NATURAL ZIRCON

Zircon is zirconium silicate, belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Origin of name: from Arabic zarqun and Persian zar = gold, gun = colour. Zircon is a natural forming mineral and it is not related to the synthetic diamond substitute Cubic Zirconium which is created in a laboratory. Zircon has a high refractive index and can be used to imitate diamonds. It is found in Australia, India, Brazil, and Florida, Cambodia, France, Myanmar, Thailand, Nigeria and Tanzania. Zircons found at Jack Hills in the Yilgarn Craton Western Australia are the oldest minerals found so far with an age of 4.404 billion years.
Colour: Zircon can come in red, brown, yellow, green, black or colourless. The colour of zircons below gem quality can be changed by heat treatment. Depending on the amount of heat applied, colourless, blue and golden-yellow zircons can be made.
Hardness: 7.5