Zircon: Don't Be Confused |
It is very common for people to confuse zircons with cubic zirconia, which is a man-made, laboratory-grown synthetic substance. Even on the internet people incorrectly search for 'diamond cz. zircon rings' for example. Zircons, however, are natural, beautiful gemstones, and come in a variety of colors including colorless, red, brown, green, orange, yellow-green, and black. The orange zircon is called jacinth (also spelled hyacinth). If treated with heat, the zircon can also turn blue and golden yellow. Brown crystals are treated by heat to produce these colors except for green, brown, and yellow. The most popular zircon is blue, called starlite or Siam Zircon, and an unusual bronze color is very rare and more costly.
The colorless ones can have the "scintillation sparkle of a diamond on fire," and are therefore often substituted for diamonds in jewelry. They are known as "Ceylon or matura diamonds" and have a very high refractive index, double that of a diamond, "as if the light is coming right back to you." The confusion with cubic zirconia has no doubt diminished zircon's importance in consumers' minds, although it is the only gemstone which can rival a diamond. The diamond is harder, however, and shows less wear on the edges.
The oldest zircon discovery was in the Jack Hills in western Australia, going back over four billion years, and is therefore the oldest mineral in existence. It can be dated using modern technology techniques. Its name probably comes from the Persian word "zergun" which means the color of gold. In the middle ages, people believed it promoted honor and wisdom, and helped people to sleep without having nightmares. It was also believed to ease pain and increase appetite, and if it should lose its luster, that was a premonition of disaster. This heavy mineral is also used for abrasion and insulation, and zirconium uranium is used in nuclear reactors.
The silicate zircon can be found in ingneous and metamorphic rocks; often in detrital deposits; and comes from mines in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma), New Zealand. Quebec, Cambodia, France, Nigeria, Tanzania. and Australia. It can also occur in beach sands in Florida, Australia, India, and Brazil.
When packing zircons, dealers have to separate them because they are easily scratched.or chipped. They also should be kept away from hot water, chemicals found in the home, and drastic temperature changes. When purchasing zircon jewelry, be aware of imitations such as colorless glass, and/or synthetics, and each piece of jewelry should be stored separately.