History of zircon
Zargun means “golden” in Persian. It is from this word that the name of the stone comes. The unique refractive properties of zircon can only be compared with a diamond. No wonder in the East zircon is called his younger brother.
Varieties and colors of stone
Zircon has several of the most famous varieties.
Hyacinth
It has a color from pale pink to bright red and brown.
Jargon or yargon
Yellow zircon.
starlit
A bright blue zircon that has been calcined to its color.
Zircon is often confused with zirconium, but they are fundamentally different things.
Zircon is a natural gemstone, zirconium is a silver-colored metal.
cubic zirconia (aka zirconium cube) is a well-known cubic zirconia, and a similar name is associated with the chemical composition of this stone: cubic zirconia. It is wrong to call phianites zircons, since phianites are artificial stones.
Circonium the same is a plastic grayish-silver metal, a chemical element, designated in the periodic table by the letter combination Zr. It is zirconium that is the main natural stone of zircon and cubic zirconia created in the laboratory.
Physical and chemical properties of zircon
Chemical formula of zircon ZrSiOfour. The stone is fragile, easily damaged by quartz.
Zircon contains many impurities, which causes a variety of colors of the stone. In nature, white, gray, pink, red, burgundy, yellow brown, almost black and green stones are found. As impurities, there are oxides of iron, calcium, aluminum, less often hafnium.
Transparent stones with a red tint are called hyacinths and are used in jewelry. When heated, zircon hyacinth turns bright blue. As a result of heat treatment, yellow or colorless stones can also be obtained.
The stone is usually small. Luster from resinous and matte to glassy.
Place of Birth
Stones are mined mainly in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Madagascar. Hyacinths are also harvested in the USA, Brazil, Canada, Norway and Australia.
Zircon deposits are also known in Russia, in particular, in the Urals, in Yakutia, on the Kola Peninsula.
Scope of zircon
Today, stone is used for the manufacture of fire-resistant and refractory materials. In addition, hafnium and uranium are extracted from it.
High quality zircons are used in the jewelry industry. The downside is the low density of the mineral, so it is easy to damage. Unfortunately, in modern realities, natural zircon has been almost completely ousted from the jewelry market and replaced by artificial cubic zirkonia. In ancient products, zircon is much more common.
How to distinguish natural zircon from a fake
There are several ways to help distinguish a real stone.
- To distinguish natural zircon from cubic zirconia, one should remember about the features of the stone. Transparent specimens in themselves are very rare, however, they will definitely contain inclusions, voids, etc. Cubic zirconia in any case will be transparent, like a tear.
- Zircon shimmers exactly like a diamond, but where there are any inclusions there is a resinous tint.
- Zircon has a very low density compared to cubic zirconia, therefore, stones of the same size will differ in mass – zircon will be easier to fake.
- Zircon is often radioactive. If you have a device that measures the level of radiation, it can help determine the naturalness of the stone.
Healing and magical properties of alular
Since ancient times, people have been wearing zircon amulets, endowing it with the power of power. In ancient times, this stone was worn by sages. It was believed that zircon helped to reveal lies and endowed the owner with intuition and the gift of foresight. Zircon promotes the development of memory and observation, protects against deceivers. An amulet with this stone attracts good luck and promotes enrichment.
It is believed that zircons of different colors affect a person in different ways. For example, yellow zircon is advised to be worn by people with hypertension, a sick stomach and liver. Blue stone restores the function of the thyroid gland and pancreas, and also helps with tumors in the brain. Black zircon increases the body’s resistance to viral diseases.
What zodiac signs are suitable for zircon
Astrologers primarily recommend wearing zircon to Sagittarius and Aquarius. The color of the stone must match the element of the sign.