CZ ideal for use in fashion jewelry. A sterling CZ bracelet such as a tennis bracelet which requires a lot of matched stones may potentially have larger stones with greater sparkle than its conventional counterpart. Sterling silver CZ earrings benefit from the range of colors and the ability to match the size of the earrings. Previously it might take some time to acquire a set of sapphires matched in both color and size. A similar look can be achieved much more quickly in cubic zirconia jewelry.

It is entirely possible that you have admired cubic zirconia jewelry on other people without realising that it was actually CZ jewelry. In the clear variety the stone can be easily be mistaken for a diamond and, although you would of course never mislead anyone, it does feel good to wear a sterling CZ jewelry item that looks like it cost a fortune but actually is so inexpensive.

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