Blue Zircon
Brilliant Fine Quality Heated Zircon from Cambodia
A fresh take on the worlds oldest gem.
Blue Zircon is a brilliant natural gem perfect for fine jewelry use, with refraction and dispersion rivaling that of Diamond. With over 30 years of experience dealing in this material, fine well-cut Blue Zircon has grown to become one of our main specializations.
Due to the similarity of their names, natural Zircon is occasionally confused by the public with the man-made gem ‘cubic zirconia’. However Zircon is a 100% naturally occurring gemstone. In fact, it is among the oldest gem materials on earth. In 2014 a Zircon crystal discovered in Australia was determined to be 4.4 billion years old making it nearly as old as the earth itself.
Natural Zircons often contain or are exposed to minute amounts of slightly radioactive minerals which, over millions or billions of years, can degrade the Zircon’s crystal structure. So called ‘low’ or ‘metamict’ Zircon are those in which the crystal structure has been significantly altered over time due to this natural irradiation. They are typically green and have reduced clarity. ‘High’ type Zircon are those with undamaged crystal structure, and as a result show greater clarity, higher density and hardness. The vast majority of Zircon used in jewelry, including all Blue Zircon, is of the ‘high’ type, meaning they have unaltered internal crystal structures.
Fine gem-quality Zircon, particularly fine Blue Zircon, is still relatively uncommon on the market, though it is steadily growing in popularity with well-informed consumers. All Blue Zircon originates from one source, which is Rattanakiri province, Cambodia, and is heat-treated to transform the naturally brown rough to a beautiful blue. While Blue Zircon can vary in shade and hue, we deal predominantly in fine quality, clean, medium-dark to dark stones, with little to no green tint. We carry a very broad range of sizes and shades of this gem, all sourced in Cambodia and meticulously recut to maximize brilliance.
We also deal occasionally in other varieties of Zircon, such as colorless and fancy colored Zircon, including green, yellow, brown and even red. If you’d like to learn more about this gem, please don’t hesitate to inquire.
Rattanakiri Zircon Rough Before & After Heat
Zircon Crystal from Mogok 40.70ct
Species: Zircon
Colors: Blue, Red, Yellow, Orange, Brown, and Green*
MOH’s Hardness: 7.5 (High Type)
Origins: Blue & Colorless from Cambodia; Others from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar
Specific Gravity: 3.9 to 4.73
Dispersion: 0.039 (High)
Refractive Index: 1.925 - 1.984 (High Type)
Accepted Treatments: Heat Treatment. All Blue Zircon and most Colorless Zircon is heated.
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*Green Zircon is low or metamict Zircon, and has slightly different properties than listed above
Our Zircon
Below is a small selection of our Zircon to show the range we deal in, including Cambodian Blue Zircon and a few other hues of Zircon from other locales. Please note we have many more stones in stock, and some of the below may no longer be available. Please contact us for any inquiries.
