Solid 10K Yellow Gold Princess Cut Cubic Zirconia CZ Solitaire Stud Earrings

This pair of solid 10K yellow gold stud earrings sets a single princess cut cubic zirconia in each ear. The stones sit in open four prong baskets that lift them clear of the post, so light reaches the pavilion from the sides as well as the top and the facets stay bright instead of going flat against the lobe. The prongs are tipped neatly over each corner of the square and the gold is polished throughout.

The princess cut is a modern and deliberately engineered shape. A square outline over a deep brilliant faceted pavilion throws light back at the viewer the way a round brilliant does while holding a crisp geometric edge, which is why princess stones read sharp and architectural on the ear rather than soft. The corners on these are left square and uncropped, which is the detail that separates a true princess from a radiant or a step cut.

The posts are marked 10K and the backs are marked 925, sterling silver fitted with clear silicone cushions. The cushion sits flush against the lobe, which keeps a small stud from tipping forward through the day.

VERIFICATIONS
Solid 10K gold has been verified using an Auracle Gold Analyzer.

DETAILS
Metal: Solid 10K Yellow Gold
Hallmarks: 10K on posts, 925 on backs
Stone: Cubic Zirconia
Stone Cut: Princess
Stone Shape: Square
Stone Count: 2
Setting: Four prong basket
Backs: Sterling silver with silicone cushions
Condition: Excellent estate condition

FUN FACTS
Cubic zirconia did not exist as a gem material until the 1970s. It came out of a laser crystal laboratory, where physicists working on optical materials perfected the skull crucible method, a technique that melts zirconium oxide at over 2500 degrees Celsius inside a shell of its own cooled powder because no ordinary crucible survives that temperature. The research was published in 1973 and commercial production of gem quality material began in 1976.

Cubic zirconia is considerably denser than diamond, roughly 1.65 to 1.7 times the weight for the same volume. A cubic zirconia cut to the same dimensions as a one carat diamond weighs closer to 1.7 carats. That is why carat weight does not describe a CZ the way it describes a diamond, and why the millimeter measurement across the stone is the number that actually tells you how it will look on the ear.