Diamond Simulants

• Diamond simulants have been substituted for genuine diamonds in jewelry for decades. Any clear natural gemstone that resembles a diamond sufficiently in hardness, index of refraction, dispersion, specific gravity and other properties can be a diamond simulant. Historically, natural gemstones like white sapphire, white topaz, colorless beryl, clear quartz and natural zircon have all been used as diamond simulants. In recent years, the man-made moissanite gemstone has become a popular diamond simulant, and some consider man-made diamonds to be diamond simulants.
  
  

Cubic Zirconia

• The most popular diamond simulant today is cubic zirconia, or CZ. Cubic zirconia's main chemical component is zirconium oxide. Although cubic zirconia has less refraction than a diamond, it has more dispersion, meaning "fire" or light dispersion. Cubic zirconia is also heavier than a diamond. Since cubic zirconia is made of a different element than diamonds, which are made of carbon, it is easily identified by lab testing. The production costs to manufacture cubic zirconia are much less than to mine natural diamonds.
  
  

QVC Inc.

• QVC, the TV shopping channel, was founded by Joseph M. Segel as a new "electronic retailer." Based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, QVC debuted live on-air on November 24, 1986. In 1987, QVC expanded its programming to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In 1996, QVC launched its Internet site, QVC.com, which now attracts 6 million unique visitors each month. Today, QVC Inc. is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world.
  
  

QVC's "Diamonique" Brand

• In 1988, QVC bought the manufacturing facility, trade name and proprietary rights to the Diamonique brand name and cubic zirconia line from MSB Industries Inc. In its debut year at QVC, Diamonique jewelry generated $18 million in sales. Diamonique cubic zirconia stones are an 8.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness -- diamonds are 10 -- and are blue-white in color. In 2001, QVC began distributing Diamonique jewelry in Target stores, and in 2009 QVC broadcasted live from Austria to debut its new "Enlightened Swarovski Elements for Diamonique" line of jewelry.