SILVER RECTANGULAR BLUE CUBIC ZIRCONIA HALO STUDS
Christine Alexander Fine Jewellery
A beautifully designed pair of Sterling Silver stud earrings set with Sapphire blue step cut and pave halo Cubic Zirconia stones.
Earring size approx 9.5x8mm. Crafted in Sterling Silver. A matching pendant is available here, and this design is also available with Ruby red Cubic Zirconia (contact me if no link).
Cubic zirconia, as a Diamond substituent and jewel competitor, has been seen as a potential solution against conflict Diamonds 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, in majority attributed to De Beers Company known as to holding a monopoly on the market from the 1870s to 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 Diamonds substituents could be an alternative to reduce conflict around the market of Diamond mining but a long term solution would establish a more rigorous system of identifying the origin of these stones.
Jewellery is best stored individually in a soft pouch or a box with compartments away from sunlight and where harder gemstones can’t scratch softer ones.
Your earrings are presented in an elegant Christine Alexander branded gift box.