Imagination is the limit when you are designing a style for Cubic zirconia. One of the styles you might not have considered is the Victorian antique style of jewelry. It is a good alternative to use of diamond in the design.
Queen Victoria's ascendancy to heralded the era of Victorian jewelry. It started in 1836 and up to 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 approach. 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. Since the discovery of diamonds in 1837, they were used in jewelry and became more and more popular. The jewelry was to be given to show love and was worn during times of mourning as a symbol of love.
During the art deco period cubic zirconia has performed as great substitute for diamond. 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 time period was the charm bracelet. They were worn with multiple charms attached to a link bracelet.
The elaborate settings of the engagement ring camouflages it as a larger diamond. The cost was competitive enough to be preferred by the fashion conscious women of the 1930s. You can find some of these designs in use even in this age and time.
