Zircon

Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. It’s chemical name is zirconium silicate. The gemstone occurs in many colors such as yellow, red, pink, brown, blue, hazel, or black. It can also be colorless. The color of zircons can sometimes be changed by heat treatment. In geological settings, the development of pink, red, and purple zircon occurs after hundreds of millions of years.

Zircons have a refractive index of 1.925 – 2.105. The refractive index of diamond is 2.42, thus making the brilliance of zircon almost as scintillating as a diamond. It’s hardness on the mohs scale 7.5. Zircon is found in Western Australia, Cambodia, and Tanzania.

Blue Zircon
Blue Zircon is a stunning gem with a high refractive index, meaning it sparkles similarly to a Diamond. Colorless Zircon was popularly used as replacement diamonds, but it is significantly more brittle than the harder gem, and consequently gained an undeserved reputation. Zircons are doubly refractive, an effect known as Birefringence. This means a gem may appear "blurry" in pictures, when it is actually clear and precise. In order to achieve intense hues, Zircon undergoes oxygen-free heat treatment to enhance the fiery-cool tones. A Naturally Blue Zircon is a rare find! Laurie works with several lapidaries to find your perfect gem.

Earth Tone Zircon
Zircon is an amazing gem which natively comes in a variety of Earth Tones. These include Orange, Peach, Brown, Salmon, Honey, Champagne, Rose and Yellow. Additionally, Sherry, Whiskey, Cinnamon, and Red describe this sensational gemstone. With a high refractive index, Zircon sparkles nearly as much as a Diamond. It is relatively free of inclusions, but untreated zircons can appear smoky or cloudy. Jewelry-Quality Zircon is clean, free of inclusions, to the eye. Zircons are doubly refractive, an effect known as Birefringence. This means a gem may appear "blurry" in pictures, when it is actually clear and precise.