Diamond Rings

These are cubic zirconia rings, not mined diamonds, and we'd rather say so on the first line than have you find out later. Baguette, bezel, solitaire, pavé and emerald-cut CZ set in 18K gold vermeil over solid sterling silver, or gold plated — the look of a diamond ring at $45 to $110, in gold, silver and rose gold, US sizes 3 to 12.

CZ Diamond Ring Questions

Are these real diamonds?

No. They're cubic zirconia — a lab-made stone that is genuinely brilliant and genuinely not a diamond. It's also not a lab-grown diamond, which is chemically identical to a mined one and priced accordingly. CZ is its own material. Anyone selling you a $50 ring and calling the stone a diamond is not being straight with you.

How do you tell CZ from a diamond?

CZ is heavier, softer and throws more coloured fire — a diamond's sparkle is whiter and sharper. Under a loupe, CZ edges look slightly rounded where a diamond's are crisp. Across a dinner table, most people can't tell, which is the entire reason the material exists.

Do CZ rings scratch or cloud over?

Yes, eventually. CZ sits at 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs scale against a diamond's 10 — hard enough for daily wear, soft enough that years of contact dull the facets. What clouds them faster is skin oil and hand cream in the setting, which cleans off. The scratching doesn't. Treat a CZ ring as something you replace in a few years, not something you hand down.

Can a CZ ring be resized?

Usually, but tell the jeweller what the stone is first. CZ can't take the heat a diamond can and needs removing before sizing, which adds cost. Buy the right size instead if you can — we run US 3 to 12, and half sizes throughout.

Is a CZ ring acceptable for an engagement?

Plenty of people use one, for reasons that are nobody's business — as a placeholder, as a travel ring, or because they'd rather spend the money elsewhere. It's a decision worth making together rather than presenting as a surprise, since the one thing that goes wrong is a partner discovering the stone isn't what they assumed.

Will the gold wear off?

Rings take more abrasion than any other jewelry — that's why they wear before necklaces do. Ours is 3.0 microns of gold over solid sterling silver, against an industry standard of 0.2 and typical plating at 0.5. It's the difference between years and months, but no plating is permanent on a ring you never take off.

See also promise rings, stackable rings and statement rings. For a stone with actual meaning behind it, see birthstone rings.