Antique jewelry glossary

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Cubic zirconia

A synthetic gemstone that is a simulant for a diamond.

It has been produced since 1977 under the trade-name 'Djevalite' by Hrand Djevahirdjian, S.A., a Swiss firm, and a version has been made in the USSR called 'Phianitex'.

Its colour ranges from white to light yellow and brown. Its refractive index and colour dispersion are fairly close to the diamond, but its gardness is lower and its specific gravity much higher. Although very deceptive to the eye, it can be distinguished by a jeweller by several tests, e.g. observing comparative marks made by a special blue pencil or by the shape of a drop water on its table. It is sold in England under the trade-name 'Windsor Gem'

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson