Chemically speaking, what is in fake jewelry?

Question

I know real jewelry is made of gold and a bit of copper to make it hard.

But what is in fake jewelry???

Answer 1

Depends on what kind of fake jewelry. Fake diamonds are often cubic zircoia, or zirconium oxide.

Answer 2

You are mixing up definitions of jewelry. Yes, gold for worn items is less than 24K to keep it from wearing out (rings are as low as 10K). A "fake" gold ring would have some other metal or metal mixture such as brass. Jewelry is usually the precious (or fake) stones used in settings. As the previous responder noted, ZrC can simulate diamond, and while it is fake, it can cost a respectable amount of money. Whether the setting is gold (which is often done) or not is an additional matter. Other precious stones can be synthesized, but would be considered "fake". Historically, pearls were faked (called "paste"); although with aquatic culturing, pearls can be harvested. The purists, however, consider only the pearls produced "in the wild" as real.