Zircon Gemstone

Zircon is perhaps the most misunderstood of all gemstones. Unfortunately due to the similarity of zircon's name to the diamond simulant cubic zirconia, many people don't realize that zircon is a beautiful, naturally occurring stone with its own merits. It has been a less-expensive stand-in for many gems throughout history, including diamond and topaz, even though zircon has tremendous fire and a dispersion rate nearly as high as diamond and much higher than other gems.

Care

Blue and colorless zircons are almost always heat treated. For this reason, high heat and prolonged exposure to bright light should be avoided to prevent changing the stone's color. Harsh abrasives should also be avoided, as zircon can be brittle or easily abraded. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners could be risky for zircon. Warm soapy water and a very soft brush are ideal for cleaning zircon.

Color

Zircon occurs in a rainbow of rich hues, including blue, green, brown, red and pink, brownish golds and yellow, as well as colorless. Increasingly rare honey-colored zircon from Cambodia is primarily the only zircon that can be heated to blue.

Value

Like most colored stones, zircon's value is primarily determined by its intensity and saturation of color, all other factors being equal. Beyond that, size and clarity play an important role. Most gem zircons are eye-clean. Blue and colorless zircons are considered type I gems, meaning they are almost always eye clean with no inclusions. Other colors of zircon are type II; they can show eye-visible inclusions, but they don't take away from the stone's beauty. Because blue zircons are in higher demand, they are usually more expensive than other zircons.