Cubic zirconia is the most common stone used in interchangeable jewelry, including most of the swap elements in the Loretana line. The category attracts vague marketing claims, so it is worth being precise: what cubic zirconia actually is, how it is graded, why grading matters in an interchangeable setting, and what to expect from the stone over years of wear.
What separates a swap element worth keeping from one that clouds within a season is not the look on day one but the grade of the stone underneath. Understanding the grading scale is what lets a buyer judge a stone before it is in the hand.
What is cubic zirconia, exactly?
Cubic zirconia is a synthetic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂). It is grown under controlled heat and pressure in a furnace, then cut and polished using the same techniques used for natural gemstones. The result is a transparent, faceted stone that reflects light in a way visually comparable to a diamond, though chemically and structurally different.
It is not a diamond simulant in the dismissive sense; it is its own material, with properties that make it well-suited to certain jewelry applications and less suited to others. The hardness sits at 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs scale (diamond is 10), hard enough for daily wear in earrings, rings, and pendants.
The optical properties are excellent. The refractive index of cubic zirconia is 2.15 to 2.18, against diamond's 2.42, which means the stone disperses light into spectral colors in a way the eye reads as similar to a diamond. The dispersion (the fire) of cubic zirconia is actually higher than diamond's, which is one reason a well-cut cubic zirconia catches more colored light than a diamond of the same size under the same lighting.
How is cubic zirconia graded?
The industry grades cubic zirconia on a five-tier scale, from A (lowest) to AAAAA (highest). The grading reflects three properties: clarity, cut, and color stability.
| Grade | Clarity | Cut | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A and AA | Visible inclusions | Soft machine cut | Costume jewelry |
| AAA | No visible inclusions | Precise machine cut | Fine jewelry standard, Loretana Blue line |
| AAAA | Higher clarity | Hand-finished | Premium fine jewelry |
| AAAAA | Indistinguishable from diamond in most lighting | Hand-finished, tight tolerances | Loretana flower and heart duo rings |
The grades are not legally regulated the way precious metal hallmarks are. There is no government office issuing AAA certifications. The grades are industry conventions, and quality varies between manufacturers. The brand's reputation is what backs the grade claim, which is part of why the metal hallmark matters; a studio that takes its metal standards seriously is also more likely to grade stones accurately.
Why does grading matter more in an interchangeable setting?
In a fixed piece, the stone is set once and stays. The buyer judges the stone at purchase and that judgment holds for the life of the piece.
In an interchangeable piece, the stone moves. Each swap involves lifting the stone from its setting and placing a different one in. The stone gets handled, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly. Three things change as a result.
First, the stone surface contacts skin oils and air more often. Lower-grade stones absorb micro-residues at the surface, which dulls the sparkle visibly over time. AAA and higher grades resist this absorption and stay clear longer.
Second, the stone faces small mechanical stresses during the swap. A low-grade stone with internal stress lines can develop a hairline crack from handling that a hand-set fixed stone would never encounter. AAA stones are tested for internal stress before they leave the cutting workshop.
Third, the cut precision affects how the stone seats in the interchangeable bed. A stone cut to loose tolerances does not sit consistently in the same spot, which produces a slight visual variation between swaps. AAA and AAAAA stones are cut to tighter tolerances and seat consistently every time.
For the engineering context, see our guide to how interchangeable hoops actually work.
How does AAA zirconia behave under daily wear?
A AAA cubic zirconia stone in a Loretana interchangeable setting, worn regularly, should hold its visual quality for many years without intervention. The most common pattern of long-term wear is a faint clouding at the surface from oils, removable with a soft cloth and warm soapy water rinse.
The cut edges, where the facets meet, are the points of slowest wear. Under heavy contact (sleeping in the piece, frequent contact with hard surfaces) the cut edges soften over time and the fire of the stone reduces slightly. Removing the piece at night and during physical work extends this life considerably.
What cubic zirconia does not do well under is direct chemical exposure. Chlorine, bleach, and strong solvents can etch the surface micron-thin layers, which dulls the stone permanently. The piece should be removed before swimming, cleaning, or any chemical contact.
How do I clean a cubic zirconia interchangeable stone?
The cleaning routine is simple and matters more in interchangeable settings than in fixed ones because the stone gets handled more.
