Synthetic Material: Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is a man made material and comes from all over the world. There are several methods of making it, and we explain them.
The cubic zirconia (CZ) used for jewelry is a synthetic material. It's produced all over the world.
Synthetic Cubic Zirconia Faceting Rough
There are several methods of making it and there are some variances in both refractive indexes (R.I. 2.14-2.20) and hardness (8-9).
It is available in almost any color you can imagine and there are even some color change (fluorescent/incandescent, i.e. blue/red for example) varieties.
CZ is readily available and very inexpensive, usually pennies per carat. The corollary is that it is not really worth anything when cut.
Note: CZ is hard on laps and can cause undue wear. I do not recommend it for the brand new cutter, it can be problematic to polish and is best cut when a person has some experience.
Some people, especially if they want to cut large clean stones enjoy cutting it and because of it's high R.I., it can be quite pretty. CZ needs to be polished with diamonds, the laps used can be ceramic, tin, copper, and ultra laps.
Jeff R. Graham
The late Jeff Graham was a prolific faceter, creator of many original faceting designs, and the author of several highly-regarded instructional faceting books such as Gram Faceting Designs.
Related Articles
Gemstones That Make Money
Labradorite Value and Marketing Issues
Dopping with Wax: Getting Started
Finding a Lapidary/Faceting Club
Latest Articles
Hambergite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Pearl Simulants: How to Spot Faux Pearls
Opal Buying Guide
Amethyst Sources Around the World: The Geological Story Behind These Purple Gemstones
Never Stop Learning
When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.
Get Gemology Insights
Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!