The main component of Zircon is Zirconium Silicate (ZrSiO4), which belongs to the "tetragonal system". The crystals of the original stone in nature are generally reddish brown. After heating, it can be obtained in blue or gold or colorless "zircon".
"Zircon" is a natural gemstone with high refractive index and high dispersion. It has " sub-adamantine luster" and its dispersion can reach 0.039. Therefore, "Colorless Zircon" has been used as a replica of diamonds.
The history of zircon
The word "Zircon" comes from the Persian word "zargun", which means "golden". The orange, yellow and red zircons are also known as hyacinth, from the ancient Egyptian word "Hyacinth".
The output and types of zircon
The crystals of "zircon" are found in granite, acid igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary layers. The "zircon" crystals contain radioactive elements such as "U" (U) and "Th" (Th), and the crystal structure changes with time. It was destroyed by radioactive bombardment and turned into a brown, opaque "low-type zircon". This change is called metamictization.
By heating the brown "low-type zircon", a high-transparency "high-type zircon" can be obtained, and optical effects and physical effects are also met. However, some time after heating, some of the heated blue and yellow zircon will fade, and reheating will reinforce the color.
"Zircon" which turns blue is called "Starlite" in commercial transactions.
Australia is the largest producer of zircon, and other producing areas include Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
The maintenance and use of zircon
"Zircon" is a fragile gem. If you put a lot of "zircon" in a gem wrapping paper bag and rub it against each other, they may be damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid wearing "zircon" jewelry in activities that cause wear and impact.
The color of "zircon" is not stable, it is necessary avoiding high temperatures, strong sunlight, and strong ultraviolet rays when wearing zircon jewelry.
The special use of zircon
"Zircon" is widely found in various rocks and has good hardness, durability and stability, and contains radioactive elements such as "uranium" (U). Therefore, scientists judge the age of minerals and geology by measuring the degree of decay of radioactive elements in zircon.
For example, the "zircon" crystals found in the Jack Hills Valley of Australia can be traced back to 4.4 billion years ago and are the oldest known measurable minerals.