9CT GOLD CUBIC ZIRCONIA DIAMOND SHAPED STUD EARRINGS

These will add a little glitz and glamour to any outfit! I particularly like the concave sides of the rhomboid shape. These little 9ct Gold studs are designed to fit comfortably in the earlobe. These earrings are made from 9ct Gold and are sold as a pair. The butterfly adds extra security to guard against the earring falling out of your ears.

Cubic zirconia, as a Diamond substituent and jewel competitor, has been seen as a potential solution to the conflict Diamond issue, and the controversy surrounding the rarity and value of Diamonds. This is attributed to confirmed evidence that there were price-fixing practices taken by the major producers of rough Diamonds, with the majority attributed to De Beers Company known for holding a monopoly on the market from the 1870s to the early 2000s. However, De Beers and Co do not have as much power over the market, the price of Diamonds continues to increase due to the increased demand in emerging markets such as India and China. A closely related issue to this monopoly was the emergence of conflict Diamonds. It has been shown that the Kimberley Process is not as effective in decreasing the number of conflict Diamonds reaching the European and American markets as intended. A 2015 study from the Enough Project, showed that groups in the Central African Republic have reaped between US$3 million and US$6 million annually from blood Diamonds. Diamond substituents, therefore, have become an alternative to boycotting altogether the funding of such unethical practices. However, concerns from mining countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are that a boycott in purchases of Diamonds would only worsen their economy. Therefore, it is argued that in the short term Diamond substituents could be an alternative to reduce conflict around the market of Diamond mining but a long term solution would be to establish a more rigorous system of identifying the origin of these stones.