'Dripping with diamonds' used to be just a phrase inFantasyland, reserved for the very rich. But now that technology hasfound a way to outwit Mother Nature, whose own diamond-producingroutine takes eons, you can drip with cubic zirconia at a fraction ofthe cost. And, unless you spill the beans, no one will ever knowyour gemological secret.
'We use the phrase `the only difference is the price,' ' beamsAl Sands, executive director of multilevel marketing for Our SecretCreations, a Beverly Hills-based cubic zirconia purveyor with aChicago showroom at 70 W. Erie and known as the jeweler to thestars. The brainchild of Brian and Anita Reichenberg, Our SecretCreations was founded in 1982, when the couple recognized themarketability of CZs. Since then, the Reichenbergs have created avariety of opulent-looking baubles for such television shows as'Dynasty,' 'Dallas,' 'Falcon Crest' and 'The Colbys,' plus suchfeature films as 'Beverly Hills Cop' and 'Rocky IV.'
'There are only two ways to tell a CZ,' said Sands, surroundedby what looked like trillions of dollars worth of gems. 'You canweigh them, since they're more dense than diamonds, or you cansubject them to a complex heat-sensing test, since they don't conductheat as well as diamonds. But plenty of fine jewelers have mistakenthem for the real thing!'
Cubic zirconia was discovered by two Germans in 1937. Later,the Russians tried unsuccessfully to mass produce them for use inlaser technology, and discovered they had created a perfect man-madediamond. Sands said the Russians make the best cubic zirconia in theworld.
Unlike their genuine cousins, CZs can be 'grown' in a laboratoryin just 120 days using a combination of minerals exposed to intenseheat and pressure. Since they're second only to diamonds inhardness, CZs are durable - and easy to maintain. 'You just cleanthem with jewelry cleaner like any gem,' explains Sands, who sportstwo CZ-and-gold rings. 'They're blue-white, internally flawlessdiamonds that happen to be produced in a lab - not unlike test-tubebabies or cultured pearls!'
Comparisons aside, CZs are a force to contend with in thehigh-falutin' world of diamonds, where a pair of flawless, four-caratearrings can command a price of between $40,000 and $60,000. 'Oursare $90,' shrugs Sands, holding out a sampling of Our SecretCreations' dazzling adornments, which also incorporate syntheticrubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and aquamarines, among othercostly looking gems. 'These are all the color of investment-qualitystones. Most people's genuine gems can't compare with these,' hesays.
But insurance is another reason to go for faux, since premiumson real gems are high. Much of Our Secret Creations' custom work isfor folks who can't afford to wear what they keep in the bank vault.'Our most expensive job was to reproduce a set of matching necklace,earrings and bracelet of huge sapphires set in platinum,' Sandsconfides. 'The real item was worth $10 million, and the reproductioncost $49,000 - but even that was less than the insurance cost for theoriginal.'
Clearly, Our Secret Creations caters to every level of theCZ-minded public, from the loftiest star to the earth-boundoffice-worker, and one reason for the company's success is that itmakes jewelry available in a variety of ways. Retail showrooms inBeverly Hills and Las Vegas get the majority of stellar clients,while a network of 2,500 'distributors' nationwide sell the lessflamboyant, 'standard' selections during home showings, like upscaleTupperware parties.
'We have several hundred distributors in the Chicago area, mostof whom just work part-time,' says Sands, who travels around thecountry conducting training and motivational sessions for hisfar-flung flock. 'Our rings, earrings, and pendants offer instantgratification for customers, who can spend $40 and walk away with a$10,000 look.'
But if it's the $3 million look that appeals to you, go aheadand order a copy of the 50-carat, yellow cubic zirconia ring worn byJoan Collins on 'Dynasty' and in ads for Jose Cuervo Tequila - it canbe yours for a mere $2,800, which also will buy you the 30-carat ringworn by Linda Evans ($500,000 in the diamond district). For $5,500,Our Secret Creations will part with the elaborate, 62-carat necklaceworn by Barbara Stanwyck on 'The Colbys,' or you can settle for apair of Lady Di earrings, in CZ and 'rubies,' for $240 (as comparedwith $40,000 for the genuine article). Sands said prices are notdetermined by carat weight alone, but also by how much work goes intoa piece of jewelry.
'Customers will pull up to the Beverly Hills store in Rolls-Royces, and show us a page in a magazine of something or other theywant copied,' Sands said. 'One woman had us duplicate a ring worn byEd McMahon's wife - an emerald-cut CZ surrounded by triangularbaguettes.'
Sands says Chicago has its share of celebrity CZ buffs, althoughhe won't name names ('That's why we're called Our Secret . . .').But there apparently are enough of the non-real McCoys out there tofrustrate would-be thieves, many of whom have been thwarted by CZs inthe past. Conversely, if these stones can fool even trained eyes,how many women are out there showing off what they only think arediamond gifts? Sands temporarily balks, but then confesses. 'Well, Iwas at Faces (on Rush Street) a while ago and a waitress there waswearing our earrings and pendant, but she had no idea they weren'tnatural stones, and it wasn't my place to tell her.'
