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 Post subject: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 4:47 pm 
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I bought a few sets of cheap jewelry from Walmart with the intention of popping out the stones (Snap In Settings) and putting in a few stones I had on hand for my daughter.

After popping out an 8mm stone, I thought I'd recut it to see how Arya's Autumn Still Life would look in clear CZ.

Dopping and cutting went smoothly, the only thing of notice was that the swarf was a strange shade of gray.
When it came time for polish I had some issues. I grabbed my ceramic lap with 100k diamond. Instant scratches/gouging and general blow ups. I cleaned the lap, no change. I then tried Aluminum Oxide on a Corian. More of the same. I tried a combination of just about everything I could for 7+ hardness stones with no luck. Out of curiosity the last thing I tried was my darkside lap with cerium oxide. Instant beautiful polish. So much for Genuine Cubic Zirconia.


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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:05 pm 
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Do you reckon it was lead glass then?
You should test specific gravity...

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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:30 pm 
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Cerium Oxide does NOT polish Cubic Zirconia. The stones cannot be CZ. No surprise from Walmart.
I only purchase from Walmart when everything else is out of the way, which is almost never.

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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:11 pm 
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I would guess that they're lead glass. I'm going to test specific gravity and do a scratch test for mohs.


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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:13 pm 
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D Divers wrote:
I would guess that they're lead glass. I'm going to test specific gravity and do a scratch test for mohs.

See if Quartz will scratch it.

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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:28 pm 
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Wow, that's pretty low, even for walmart. Next thing they'll be using child slave labor in every store, not just their overseas factories.


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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:45 am 
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I doubt that Wal-Mart even knows about it - I don't think thy hire an expert to examine this grade of jewelry. Why don't you tell them?


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 Post subject: Re: Genuine Cubic Zirconia
PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:03 pm 
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Icehut wrote:
Wow, that's pretty low, even for walmart. Next thing they'll be using child slave labor in every store, not just their overseas factories.


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