Red Zircon

RedZircon_ch_trillion_14.0x13.8mm_14.92cts_b_sh_web_b

Red color like that of Red Garnet, but with all of Zircon’s dispersion!
our zircon is a naturally occuring gemstone
-it is NOT lab created

Colors like Red Garnets, but with all of Zircon’s flash! Orangey-red to red to brownish-red…

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

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”.

Occasionally, Red Zircons will have tenebrescence. This is a rare property that only some zircons have. Gems stored in a dark area (e.g. safe) will have a bright ruby-red color when they are first taken out. Once they are exposed to light they slowly turn into their ‘normal’ orangey-brownish-red color (usually within a few minutes). This is a fascinating phenomenon that can be repeated over and over again!

Tenebrescence is also known as reversible photochromism. This property is used in synthetic materials to manufacture photochromic or ‘transition’ sunglasses, which darken on exposure to sunlight.

Notable sources for Red Zircons are East Africa and Australia. Many of them come out of the ground in attractive colors and don’t require any heat treatment (see product labelling on each gem).

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 many more colors, shapes and sizes available in Red 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 Red Zircon for sale

Colors

red

orangey-red

brownish-red

Garnet-red

and occasionally with tenebrescence, a rare property that only some zircons  have (gems stored in a safe or dark area will look peach when first taken out  and then slowly turn into their ‘normal’ brownish color when exposed to light. This fascinating phenomenon can be repeated over and over again!!).

Tenebrescence is also known as reversible photochromism. This property is used in synthetic materials to manufacture photochromic or ‘transition’ sunglasses, which darken on exposure to sunlight.

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 most 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)

Excellent value for money

Birthstone

 December

Anniversary

 

Cuts

Calibrated up to 8mm
Standard and fancy checkerboard cuts 
and free sizes

Mining locations

Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Norway and other localities