Cubic Zirconias are a Broke Girl's BFF

Scientists began working with the synthetic diamond product to create a cost efficient alternative to the use of diamonds in lasers in the 1960's and by 1976 they had perfected their synthetic masterpiece to create the cost effective magnificent diamond alternative we purchase today.

The cubic zirconia provides consumers with a synthetic gem that, to the naked eye, matches the brilliance of the diamond and is virtually flawless. Diamonds are often flawed in some manner, unless of course you visit Tiffany's for your diamond purchase. I can't say I know anyone who has or can afford a flawless diamond.

A diamond rates at 10 on the hardness scale with the cubic zirconia coming in very close at 8. Surely this is what inspired their production for applications in the industrial world. The traditional test of scratching glass to validate a diamond's authenticity does still apply to the cubic zirconia, so should you be trying to pass off your zirconia as a diamond, don't let anyone scratch glass with it. The result would be rather embarrassing and you'd likely end up with some scratches to not only your ego, but your gem as well.

#1. You really can't tell the difference. Ok, you might have that one friend that carries around a gem loop, but come on did you really think you could fool them?

#2. Price, Price, Price, Price....you get the point. A 1 carat diamond you're looking at around 20K for the real thing and 20 bucks for the CZ.

#3. You're broke but you want some bling.

#4. Your husband, boyfriend, significant other is broke but wants to give you some bling. Warning: Broke husbands, boyfriends, significant others...DO NOT try to pass it off as the real thing! Tell your lady it's CZ. If someone else tells her you'll be broke and lonely.

#5. The average person has no practical need to scratch glass.

#6. No need for those pesky insurance policies you might need for an expensive diamond. If you CZ is stolen, you just go out and get a shiny new one.

#7. You will never need to dive into a toilet after it. How many times have you heard of someone loosing an expensive ring down the toilet...no worries, if this one goes down the loo, just let it go.

#8. You aren't a pretentious person who values your own worth by dollar per carat.

#9. You really like jewelry. Who doesn't like sparkly jewelry? Girls, and guys too, have been taught to value the sparkly stuff from a young age, so why shouldn't we have as much of it as we want. Not possible with the real thing, but hey you can get that diamond tiara you wanted since you were eight in CZ, so why not live out those princess fantasies of your youth.

#10. Because I just know there is that one person you want to fake out with your CZ. Whether it's an ex or a high school rival at the reunion, come on you know you've thought about it. Just don't let them anywhere near you with a loop!

(I'll try not to get to preachy here, I do want to keep this lighthearted, but I'll throw an #11 in here, really it should be the #1 reason you purchase a CZ. #11 you aren't really into funding the massacre of diamond miners in Africa. See my link below, if you aren't familiar with how diamonds fuel civil war and countless deaths. Not so pretty on your hand when you think someone died so you could show off to your friends. Just some food for thought.)

You can get anything from an engagement ring to something size of the Hope Diamond. Though if you're looking at CZ engagement rings, this had better be something you discuss with the recipient. It could go very wrong, you've seen the sitcoms, this never works out. However if your significant other is budget savvy and not hung up on the real thing, you'd certainly get more bang for your buck going on a fabulous honeymoon (yes, pun intended!) or putting a down payment on a house.

So if you've decided that CZ is for you, there are several different types of cuts, just as there are with diamonds. The most popular is the round brilliant, but there are just as many cut styles as there are for real diamonds and the cut is flawless. Some other popular cuts are pear, oval, marquis, princess, emerald, trillion, asscher and the cushion cut.

Though the standard is colorless, CZs also come in yellow, orange, red, purple and pink. I prefer the beauty of the colorless version, but it never hurts to mix in some color.

You can get a CZ in just about anything including, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, barrettes, buttons and studs. Really just about anything you can have it set in or on works for the CZ.

If you have a special family heirloom, or hugely expensive ring that you are frankly afraid to wear, take the setting out and get a CZ put in. You'll still have your heirloom, but without the worry.