Gem Quiz

I Am of Interest to National Security, But Probably Not that Many Jewelers. Who Am I?

I share much with cubic zirconia, except the refraction.

Published

10 months ago

July 9, 2023

INSTORE Staff

DISCOVERED IN THE hills of Sri Lanka in 1892, I didn’t attract much interest from anyone until the arrival of the nuclear age (I am one of two sources of zirconium, a structural component of nuclear reactors). Gem collectors like me, but from a jeweler’s point of view, I probably just have trivia value: I am the natural form of cubic zirconia. While our chemistry is identical, we actually don’t look much alike. CZ is a bright, highly refractive material, while I am usually opaque. It’s due to the different ways we crystallize.

Who am I?

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”