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| <<Back to Main | AgateAgate | AmethystAmethyst | ApatiteApatite | BerylBeryl | ChrysoberylChrysoberyl | ChrysoberylChrysoberyl | DanburiteDanburite | DiopsideDiopside | EnstatiteEnstatite | FluoriteFluorite | GarnetGarnet | HackmaniteHackmanite | Inclusion GemstonesInclusion Gemstones | JadeJade | JadeJade | Maw sit sitMaw sit sit | MoonstoneMoonstone | PeridotPeridot | RubyRuby | SapphireSapphire | ScapoliteScapolite | SpinelSpinel | TopazTopaz | TourmalineTourmaline | ZirconZircon | Other Burmese GemsOther Burmese Gems | | Our Top Zircon Highlight | Zircon | | Not to be confused with the synthetic "cubic zirconia" (or "CZ") which is a laboratory creation and is never found in nature, zircon is a completely natural beautiful and fine gemstone.
Zircon has been known since ancient times. It is said that its name came from the Arabic and Persian word zargoon which means golden colored. This gemstone can appear in colors other than golden yellow. These colors include: red, brown, green, blue, and colorless. Zircon has many special properties that make it quite unique and interesting: First of all, zircon has a very high refractive index. This means that it has the ability to strongly bend light. In fact, the high refractive index of zircon is similar to that of diamond. This stone also has a high dispersion or "fire".
Long ago, colorless zircons were known as "Matara Diamonds" as these stones were mined in Matara, Sri Lanka. A second distinctive property of zircon is that it is found in a "low" and "high" type. These two types of zircon are separated by their difference in refractive index and specific gravity. As you might guess, the "high type" has a higher refractive index and specific gravity than the "low type". "High type" zircons show a very strong birefringence. This particularity, shared with peridot, makes the stones appear fuzzy.
On the other hand "low type" zircon can be near amorphous and sometimes show a very low biregringeance. The difference between the two types results from the decay of uranium and thorium that are naturally present in zircon. The crystal structure of the "low type" zircon has been damaged over million of years by this radioactive decay. Therefore, this degraded zircon is known as metamict.
Anyway their low uranium content is absolutely not dangerous for human health as low levels of radioactivity are common in nature in zircons as well as in most granites for example. Greenish brown Burmese zircons from Mogok, Burma are very famous in gemology schools as they displays a special absorption spectrum with many absorption lines commonly known as "jailhouse". But other types of zircons and especially the red one usually show no spectrum at all. Pure zircon has the chemical composition zirconium silicon oxide (ZrSiO4) and forms in the tetragonal crystal system and often appears in square prisms with square pyramid terminations.
Zircon occurs in many locations around the world including Australia, France, Nigeria, Burma (Mogok), Vietnam, Cambodia (Pailin), Thailand (Chanthabury), and the USA. Gem quality material typically comes from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Mogok Stone Tract of upper Burma. Many of these stones are heat treated to create the beautiful transparent yellow and blue gems common in jewelry. Natural blue zircon is extremely rare.
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