What Is the Process to Make Cubic Zirconia?

Chemicals

• The chemical reaction involved in making the gemstones forces the raw zirconium metal to be combined with oxygen. Calcium and yttrium are also components of the process, acting as stabilizers, ensuring the metal and the oxygen react and create the required crystalline structures.

Heating

• The temperature required to affect the chemical reaction is more than 4892 degrees Fahrenheit. The combined chemicals are placed into an industrial microwave. When the microwave is started, the mass of chemicals will heat up from the inside out. The outer layer hardens and remains cool as the inside turns to a molten mass.

Harvesting The Gems

• Once the heating stage is completed, the "melt," as it is known, is left to cool gradually under controlled conditions. As it cools, the crystals of cubic zirconia form from the molten core of the melt. When it is fully cooled, the gemstones can be cut into the required sizes and shapes.