Blue Zircon

Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, which was a glowing tree covered with gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. The name Zircon may have come from the Persian word Zargun, meaning gold colored. Zircon's ancient name was jacinth or hyacinth.

The stone has been known variously as jacinth or hyacinth and as jargoon. Today we simply call it Zircon, usually preceded by its color name, such as blue Zircon or yellow Zircon.

Zircon has long had 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.

The amber-colored variety, nicknamed the lynx stone, was work over the solar plexus in a brown cloth bag, to cure insomnia. Powdered zircon was used to stimulate the heart and to stop convulsions and cramps. Hung around the neck, it protected against plague and wounds. Farmers counted on the zircon to provide a good harvest and to guard against lightning.

Holding the stone in one's mouth was believed to cheer the heart and mind. Zircon also was thought to ensure prudence in business matters, ward off poison, and exorcise the devil. To accomplish this last, a cross was first incised into a loaf of hot wheat bread. The zircon was then traced along the cut while a prayer was recited, and then the bread was eaten.

Zircon is mined in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, and other countries. 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 zircon is relatively hard, it can abrade and facets can chip. Zircons stored in stone papers will often get abrasions and with the strong birefringence appear to have a powdery surface.

Blue Zircon is difficult to find in large sizes like Blue Topaz and others. Generally you should not expect to get Zircons larger than 10 x 8 Oval or 8 mm round. Stones cut below 2 mm may loss their color and appear white.

Sources: Thailand (most of worlds present production), Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. All from gem gravel deposits or gem alluvium. Produced as a byproduct of corundum mining.

Hardness: 6-7.5

Crystal System: Tetragonal

Toughness: poor to good

Specific Gravity: 3.95-4.8 (4.7)

Birefringence: High; 0.04-0.06

R.I.: high, commonly 1.92-1.98

Dispersion: Strong; 0.039

Natural zircon today suffers for the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Some don't realize 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 that looks more like diamond than any other natural stone due to its brilliance and dispersion. Zircon is hard but can be brittle. Try not to expose your zircon to impact or abrasion. Store zircon jewelry with care to avoid scratches. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.

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