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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

HUGE CUBIC ZIRCONIA SALE!!!

CUBIC ZIRCONIA 
30% OFF

GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN!

WE ARE DISCONTINUING THEM AND WE WILL NOT BE RESTOCKING THEM.

http://www.beadfx.com/images/rts12753.jpg

What is a Cubic Zirconia? Many think "simulated diamond" when they think Cubic Zirconia (CZ). CZ's are used as simulated gemstones - and if you Google you'll get a variety of opinions as to how closely they mimic diamonds, largely based on just exactly what the site is trying to sell you - CZ's or diamonds. We think that these are lovely in their own right, much the same way the glass beads are. 
 
CZ is harder than glass, (at about 8.5 on the Mohs scale - nowhere near diamond, but much harder than most natural gems) and we tried the scratch test, and yes, they do scratch glass but are not scratched by it. It is dense - specific gravity between 5.6 - 6.0; refractive index is high at 2.15 - 2.18 (B-G interval) and its luster is subadamantine (Really! I have very little idea what that means - just nod and make knowedgeable noises). It's dispersion is very high at 0.058 - 0.066, exceeding that of diamond (0.044). 

(It's sparklier than diamonds). 

Cubic Zirconia has no cleavage and exhibits a conchoidal fracture (if it chips, you will see semicircular arcs - think of a big chip out of the bottom of one of those old thick-bottomed Coke bottles). It is considered brittle. (Don't smack it on things.)

Under shortwave UV cubic zirconia typically luminesces a yellow, greenish yellow or "beige." Under longwave UV the effect is greatly diminished, with sometimes a whitish glow being seen.
Naturally occurring CZ's are not commercially significant, and are manufactured in a laboratory as a gemstone. Really, really technical information is available here. (If the above wasn't technical enough for ya!) 


For CZ beads, click HERE
http://www.beadfx.com/images/rts12754.jpg

For double drilled CZ's, click HERE
 

For CZ Pendants and drops, click HERE
 

For other drilled CZ's, click HERE
http://www.beadfx.com/images/s17658.jpg

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