Nature never ceases to amaze, especially when it comes to stones, since the number of gems it produces is impressive. However, one of the most curious or characteristic details is that they have existed for thousands of years. Such is the case of zircon, one of the most interesting gemstones and, at the same time, misrepresented in terms of their time of existence on planet earth, but thanks to science and technology it was discovered that zircon is the oldest gem.
Zircon or zircon as it is also known, is a mineral, which according to the Strunz classification, belonging to the nesosilicate family, it can occur in a number of variable colors, such as: yellow, red, green, blue, violet, black and colorless.
As for the etymology of its name, the one that begins with «Z» derives from Arabic, specifically zarqun which means «golden». Now, the one that begins with «C», which in its complete form is zirconium, refers to a chemical element located in the periodic table of elements., with the number 40. This element was discovered by a German chemist in 1789, its etymology in this case comes from the Latin zirconium.
Zircons are precious stones in all the extension of words. They can be found in a variety of colors, but additional colors can also be obtained if they are subjected to heat treatments. However, few know that zircon is the original stimulant of the diamond. Well, when colorless stones are cut correctly, they can make beautiful and convincing diamond substitutes and even outshine mediocre diamonds. Its high dispersion is similar to that of diamond. However, the simulation only goes so far.
Now if you compare them to each other, zircon is brittle unlike diamond, and the faceted edges tend to chip and wear. Zirconium should be used much more carefully. If it is to be used as a stone for a ring, it must have a protective layer. But, if used sporadically, it can work on any type of jewelry.
The main deposits of this stone are located in Cambodia, near the border with Vietnam; as well as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, the United States, South Africa and France.
Zircon is a stone that has been treasured by many world civilizations, today thanks to a group of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and technology Regarding the studies and data analysis, they have managed to decipher the reason for the high value of said gem, showing that its origin occurred exactly 4,400 million years ago, incredible, right?
Therefore, zircon brings with it an enriching history and mythology. For example, During the Middle Ages, this gem was thought to help rest, induce deep and restful sleep, ward off evil spirits, promote prosperity, energy, honor and wisdom. who wore it. Other legends said that zircon relieved pain and that it is a natural gemstone associated with people born in the month of December.
Another attribute of this precious gem is which has one of the highest refractive indices (IR) in nature, surpassing three of the four great precious stones: ruby, sapphire and emerald. Such an index is one of the most important characteristics of a gemstone, as it indicates the speed of light in air and the speed of light through a transparent material, for example, gemstones with a higher IR are generally brighter, like zircon, than low IR ones.
Finally, zircon has unique attributes, a gem with wonderful colors and brilliant flashes of light, a treasure bestowed by nature millions of years ago, a masterpiece for gem collectors and gem lovers.