Zircon belongs to the family of semi precious stones, and indeed, isolated from being general in jewelry production, it is very priceless to the stone lovers and solid homogeneous inorgani substance collectors as well. There is, however, one mutual misconception regarding this gemstone. Unfortunately, persons are ofttimes not conscious of the existence of zircon crystals and stones. They many times confuse zircon with another type of stone – cubic zirconia, which is a synthetic substitute for diamond.
Cubic zirconia is an oxide of zirconium (while you probably know that zirconium is chemical element with symbol Zr). The chemical formula of cubic zirconia ZrO2. On the other hand, zircon is a silicate solid homogeneous inorgani substance of zirconium, with chemical formula ZrSiO4. Zirconium is a comparatively heavy chemical element, and this classifies zircon amid the heaviest cherished stones out there in the solid homogeneous inorgani substance kingdom.
Zircon is a comparatively hard stone, with hardness on the Mohs scale of 7.5. In spite of this fact, zircon crystals are delicate, as they possess strains and dislocations within their crystal lattice which may make them crack easily. Zircon has been found for the most part in the eruptive rocks, but likewise inside a heap of metamorphic rock. Notable occurrences are in Thailand and Vietnam. Bangkok is one of the remarkable centers for zircons of gemstone quality. Such specimens are required to possess clarity and shine for jewelry production, and they are not so common. One may find them in special matrix stone cavities or in enclosed space within numerous volcanic rocks. Sri Lanka is known to be the second best source of zircon.
Having said that special zircon crystals are rare, the most ordinary are red and orange ones, but this semi cherished stone may likewise have any color from white to brown, peculiarly if color altering impurities are present in the crystal lattice. When not perfect, they may be purchased for comparatively little amount of money. Still they may be very much magnetic. The zircons have been highly valued by the Arabs in the past, as immortalized in the celebrated Thousand and One Nights. The very name stems from the Arabic expressions for gold and color.
In jewelry, zircon is very often times used to replace other stones and gems. Especially intense blue specimens of zircon are highly valued. Thermal treatment is also employed often to create the desired color. Due to it is high refractive index, which almost matches that of diamond, zircon is very oftentimes applied as an imitation of the most cherished of all stones. The refractive index is a measure of how much of the light that falls on the surface of a gemstone is reflected back into the eyes of the observers. The higher this parameter, the more beautiful the lighting effects and color play of the gemstone is.
In healing and spiritual practices, it has been used as a symbol of purity. In the past it was believed to possess magical abilities in fighting negative influences and evil spirits. Zircon crystals are likewise amid the particular 10 types of gems present on the mythological Kalpa Hindu tree of life.
The great diversity of zircon crystals, their relative rareness, and comparatively low prices are the major constituents that put this wondrously stone so high on the list of bestloved gems of innumerable solid homogeneous inorgani substance collectors.
