Zircon
Despite the fact that a tiny fragment of zircon found in Western Australia is the oldest known object on Earth at 4.404 billion years old, many people do not realize that there is a beautiful, natural gemstone called zircon. Available in green, blue, dark red, violet, yellow, brown, orange, and colorless hues, zircons remarkable brilliance is captivating. Blue Zircon is one of the birthstones for December.
The name Zircon derives from the Arabic word "Zaqun" meaning vermillion, or from the Persian "zargun" meaning golden-colored. Zircon's high refractive index and strong dispersion produces gems with such magnificent brilliance and intense fire that the colorless variety was used historically as an imitation/substitute for diamond. Cubic Zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation, should not be confused with natural zircon.
Zircon is a heavy gemstone, meaning it will look smaller than other gems of the same carat weight. Color and clarity are the most important considerations when determining the value of a zircon. Blue, yellow or colorless gems may have been heated to improve their color. Green and brown colors are not heated.
