Yellow Zircon

YellowZircon_sq_cush_8.6mm_3.89cts_b_zn1599_sh_web

Fabulous yellow colors!
our zircon is a naturally occuring gemstone
-it is NOT lab created

Yellow Zircons are bright gems with a range of colors from light yellow to medium and strong yellows.

These gems 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, Yellow 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 brownish-yellow or orangey-yellow color when they are first taken out. Once they are exposed to light they slowly turn into their ‘normal’ yellow 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.

Significant sources of Yellow Zircon include East Africa, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. They are routinely heated to achieve their color. Occasionally we get Natural, unheated gems too (see product labelling for 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 Yellow 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 Yellow Zircon for sale

Colors

yellow

light yellow

medium yellow

canary yellow

golden yellow

brownish-yellow

yellow-orange

and occasionally with tenebrescence, a rare property that only some zircons have (gems stored in a safe or dark area will look brownish-yellow or orangey-yellow when first taken out and then slowly turn into their ‘normal’ yellow 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

Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and other localities