CZ Cubic Zirconia Sterling Silver Jewelry

This post and related comments from sunshinebride perfectly illustrate why someone who owns a diamond ring might purchase , a cubic zirconia ring to wear when traveling. or during potentially damaging activities.  Whether due to the fit or style of the ring, many women feel nervous wearing their diamond wedding rings in certain situations.   Overstock, QVC and HSN were suggested as reliable places to purchase a high quality cubic zirconia ring with a precious metal setting that isn’t nearly the cost of diamonds.

(Note: We have no experience with buying cubic zirconia from Overstock or HSN, but the Diamonique pieces we own from QVC are fabulous!)

Ring – CZ Engagement/Wedding Rings? – SUNSHINEBRIDE0725′s Blue Wedding by Color Blog.

It’s a fun and satisfying process to design your own cubic zirconia engagement ring.  But it’s hard to know where to start.  With so many colors, shapes, settings, carats and other considerations, it’s easy to get lost in the options.

We suggest taking the design one step at a time as follows:

1. Setting – Most people have some idea of the type of ring setting they want, so this is a typical place to start.  You’ll need to select the style of the setting, such as solitaire.  Is the band plain or set with pave gemstones? After getting a sense of prices, you’ll also want to determine the metal used in the setting.  This could be gold, platinum or sterling.

2. Stone - The setting you choose determines the type and shape of the primary cubic zirconia stone.  If you chose a solitaire setting, you may be in search of a round or square cubic zirconia.  If the setting is accented with colored gemstones, it’s important to identify the gemstone and consider their shape in relation to the primary stone.

3. Price – Once you have a complete picture of what the ring will look like, you can make adjustments based on cost, stone size,and more.  For example, your ideal ring in platinum may cost considerably more than in a 14k gold setting.  In order to get the carat weight you want, you may decide to go with a less expensive metal, or vice versa.    There are always tradeoffs.

The important thing when designing an engagement ring is that you start with what you know.  Try to keep an open mind and proceed one step at a time.  You’ll be sure to end up with the perfect piece.

Diamonique has its own line of classic wedding jewelry and we wanted to share with you the most popular classic wedding ring styles.  There is so much diversity in metals, shapes and colors of Diamonique jewelry, but this can help get you started.

One of the most popular Diamonique engagement rings is the 100 facet solitaire ring in white or 14k yellow gold.  A round shaped stone in a six prong setting, this is a gorgeous ring with maximum sparkle.  It is available for well under $200.

For a bold look at a lower price, Epiphany Diamonique rings are platinum clad, and run about half the price of a solid 14k gold ring.  Their oval bloom cut ring features a center stone with small beaded stones around it, as well as Tacori’s beautiful signature engraving.

Another incredible Diamonique engagement ring deal is their sterling silver pieces.  One particularly beautiful style has two intersecting bands anchored together by a round, tension-set cubic zirconia.  This multi-faceted brilliant cut stone grabs attention.  This modern-style ring is available for under $50

From My Jewelry Box: A stunning butterfly ring with colorful cubic zirconia laid in warm 10 karat white gold is the perfect gift for children. A unique and patented cut replicates the form of the butterfly and provides all the sparkling brilliance of a standard cut gemstone. The positioning of the facets maximizes the return of light to the eye resulting in breathtaking luminescence.

Baby Garnet Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Butterfly Ring in 10K White Gold

Actors and actresses, including soap opera stars, are central to cubic zirconia jewelry’s popularity in the last decade.  This is not because many celebrities wear cz (although many now do), but because consumers wanted replicas of the stars’ diamond jewelry.

Today, if a celebrity gets married and receives a large diamond ring, you’ll be able to find an exact replica of that ring just weeks later.  Now, consumers have come to expect that all celebrity jewelry is available at this more reasonable price.

