Preciosa

Cubic zirconia, also known as CZ, was created as a more affordable alternative to genuine diamonds. Cubic zirconia is the best synthetic stone of all diamond´s substitutes. It comes in every imaginable colour and at a fraction of the cost of other gemstones. Zirconia is an ideal raw material for the production of jewellery thanks to its hardness comming close to the hardness of ruby or sapphire, and optical properties close to those of diamond.

The name may be derived from the Latin word spinella, meaning "little thorn", possibly referring to the fact that some spinel crystals are found with sharp points. Spinel is almost a secret among gem lovers. It's hardness of 8, and lack of cleavage makes for a tough and durable gemstone. It mimics corundum, and crystals are found in a wide spectrum of colors, including red, orange, yellow, dark green, blue, purple, brown and black.

Synthetic spinel is produced by the Verneuil method and is most often used as an imitation of stones other than spinel, such as blue sapphire or aquamarine. It is an outstanding synthetic material characterised by great hardness, a high refraction index, sharp dispersion of light, and a wide variety of colours.

Synthetic corundum, in the form of synthetic ruby, was the first gemstone reproduced by artificial techniques. Auguste Victor Louis Verneuil invented the flame-fusion technique (now know as the Verneuil method) of melting aluminum oxide and allowing it to recrystallize in a cone-shaped boule, the colour of which can be controlled by the addition of chemical additives.

Nanogem is a new synthetic material. It is exceptionally stable when set in jewellery using all stone setting techniques. Nanogems is a name for a group of new synthetic materials grown in amorphous substances, nanosized crystals (about 10-7 mm in dimensions) in particular, used in fine jewellery and fashion jewellery.

Marcasite used in jewellery is actually iron pyrite, since genuine marcasite often crumbles into dust and is thus too delicate to be used in jewellery. The composition of iron sulphide and iron pyrite is the same, however they crystallize differently. Pyrite is a very common mineral. The brassy-yellow metallic colour of Pyrite has in many cases lead to people mistaking it for Gold, hence the common nickname 'Fools Gold'.