Cubic zirconia only forms under extreme temperatures, like those produced when an asteroid impacts Earth

A satellite image of the Clearwater Lakes, the site of two large asteroid impacts that struck Earth about 290 million years ago (NASA Earth Observatory)

When high-velocity asteroids land on the Earth, they can form a meteor impact crater. Such collisions have occurred throughout Earth’s history and still occur on other planetary bodies today.

While most asteroid impacts on Earth happened millions of years ago, their remnants are still preserved across the Earth’s surface. Impact-affected rocks experience intense heat and pressure during the impact.