Zircon:
Brilliant But Misunderstood
Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to
the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. Zircon
has long played a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping
in as an understudy when they were unavailable.
In the middle ages,
zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honor and wisdom in
its owner. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means
'gold-colored', although zircon comes in a wide range of different colors.
Natural zircon today suffers on account of the similarity of its name to cubic
zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Many people are unaware that
there is a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon.
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors, but for many years the most popular was
the colorless variety, which looks more like diamond than any other natural
stone because of its brilliance and dispersion.
Today
the most popular color is blue zircon, which is considered an alternative
birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some
exceptional gems have a bright blue color. Zircon is also available in green,
dark red, yellow, brown, and orange.
Zircon is mined in
Zircon is one of the
heaviest gemstones, which means that it will look smaller than other varieties
of the same weight. Zircon jewelry should be stored carefully because although
it is relatively hard, zircon can suffer from abrasion and the facets can be
chipped. Dealers often wrap zircons in individual twists of paper so that they
will
not knock against each other in a parcel.
The wide variety of colors of zircon, its rarity, and its relatively low cost
make it a popular collector's stone. Collectors enjoy the search for all
possible colors and variations.