There are few things that can accent outfits like jewelry can. Diamonds in particular are highly prized for their ability to accent virtually every look, bringing a touch of class and style to even the humblest wardrobe choices. However, due to their cost, it is usually wise to only wear diamonds out for formal occasions, as the price of replacing a lost diamond earring or ring can be extremely high.

There is an alternative, Cubic Zirconium/Zirconia(CZ), but they have something of a spotty reputation. Much of the poor reputation CZs have, has little to do with CZs and more to do with the choices CZ buyers make. With a little forethought and planning, the cost advantage of CZs can be leveraged to achieve the benefits of real diamonds. There are three main considerations(beyond the four Cs), size, metal pairing, and quantity. Paying attention to these three things can lead to near diamond quality results with regards to CZs impact on the wardrobe and your overall look.

We'll start with Size. Size is quite possibly the most important thing to consider when purchasing CZs. All too often, CZ buyers will purchase their 'dream size' earrings, rings, pendants, etc. That is, they purchase the size they wish they could have in real diamonds. The problem with this is, it usually isn't believable. If you're a multi-millionare, then people aren't going to think twice about you wearing 2 carat flawless diamond earrings on any given day. If you're one of us regular people, the size will cause people to wonder if and/or conclude the earrings are fakes. Obviously that's not what you want people thinking about when they look at you.

One of the best ways to avoid this, is to purchase CZs in a size range that doesn't require a huge stretch of imagination for people to believe you could afford if they were real. This will depend on the intended use of the CZs. For example, you can get away with larger CZs for formal events, because it is common for people to have expensive jewelry they don't wear daily that they do wear for formal events. Even then, you still need to stay within the bounds of realism. If you make 30k a year and show up somewhere wearing earrings that would cost 10k if they were real, people will wonder about them and you don't want that. You only want them thinking how great you look.

Metal pairing, or, the type of metal the CZ is set in can also make or break a look. Consider this: You pick a nice believable 1/4 carat set of earrings, but you get some gold plated/filled alloy that turns green the third or fourth time you wear them. Worse, it turns green in a public place and you don't notice it at first. Purchasing CZs in a precious metal setting not only eliminates this concern, but can also greatly enhance the look and elegance of the CZ itself. Your options here range from sterling silver to platinum and everything in between. A good budget choice is gold, platinum, or rhodium plated sterling silver, though a nice gold or platinum setting is outstanding if it is within your budget. Sterling silver should be plated to avoid problems with tarnishing, although tarnish is a lot easier to deal with than turning green. You don't want people thinking about jewelry that is tarnishing or turning green when they look at you. You only want them thinking you look great.

Quantity is about the number of individual CZs a piece uses. Generally speaking, the greater number of stones in a piece of jewelry, the more attention it will attract to itself. The more attention it attracts to itself, the more attention it is taking away from your overall look. Once again, you want them focused on how great you look, not wondering about a piece of jewelry.

These three things all come from the philosophy that your jewelry, like your clothes, should be chosen to compliment and accent your natural beauty. They should accent how great you look. To gain the full advantage of the elegance and class that diamonds can bring using CZs, you must choose pieces that aren't likely to become the center of attention. Rather, you want pieces that will attract attention to you. It's not about having jewelry that looks good, it's about having jewelry that makes you look good.