Once a month, or whenever the stone looks faintly dull:
- Remove the swap element from the setting.
- Wipe the stone with a soft microfiber cloth to lift surface oils.
- If oils have built up, rinse the element in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, brushing the facets gently with a soft toothbrush.
- Rinse in clean warm water.
- Pat dry with a soft cloth. Do not rub.
- Allow to air dry fully before re-seating in the interchangeable setting.
Do not use ultrasonic cleaners on interchangeable stones unless the manufacturer explicitly confirms compatibility. The vibration can shift stones in their settings and, in some cases, create hairline stress on the stone itself.
What colors does cubic zirconia come in?
Loretana uses colored cubic zirconia in several interchangeable pieces: the Blue line in earrings, the Ruby and Emerald gold hoops, and the colored stone variants on the flower and heart duo rings. The coloration is achieved during the crystal growth process by introducing trace amounts of metal oxides into the furnace.
- Blue. Cobalt oxide gives a deep, saturated blue that holds across light conditions. Used in the Blue Halo, Blue Drop, and Blue Duo pieces.
- Ruby (red). Cerium and praseodymium oxides give a clear red. Used in the Ruby and Emerald gold hoops and as one of the swap options in the rings.
- Emerald (green). Chromium and vanadium oxides give a clean green. Used in the Ruby and Emerald hoops and as a swap stone option in the rings.
- Clear (white). Untreated, the most diamond-like in appearance. The default stone in many interchangeable settings.
The colored stones hold their color permanently when made from properly doped crystal. Inferior dyed stones, where color is applied to the surface of a clear crystal rather than grown into the crystal itself, fade visibly. AAA and AAAAA-grade colored zirconia are grown with the color in the crystal, not painted on.
When does a natural gemstone make more sense?
Cubic zirconia is the right choice for most interchangeable settings. It is durable enough for daily handling, optically excellent, and affordable enough that the stone is not a barrier to a complete piece at a working price point.
Natural gemstones (sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds) are appropriate in interchangeable settings only when the buyer accepts three things: significantly higher cost, more careful handling at each swap, and the inability to replace a lost stone identically because each natural stone is unique.
For the Loretana interchangeable line, AAA and AAAAA cubic zirconia are the right specification because they let the closed-piece model function at the price point and quality level the line is designed for. A natural-stone interchangeable line would be a different product with different trade-offs.
For the broader category context, see our pillar guide on interchangeable earrings.
Browse the line in our earrings collection and rings collection, where each piece's stone grading is noted on its product page.
Frequently asked questions
What does AAA cubic zirconia mean?
AAA is the third tier in the five-tier cubic zirconia grading system, after A and AA. It indicates high clarity (no visible inclusions), precise machine cut, and color stability under regular wear. It is the working standard for fine cubic zirconia jewelry and the grade Loretana uses across most of the interchangeable earring line.
How is AAAAA different from AAA?
AAAAA is the highest commercial grade. It uses hand-finished cuts (vs machine cuts for AAA), higher clarity, and tighter tolerances. The visual difference is subtle to the naked eye but visible under direct comparison and under low-light fire. Loretana reserves AAAAA for pieces where the stone is the visual centerpiece, such as the flower ring and heart duo ring.
Will cubic zirconia cloud over time?
Low-grade cubic zirconia (A and AA) can cloud within months. AAA and higher grades resist clouding for many years with proper care. Most apparent clouding on AAA stones is actually surface oil buildup, removable with a soft cloth and mild soap.
Are colored Loretana stones real cubic zirconia or dyed?
They are colored cubic zirconia, with the color grown into the crystal itself by introducing trace metal oxides during crystal growth. They are not surface-dyed. The color is permanent and does not fade.
Can I have a damaged cubic zirconia stone replaced?
If a stone in an interchangeable Loretana piece chips or develops a crack, the swap element can usually be replaced individually. Contact the studio in Kaunas with the piece details. Replacement is faster and less expensive than re-cutting a fixed stone in a soldered setting, which is part of the practical advantage of the interchangeable format.
MB Loretana is officially registered with Lietuvos prabavimo rumai (order 4819767, dated 2026-03-04) and identified by a registered responsibility mark. Every piece carries the 925 international hallmark alongside our responsibility mark, and ships from Kaunas within 1 business day, with 1 to 3 business days delivery across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
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