Actually, the more you think about it, the more you realize this is not a small problem; this is a major problem. How are you going to buy your sweetheart the ring of her dreams? Enter the cubic zirconia engagement ring. For relatively little money, you can purchase a cubic zirconia ring that looks almost exactly like a real diamond showcased version.
What is cubic zirconia exactly? First a little background. Two German scientists discovered cubic zirconium oxide in 1937. During the 1970s, Russians found a way to reproduce cubic zirconia in a laboratory. They combined zirconium oxide with yttrium oxide, melted the two together in ovens reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and then cooled the mixture to make the colorless cubic zirconia. During the 1980s, cubic zirconia (also known as CZ) became mass produced and was marketed as a wonderful substitute for diamonds.
Cubic zirconia is in fact similar to diamonds in many ways. While cubic zirconia is less brilliant than diamonds, most people cannot tell the difference between the two unless they are looking under a magnifying glass. Since CZ is created by man, imperfect cubic zirconia can simply be tossed aside and not used. Therefore, most CZ does not have visible blemishes or flaws. They can also be cut into many sizes; one important thing to note is that CZ weighs about 75% more than diamonds of similar size.
Now, buying a cubic zirconia engagement ring is a little tricky. First of all, do you tell her that the beautiful gem on her finger is in fact a simulated (okay, fake) diamond? Well, that all depends on a few factors. Does she think this is the real deal? If she is convinced that you have just presented her with a high-quality one carat diamond ring, you may not want to burst her bubble right away. Maybe you can replace the cubic zirconia with a real diamond in a few years and she will never even know.
This plan does have its drawbacks. For one thing, you can't let her take the ring down to get appraised. Then she'll know for sure. And don't let her come with you to pick out the wedding rings. The jeweler may be able to spot the fake and the gig is up. Oh, and make sure not to go overboard in the size department. If you are going to try to pass off a cubic zirconia as a real diamond, buy one that is a carat or so. She probably knows you don't have enough money to buy her a three carat diamond, so if you give her one she may get suspicious immediately.
On the other hand, maybe you should let her in on the secret. She might not care that she is wearing a cubic zirconia ring. She knows you are both on a (strict!) budget and she may figure a simulated diamond is better than nothing. Of course, many women would rather have a smaller real diamond than a simulated diamond any day, but maybe your girl wants to keep up with the Jones'. If all her friends have big beautiful diamonds, she might just consent to a cubic zirconia engagement ring. After all, the CZ will sparkle and shine and no one but the two of you may ever know.
