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Zircon |
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Color range: colorless, yellow, brown, red, orange, blue, green,
violet
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The name probably comes from the Persian word
zargun which means "gold-colored," although zircon comes in a
wide range of different colors.
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. 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. Zircon was
believed to drive away plagues and evil spirits. The lost of luster
on a zircon stone is said to warn of danger.
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 which looks more like diamond than
any other natural stone due to its brilliance and dispersion.
Today the most popular color is blue zircon.
Most blue zircon is a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a
bright blue color.
Zircon is the birthstone for December, alternating with
lapis lazuli and
turquoise. |
