Cubic zirconia (CZ)
On the label: Cubic zirconia · Gemstone
What it is
Synthetic zirconium oxide, the standard diamond simulant since the 1970s: Mohs 8 to 8.5, more fire than diamond, colorless, and inexpensive. It is a simulant, not a lab-grown diamond; it must not be sold as diamond.
Gemstones: Natural gemstones, as mined and cut. Hardness (Mohs scale) says what scratches what; treatment (heat, oil, dye) must be disclosed under FTC rules.
Wikidata: Material. Q225666 →
In the research
4 PubMed papers mention it with jewelry, allergy, eyewear or UV; the three most recent:
- Current status on lithium disilicate and zirconia: a narrative review · BMC oral health, 2019
- Solvothermal Preparation and Electrochemical Characterization of Cubic ZrO₂ Nanoparticles/Highly Reduced Graphene (HRG) based Nanocomposites · Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 2019
- Low temperature synthesis of pure cubic ZrO2 nanopowder: structural and luminescence studies · Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2014
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on one fabric or one filter says little about the piece in your hand.
Pieces whose listing names it
24 on the siteMatched from the words in the supplier's listing; the full material line is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Other gemstones
Clasp & Lens describes materials from the public record and does not appraise, grade or test pieces; what a listing states is the supplier's statement. If a piece causes a rash, take it off; a reaction that spreads or blisters is a doctor's question, and sunglasses are no substitute for impact-rated eye protection where that is required.