Here’s more:

“When it came to trends, Lachey and Simpson weren’t the only musical duo making their way into the line of celebrity inspired jewelry. Kevin Federline gave Britney Spears a stunning ring featuring a cushion-cut center diamond sitting atop a double row of connected diamond-encrusted bands. The inspired design was recreated in sterling silver and glistening white cubic zirconia. The cushion-cut center stone, which replicates a flawless diamond, sits boldly above a double band of cubic zirconia accents.”

Celebrity Inspired Jewelry – Get The Look For Less | Celebrity Secrets.

With cubic zirconia rings so popular, we weren’t surprised that they’re becoming
a major trend in high school and college class rings.  The traditional class ring, bulky with unappealing metals and engraving, is no longer the only option.   You can really make any cz ring your class ring with some simple and inexpensive personalization.

To help refine what you’re looking for, start with your school colors.  Cubic zirconia gemstones are available in any color imaginable, so you should have no problem finding one to match your alma mater.

Often you can select a symbol of your interests to appear on the ring.  This could be anything from water, if you were a swimmer, or perhaps a peace sign for the school activist.

Finally, you’ll want to have the graduation year appear on the ring, likely as an engraving.  You may want to say “Class of 2010″ or something a bit more poetic like a nice, short quotation.

Start here to create your own personalized class ring that demonstrates your school spirit, without compromising your style.

Kids can be a bit absent-minded when it comes to jewelry, which is why we don’t typically invest in a lot of expensive rings, bracelets and necklaces for children.  However, as this article points out, giving a child a beautiful and fashionable cubic zirconia ring, bracelet or cz necklace can help teach a young person responsibility without a giant investment.

“Cubic zirconia rings are very prolific in jewelry stores across the world. This is partially because they’re inexpensive, but mostly because they have excellent looks. The combination of these two features makes them a great thing to help encourage a kid’s fashion sense. With cubic zirconia, you’re not risking a truly precious piece of jewelry.”

Cubic Zirconia Rings For Kids – Info Barrel.

We all have our own reasons for wanting, or not wanting, to give or receive a big fat expensive engagement ring.   Some see an engagement ring as essential to a relationship.   Others view it as a bad investment or indirectly supportive of malevolent dictators in third world countries. (which is true).  As a result, people claim they are in the market for cheap engagement rings.   Given our passion for all cz jewelry, we think of cubic zirconia engagement rings less as a cheap substitute for diamonds, but in a class by themselves.  They have incredible variety, sparkle and precious metal settings that can be far from cheap!

The Frisky blogger discusses this in response to the NY Times Freakonomics blog.  The NY Times raises the very valid points about blood diamonds and paternalism, which we totally agree with.  But the Frisky blogger has a great point that an engagement ring is not just a token, but something symbolic, and while it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it has meaning.

Ladies, Your Engagement Ring Is A Bad Investment | The Frisky.

With last week being fashion week in New York City, we’ve been hearing a lot about Fall and Spring jewelry trends.  Color is essential, and we’re seeing cubic zirconia gemstones in every color under the sun. Jewel tones, and bright colors often associated with spring and summer, are essential this season.

Size and scale are key elements of the latest cubic zirconia trends.  Stones in exaggerated sizes, and clusters of stones with different tones of the same color are also popular.  We really like seeing these eye-catching cz stones in simple prong settings, allowing them to be the center of attention.  Speaking of eye-catching, statement pieces are extremely popular, with some cubic zirconia necklaces, bracelets and rings dominating an outfit.  The bigger, the better apparently.

You’ll find a couple new and inspired cubic zirconia rings from Ralph Lauren and Anna Sui here:

Eternal Sparkles: Fashion Jewelry Runway 2009.

We still have cocktail rings on the brain and thought you’d enjoy this fancy rhodium-plated sterling silver ring featuring a dazzling, cushion-cut purple cubic zirconia framed with CZ pave detailed leaves. So fashionable!  It has a chunky cocktail ring feel but with some very elegant detailing.

The center stone is approximately 3.25 carats and the band is about 5.5 mm thick.

Rita’s Purple Cubic Zirconia Cocktail Ring