Green Zircon

A rare color in zircon!
GreenZircon_cushion_8.6x6.7mm_2.48cts_H_zn2853

Green is a rare color in Zircon. They are found in shades from yellowish-green to deep olive green.

These gems are not to be confused with Cubic Zirconia (CZ) which is a man-made substance.

Notable sources for Green Zircons are Sri Lanka and Madagascar.

Green Zircons are considered ‘low zircons’ or ‘metamict’ Zircons and their loss of crystal structure sometimes makes them appear darker or cloudier. They are routinely heated to reduce the brownish components and improve their clarity.

The name ‘Zircon’ derives from the Persian word ‘zargun’ meaning golden hued. Zircons (and possibly other gems) in the pinkish-purplish-reddish color range were historically referred to as “Hyacinth” or “Jacinth”.

Zircons have extremely high dispersion of 0.038, which is the optical property that splits light into its component colors. That explains all those flashes of color when we look at these beautiful gems.

Their refractive index (RI) is also very high ranging from 1.81 to 1.98 and they are durable with a hardness of 7-7.5 for ‘high’ zircons.

Natural Zircons are still available at a fraction of the price of most other gemstones, making them the last undervalued gem!

Zircon is December’s birthstone, providing a lot of color choice for December birthdays!

We have more colors, shapes and sizes available in Green Zircon – please contact us if you don’t find what you are looking for in our online inventory.

click here to see a selection of Green Zircon for sale

Colors

green

bluish-green

yellowish-green

olive-green

Family/Species

Zircon

Properties

Zircon (high):

RI=1.925-1.984 DR

SG=4.70 (+/-0.03)

Zircon (medium): RI=1.875(+/-0.045)-1.905(+/-0.075) DR

SG=4.32 (+/-0.25)

Zircon (low): RI=1.810(+/-0.030)-1.815(+/-0.030) DR

SG=4.00(+/-0.07)

Dispersion= 0.038

Note: Dispersion is very close to that of Diamond (0.044), making Zircon the original Diamond substitute

Hardness=7.5

Suitable for use in jewelry

Treatments

We work with both natural and untreated material; some zircon is routinely
heated to enhance color

see policy on Treatment Disclosure

Important information

Extremely bright sparkly
A naturally occurring gemstone- do not confuse with lab-created Cubic Zirconia (CZ)

Birthstone

 December

Anniversary

 

Cuts

Calibrated up to 8mm

Standard and fancy checkerboard cuts 
and free sizes

Mining locations

Sri Lanka, Burma, Madagascar, Tanzania and other localities