Antique Styles Created with Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia can be made into any style of jewelry imaginable. One of the styles you might not have considered is the Victorian antique style of jewelry. Victorian style antique jewelry can be purchased with a cubic zirconia instead of a diamond.

In Great Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria came the Victorian jewelry period. It started in 1836 and ran through 1901. The designs of the Victorian era were spurred by the Queen's love for her husband and children. The designs mirrored a romantic, sentimental outlook. The inspired theme of the designs came from flowers, bows, hearts, birds, and human hair. All of these were incorporated into the designs of the jewelry. Some of the most popular gemstones used during this time era were the garnet, opal, amethysts, and seed pearls. Opals were the favorite of Queen Victoria, making opals a very popular gemstone. After diamonds were discovered in 1837 in South Africa, they were used in jewelry and became increasingly popular. The jewelry was to be given to show love and was worn during times of mourning as a symbol of love.

Jewelry from the Art Deco jewelry period has been made using cubic zirconia instead of diamonds with great success. The Art Deco jewelry period began in 1920 and lasted until 1935. During this time period dazzling jewelry was produced which was so markedly different to the jewelry produced during earlier time periods. In difference from the soft colors and the flowing lines of the jewelry came very bold, deep, and brilliant colors. The lines no longer were flowing, instead were very even, straight lines. This was the time era of the flappers and jazz.

Egyptian had a very strong influence making the sphinx and falcon very popular. With the concentration of balance and harmony in the jewelry, gemstones were cut using geometrical cuts to blend. Women had started wearing their hair short and very straight. Popular jewelry consisted of long earring, long strings of pearls or beads, cocktail rings and diamond watches. The most popular gems of the time were emeralds, sapphires and rubies. Diamonds were still the gems for wedding and engagement rings.

Cubic zirconia has also been successful in recreating jewelry from the Retro Jewelry Period, also. The Retro jewelry period started in 1935 and ran through 1950, which was during the years of the Great Depression. The characteristics of the Retro jewelry period are large vivid colored gemstones in large rectangular cuts. The synthetic gemstones of ruby and sapphires were some of the popular stones of the time era. With platinum not being available, yellow gold was the metal used in most of the jewelry of the day. Jewelry designers created jewelry pieces with multiple colors and with combinations of rose, yellow and green gold. The fashion piece of the time period was the charm bracelet. They were worn with multiple charms attached to a link bracelet.

The elaborate settings of the engagement ring gave the illusion of a larger diamond. The price was affordable enough to be chosen by the thrifty women of the 1930s. Some of these same types of settings are still popular today.